Brewing PM IPA this morning, need advice.

[WenValley]

I'm making my second PM brew today, a simcoe hop IPA. The directions say:

"add grains to straining bag and steep for 30 minutes, rinse with 2 cups 170 degree water then discard spent grains".

So, do I rinse the grains back into the brew pot? Do I rinse the grains while they're floating in the wort? Or do I lift out the bag, and "tea bag" the grains then rinse?


I have 2 ounces of Simcoe whole hops that are added at three different points during the boil. I have a muslin hop bag, but I'm thinking that I'll get better extraction by not bagging the hops. I have a large funnel with a very fine mesh snap in screen and that should filter out the hops (or that's my theory anyhow... (???)

I brewed up my first PM batch yesterday, it was a Honey Ale. I did put those hops into a muslin hop bag, then tea bagged the hops during the brew. How aggressive are you when you sparge out the hop (or grain) bag with the spent hops? I gave it a pretty good squeeze, not maximum, but pretty hard. Is that a bad thing?

The Honey Ale is perking away this morning, the blow off tube is bubbling and the carboy is getting a nice froth on top.

I love this hobby.... Thanks for your help...

 

[frolickingmonkey]

You could either tea bag for a few minutes, or rinse the grains back into the brew pot.

Sometimes I use the hop bag and sometimes I don't... The funnel screen should work fine, but you might have to stop once or twice to remove the hops from the funnel. Sometimes you'll get a stuck/slow pour and end up making a mess all over the floor.

 

[lmg95]

Well when i do a partial mash i typically steep in one pot and have the sparge (rinse) water heated in my brewpot.

After the steeping i take my grain bag to the sparge water and leave it sit in there for 5-10 minutes followed by some "tea-bagging" at the very end. You could probably sparge with a full gallon of water too. Then i add the liquid from the steeped grains into the brew pot and add enough water for about a 3gal boil and off i go.

As for the hops, i have the strainer funnel and it works pretty well at keeping out most of the trub... but some will get through and just settle to the bottom of your fermenter.

Others will probably be able to help more but out of curiosity could you post the whole recipe... i'm planning an All simcoe IPA since i just picked up a pound of whole simcoe hops.

 

[WenValley]

Thanks for the input...

Here's the recipe:

7 lbs Briess Light Liquid Malt Extract.
2 lbs Briess Light Dry Malt Extract
1 lb Crystal 10L
1 oz. Simco whole, 60 minute boil time
.5 oz Simco whole 15 minute bt
.5 oz Simco whole 5 minute bt.
1 TSP Irish Moss.

Steep the 10d Crystal for 30 minutes @ 160.

Good Luck. I'll post back on this. Thanks.