Hop Addition Method

[rhinoceroceros]

I have always added hops in small muslin bags to make it easy to get them out of the kettle, but I have always wondered if this will affect the overall hop utilization.
Does anyone have any insight on how this impacts the end product, if at all? What other methods do you use when adding hops? Should I even worry about the hop matter that might remain if I don't use bags?

 

[BobBailey]

From what I've read you lose about 10% when bagging hops. Quite often I use a very small bittering charge and just toss them in. Larger late additions and whirlpool hops I use a large hop spider. I do recirculate the last 15 minutes of the boil and throughout whirlpool time, and believe that helps essential oils extraction. I also let the spider drain while chilling.

When using muslin bags the key is to make sure they have plenty of room in them for wort circulation.

 

[GPP33]

I’ve always just tossed them in, even with beers that use over a pound of pellets. Some make it to the fermenter but it really doesn’t matter.

 

[ncbrewer]

I’ve always just tossed them in, even with beers that use over a pound of pellets. Some make it to the fermenter but it really doesn’t matter.

Same here, and I don't strain out the hops, so they all go to the fermenter. I don't brew anything that needs to stay in the fermenter for months, so I can't say whether an extended time in the fermenter would be a problem. But for 2 - 3 weeks, I don't get off flavors. I'm also not a hophead, so no more than 3 ounces in a 5 gallon batch.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I just did two 2.5 gallon batches doing my own recipes for the first time. One was an extract recipe, where I just threw the hops in as I've always done. The other was a BIAB grain recipe and I used a mesh bag for the hops. Both recipes used about 5 oz of hops which is a lot more than I've previously used, mainly at the end of boil and whirlpool. With the mesh bag I tried to stir a lot, to make sure to circulate everything. When I took it out at the end I tried to let all the water drain, but man it was ALOT of hop gunk in there.

 

[abdominousabel]

From what I understand Alpha Acids are insoluble for the most part. This means that it will stick to anything and hitch a ride out, meaning the alpha acids stick to the hot break foam and stick to the mesh bags. So it’s make sense to lose utilization