paint strainer bag as a hop bag?

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shlap

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Has anyone used a paint strainer bag (not sure what their official name is) as a hop bag during boil? I'm pretty sure it would work by I want to make sure the bag doesn't melt...
 
shlap said:
Has anyone used a paint strainer bag (not sure what their official name is) as a hop bag during boil? I'm pretty sure it would work by I want to make sure the bag doesn't melt...
I have two of them in my secondaries down stairs right now.

They make great hop bags, in the fermenter or in the boil pot. You just need to pick up some kitchen twine to tie them off.
 
Made of nylon. Won't melt unless your boil is boil is at like 375F.

Also, if you get the 5 gallon ones, they fit over immersion coolers perfectly...that was BierMuncher's idea (he has pictures). I will be using this again tomorrow, works great to capture cold break.
 
BierMuncher said:
I have two of them in my secondaries down stairs right now.

They make great hop bags, in the fermenter or in the boil pot. You just need to pick up some kitchen twine to tie them off.

Great, thanks for the advice!
 
Beerrific said:
Made of nylon. Won't melt unless your boil is boil is at like 375F.

Also, if you get the 5 gallon ones, they fit over immersion coolers perfectly...that was BierMuncher's idea (he has pictures). I will be using this again tomorrow, works great to capture cold break.
Okay...if you insist:
Kolsch before the chiiler filter
Chiller_Filter_1.jpg
The Chiller Filter
Chiller_Filter_2.jpg
My next Kolsch using the chiller filter
Chiller_Filter_4.jpg
 
There they are!:mug:

That first picture looks like my Kolsch. I swear at one point there was some cold break in there that looked like a corn cob.
 
Wow, that's a big difference... so forgive my ignorance but how does capturing the cold break affect the flavor?
 
BierMuncher- Did you have a false bottom in your pot to keep the nylon bag from burning to the bottom of the hot pot when you cooled?
 
I use paint strainer bags for boiling kettle hops all the time. They won't melt in the boil, but the tips of the bag that hang out of the kettle can burn if you don't keep them AWAY from the flame.

I suggest loosely wrapping the bag around the kettle handle and opening it as need be for each addition. Do not wrap the bag around the entire opening of the kettle because the tips may burn. The bag can also be used during flameout quite successfully.

I do not recommend bagging dry "leaf" hops in the carboy for dryhopping. They will be very difficult to remove, especially if you weigh the bag down a bit with spoons or marbles. Pellet hops are a bit easier to dryhop in a large nylon bag, but the process is still a pain in the butt. I recommend dryhopping without a bag, and instead wrapping the bag around the racking cane to prevent blockage when siphoning.
 
Has anyone used a paint strainer bag (not sure what their official name is) as a hop bag during boil? I'm pretty sure it would work by I want to make sure the bag doesn't melt...

I would like to add to this....silly question....do we have to worry about food grade?
 
The Chiller Filter
2202-paint-strainer-bag-hop-bag-chiller_filter_2.jpg

Excuse me for bringing back an extremely old thread, but are you guys boiling with the paint strainer/nylon bag sitting directly on the bottom of the kettle?

I know this has been brought up many times, but I haven't found a clear answer giving the green light, and read some people say their bag melted a little doing this. I'd like to try this with my next IIPA.

ps. the Chiller Filter looks like a genius idea (if my bag doesn't melt!)
 
I've used paint strainer bags on my last dozen brews or so and i've never had one melt from sitting on the bottom of the pot. However, I've not wrapped my chiller in it yet, but will on my next brew. I charred the top of the bag once by tieing it to the pot handle, so I don't do that anymore.
 
I keep mine suspended slightly off the bottom of the pot by paper-clipping the bag to the rim of the pot.

I honestly don't know if letting it rest on the bottom is bad or not, but I didn't want to ruin a batch to find out.
 
I keep mine suspended slightly off the bottom of the pot by paper-clipping the bag to the rim of the pot.

I honestly don't know if letting it rest on the bottom is bad or not, but I didn't want to ruin a batch to find out.

Do you use an immersion chiller? Trying to think how I'd suspend the bag with the chiller in the kettle for 10-15 minutes.
 
Do you use an immersion chiller? Trying to think how I'd suspend the bag with the chiller in the kettle for 10-15 minutes.

You could attach the bag inside the IC rings instead of over them, and have the bottom of the bag above the bottom ring of the IC. That way the IC itself would hold the bag off of the bottom.
 
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