Bagged my hops.....did I decrease their effectiveness?

[Teufelhunde]

This morning I brewed a NB extract kit that had 3 hop additions during the boil and one at flameout. I was trying to avoid all that hop fiber left in the wort, so I bagged them all....the ones put in during the boil were really circulated well by the good rolling boil, the hop stand addition I gave it a good stir with the spoon as soon as I added them and then put the lid on for the stand.

How much did I compromise the oil/flavor extraction by bagging the hops? The bagging did what I wanted and the junk in the brew kettle was minimal....

This recipe has a dry hop as well, and I was planning on sterilizing a bag, then adding the hops to the bag before dumping them in the fermenter......good idea? bad idea? Open to input...

Lon

 

[Jag75]

Your gonna get different opinions from people. I never use bags in my kettle anymore . I did a NEIPA once and got a clogged pump because I didnt whirlpool good enough. I've since added a false bottom for extra filtration . I use a Grainfather and my last NEIPA had a ton of hops in the kettle and didnt have 1 issue at all. I alway use bags when dry hopping , as I dont want to have plugged lines or QDs during transfer since I dont cold crash. As far as compromising the oils and flavors using bags I think its minimal depending on the bag. I use large bags during dry hop so the hops can swell enough and still have room to fully soak. So basically no bag in kettle for hops, bagged for dry hopping . If your worried about constricting the oil and flavors just add a touch more hops. I'll gladly add 1/4 oz more then deal with plugged equipment.

 

[LittleRiver]

I've done it with and without bags, and have now standardized on bagging. If there is a difference in taste I could not detect it, and the benefits of the bags are well worth their use.

I use one bag for boil additions, and a second bag for hop stands.

 

[Tallgrass]

I use a large bag(s) in the kettle and limit the hops to 3 or 4 oz per bag. About half way through the cooling process I pull the bag up so it can drain into the kettle for 10 mins. or so.
Every once in while I give the spent hop material a taste before it goes in the trash. I normally don't taste any hop flavor or bitterness. That leads me to believe most of the goodness is transfered to the wort.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

Invest in a hanging hop basket. Works like a charm, allows more room for the hops and wort to mix and pays for itself compared to the cost of single use muslin hop bags.

https://www.homebrewing.org/400-Mic...DJh1ypNW6I8L6tZXyVsGWrZT12wmOjNcaAqUeEALw_wcB

 

[Jag75]

I have the hop spider . Its great for keeping the hop sludge out of the kettle but if you brew a hoppy beer it takes forever to drain. It's also a pita to clean. It now just hangs in my brew closet collecting dust .

 

[Brewers Hardware]

I'll do the same as others mentioned and use something similar to a hop spider if I'm doing a big hoppy beer. Otherwise I'll just throw the hops in and get a nice whirlpool going before I transfer. Usually a good whirlpool does the trick and gets most of the hop/trub to settle out in the middle.

 

[LittleRiver]

Invest in a hanging hop basket. Works like a charm, allows more room for the hops and wort to mix and pays for itself compared to the cost of single use muslin hop bags

I use hop bags from Wilser. They last for years and years...

 

[bleme]

I've done both. As others have mentioned, the bag needs to be very roomy - like gallon sized. Usually I just dump them in though. My Wilser 'hop bag' sees a lot more action as a cold brewed coffee filter.

 

[UncleD]

I just switched to bagging during boil. It is almost an necessity if you are doing a brew with alot of hop additions, is it can become difficult to transfer to fermenter etc... As far as a taste difference, I would surmise the difference is too small to justify not doing it.

 

[kh54s10]

I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. I always have except for 2 ounces or less total for hops. I haven't noticed a difference in the smaller amounts. Can't say for large amounts of hops because I bag so I don't lose a ton of beer in the hop sludge.

 

[bleme]

This makes me wonder, do baggers have more control of bitterness? My first thought was that baggers could pull out whenever they want so it isn't relying on their cool-down rate. However, now I am thinking that it is more likely that the hop compounds already in the wort will continue to develop, whether the actual hops are there or not.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for strainers to use when dry hopping in the fermenter? I'm looking at something like this but I want to make sure it can hold a lot of hops (34oz..?). Any recommendations?

I was also thinking you could use a small BIAB bag...? Thoughts on that?

 

[Jag75]

If it's a very large amount I've used 1 gallon paint strainer bags . I have a large muslin bag that I use most of the time though.

 

[Rob2010SS]

If it's a very large amount I've used 1 gallon paint strainer bags . I have a large muslin bag that I use most of the time though.

Got a link to that muslin bag? Is it reusable?

 

[Jag75]

Got a link to that muslin bag? Is it reusable?

You can go online to morebeer , northernbrewer ect.... but if you have a LHBS I would check there . Amazon as well . They have 12x14 bags for 10$

Yes they are reusable

 

[bleme]

Got a link to that muslin bag? Is it reusable?

A quick search found this: Drawstring Mesh Bag - 18 in. x 24 in. | MoreBeer

 

[Rob2010SS]

A quick search found this: Drawstring Mesh Bag - 18 in. x 24 in. | MoreBeer

Thanks. I found these. I think I'm going to go this route. I know this will hold all of the hops and allow for expansion.

 

[Jag75]

Thanks. I found these. I think I'm going to go this route. I know this will hold all of the hops and allow for expansion.

How many oz are you dry hopping?

 

[Rob2010SS]

I'm not 100% sure yet but rough calculation is 34oz (2oz/gal)