To hop bag or not hop bag?

When I boil up next Saturday, I plan to use a 7.5 gal pot and boil down to ~5.3 gal for the 6.5 gal primary bucket and then down to 5 gal for the 5 gal secondary carboy. I will add hops to the boil, flame out and secondary.

So, should I hop bag:
-the boil? (maybe 1 oz, 1 oz)
-the dry hop? (maybe 1oz)

Last time I brewed, I recall adding to the boil and then just dumping in the fermenter to sort out, but I want to do what is best here. I don't plan to filter malt out. I enjoy the trub.:rockin:

BTW: IPA

 

I always use a bag but that's just my preference. I don't think it really matters either way, especially if you don't fear the trub

 

I agree. Doesn't really matter, but I always use a bag because I want as little crud in my brew as possible. Less to strain out and worry about.

 

Thanks, I'll prob use a bag on the boil because I fear the long time in the fermenter. I will ferment possibly for as much as 4 weeks (1 to 2 + another 1 to 2). I don't want grass tasting brew. Legit reason?

 

I don't bother with a bag and find it works great. The hops settle to the bottom during cooling. Then I pour the wort into the fermenter through a strainer (which is also supposed to be good for aerating the wort). I don't really catch much hops material until I get near the bottom of the pour, then at the end I get the strainer full of hops & wort. I use a spoon to help the remaining liquid through - keep working it with the spoon until a dry cake of hops left in the strainer as I figure it should be good for the hops flavour to get as much of that last hoppy wort as possible.

Even if you did not strain the hops out they would settle in the fermenter.

I do use a bag for dry hopping though as I harvest my yeast.

 

I'm limited on space, so I rack the wort to my primary using an auto-siphon and then shake the hell out of it. On my first brew, I didn't use bags and I wish that I had. I bottled it last night and, even though a lot had settled, there were still floaties in the beer. If you're filtering or using a funnel that has a filter, then bags probably aren't all that necessary. Personally, bags have helped my last couple of brews turn out a lot clearer.

 

I've brewed quite a few beers now with no bags and no filtering mechanism to keep hops out of the fermenter, and left them in the primary only for 3-6 weeks, and I've not had a grassy tasting brew yet.

Plus, you state 1 to 2 weeks + 1 to 2 weeks, which suggests you'll be racking to secondary. Without getting into discussions of why that's probably not even necessary, once you rack you'll have the beer off almost all the hops. Your actual exposure time is less than the 4 weeks you're asking about.

My opinion: it's not a real concern.

About the only thing I've found hop bags really useful for is to prevent pumping a ton of hop material directly into by buddy's plate chiller (they tend to clog things up).

 

+1. I filter through a strainer from the kettle into the primary. Never done a secondary, never had any sediment in the fully conditioned beer. I just upend the bottle into the glass.

 

I usually bag my first couple of hops additions, but will add later additions right to the kettle (mostly because I've run out of bags!). I always bag when I dry hop.

As for filtering, I've found that after your wort is cooled and ready for transfer, whirlpool the hell out of it with your spoon, mash paddle, spade shovel or what have you and set a timer for 45 minutes. Cover it and then go away. Then carefully siphon your wort off from the edge of the kettle. The whirlpool causes a lovely cone of trub/cold break/hops to form right in the middle of the kettle. As long as I'm very, very careful with the siphon, I can get ALL the wort and NONE of the trub.

 

I use a hop spider/sputnik that works great. some say it cuts hop utilization, but I haven't found that too much.

 

That's cool. You can add twice to that bag right? and to you squeeze it out when you remove it?

 

I'll try that on a future batch.

 

I hop at all intervals using this, and never squeeze. I also reuse the bag several times just hose out after done run through washing machine with oxy clean & reuse. I've done additions at 60 40 30 20 10 5 & Flame Out for an IPA still set deep enough top cover new additions in boiling wort and not touch bottom of pot. I do stick my paddle in the bag and stir during boil. Standard 5 gallon paint strainer bags frome home depot/ lowes.

 

The two times (i'm a glutton for punishment) I dry hopped without bags i regretted it a LOT. The hops never settled and clogged up the siphon. I would definitely dry hop with a loose mesh hops bag (not the fine mesh kind).
I usually bag the bittering hops but just toss in the flavor and aroma.

 

Is that a pvc coupler in the center?

 

whole hops, cheese cloth & a zip tie works well even added to a keg. I put some marbles in there too helps keep it down where up take is in keg. I boil cheese cloth add hops, star san zip tie & marbles. drop in keg. cross my fingers. has come out great so far when needed! need just a few more parts for my hop randall! just a few fittings.

 

Could you even use this to filter out the particles when pouring the cooled wort into a plastic bucket fermentor? Perhaps use a larger PVC piece?