Hop Bag

Does this piece of equipment have a name other than "hop bag"? Where can I buy one? Would you use this with pellets, or just loose leaf?

 

I think we here call this the hop spider. It's made with a paint strainer bag, pvc coupling and some steel rods. All available at your local HD, Lowes, etc.

 

I haven't seen this for sale anywhere. I believe it's a DIY type of situation, lot's of threads right here on HBT.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hop-bag-hanger-73829/

 

Check this out:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/hop-bag-question-173464/index2.html#post2018476

Couldn't be easier and they are awesome.

 

I use mine for both. Works great.

I think the whole thing cost like $8 or something total.

 

How do you wash the strainer bag?

 

You don't (necessarily). You can buy new ones for a couple bucks each or so ...

-BigCask

 

Iwash mine in the laundry they come out fine.

 

Yep, I turn mine inside out after the brew and rinse everything out. I then throw it in the laundry and wash it with the whites! They do discolor over time but I keep using them until they deteriorate and then replace. No issues so far.

 

I have been wanting to make one of these since I went all grain. What about when adding your chiller at 15min. Do you take this out and add it again after putting the chiller in? I guess so, but I think it would make a mess.

 

I put mine inside of my chiller when its time for the chiller.

 

Someone else might have to speak to that. I don't add my wort chiller at 15 min. I clean and sanitize mine in lieu of doing so. I would imagine you are right, but I am so set in my method I don't think about it.

 

Maybe I'll start doing that.

 

Its a quick, easy maneuver. The weight of the hop mass will stretch out the bag, lift it up, pop it into the IC, both back into the kettle at one shot: painless.

I have seen threads discussing a decrease in hop utilization, but I can't speak to that.

 

I built one (similar) using instructions from YouTube (Homebrew58). When it's time for the wort chiller, I just pull out the hop bag, drop in the chiller, and drop the hop bag back in. My wort chiller does not extend above the rim of my pot.