Dry Hopping Using Micron Mesh Cartridge

[HB_ATL73]

Just curious if there are any potential disadvantages using a stainless steel dry hop cartridge like this? it is 2.8x 11 inch and looks like this-
I plan on dry hopping an IPA with 6 total oz in a 5.5 gal batch. Is there a potential to not get the most flavor/aroma out of the hops using this? Would it be better to just toss them in?

 

[Keith81]

I've used one of those a couple of times now but have never gone over 3 oz of pellet hops. Really cuts down on the beer lost when transferring to a bottling bucket. I'm still undecided if they hurt flavor/aroma. It's hard for me to determine that because I haven't brewed the same beer twice to compare.

 

[gregkeller]

I've never used this product, but do use something similar for holding hops during boiling. I do not find that it cuts down on hop flavor/aroma, but I got a massive screen, I think 10 inches in diameter and the full height of my 15 gallon kettle. I think that in something that size you showed, the hops might be a little compacted in there to get the flavor you are expecting from a 6 oz charge of dry hops.

I wanna get one of these for dry hopping in the serving keg, but think I'd limit it to 2-3 oz. I'm sure there is a sweet spot for this, but I don't know what it is. You want beer to flow through it but you also want all that beer flowing through to touch hop material. I say, play around with it, take good notes and try and figure out that sweet spot.

 

[HB_ATL73]

3 oz of pellet hops

think I'd limit it to 2-3 oz

Like you both said- I am a little wary of using this for 6oz hops- I feel like they would saturate quickly and the hops in the center may see little exposure to the beer. I bought this primarily to avoid a clogged siphon and worrying about hop particulate into my beer when kegging. I'm still undecided whether I will use this or just toss them in

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Your good with 6 oz of hops in there but it will give the result of 5 ounces.
I have one and use it often. Just remember to store it with the lid off after use

 

[HB_ATL73]

Just curious OG have you ever experimented and brewed the same beer twice one with the hop cartridge and one without? I think I'm leaning towards using it but curious on peoples experiences

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Yes, that's how I know I lose some hop efficiency. It makes a big difference in how much hop material is loose in the beer though so to me it's worth it. You got it so use it, like anything else you will adapt to it as you use it.

 

[gregkeller]

Is it always taking away that much aroma? Like was mentioned, use 6 oz to get the equivalent of 5 oz of dry hop, if I use 4, do I only get the same perceived as 3 oz? 2 oz of use for 1 oz equivalent?

Just wondering if there is a "break even" point where there is little to no perceptible difference between one that uses the filter and one that doesn't. Probably is semantics at this point, but I'd think that at a certain amount of hop material, it is moving around the inside of that filter as well as it would be moving around in the open fermenter up to a point where the hop material is gonna get in it's own way and some of that hop goodness isn't going to have enough beer pass over it to get it into solution.

 

[DHomebrews]

I have 4 of these. Instead of cramming it to its limit with hops, I use a couple at a time and split the hops between them. I do this for each dry hop addition. Seems to work quite well. Having brewed the same beer twice, once with and once without these, I haven't noticed a difference at all in flavor/aroma. But it does make cleanup and transferring (Catalyst Fermenter) easier.

 

[gregkeller]

I have 4 of these. Instead of cramming it to its limit with hops, I use a couple at a time and split the hops between them. I do this for each dry hop addition. Seems to work quite well. Having brewed the same beer twice, once with and once without these, I haven't noticed a difference at all in flavor/aroma. But it does make cleanup and transferring (Catalyst Fermenter) easier.

What is the highest amount of hops you will put into each?

 

[MaxStout]

I have 4 of these. Instead of cramming it to its limit with hops, I use a couple at a time and split the hops between them. I do this for each dry hop addition. Seems to work quite well. Having brewed the same beer twice, once with and once without these, I haven't noticed a difference at all in flavor/aroma. But it does make cleanup and transferring (Catalyst Fermenter) easier.

I have a few of the skinny ones that fit into glass carboys. If I put much more than 1oz. of pellets in each, they will swell up and be packed, which no doubt limits hops utilization. But if I keep it to 1 oz, it works great and I haven't noticed a loss of flavor/aroma.

I now have 2 Brew Buckets, so I'll be free to use larger dry hops containers.

 

[IPAman6815]

I bought one for an ipa I did and I put 12oz of hops in it for a 5.5 gal batch. About 80% of the hops looked like they were saturated the other 20% were still pellets, mushy pellets but retained their shape. When I filled it before putting it in I was near the top and after taking it out it looked like some of the hops pushed the top off slightly. I didn't experience much if any hop sediment in my beer and I definitely had a ton of hop characteristics (aroma, taste, etc) still even though I probably over stuffed it.

 

[DHomebrews]

What is the highest amount of hops you will put into each?

3 oz., 4 at the maximum. I feel once hops expand and inevitably compact, anymore would see a negligible increase in benefit, not to mention that the mesh on it may be suseptible to damage if too much is crammed inside. With that being said, tie some fishing line onto the end of it and you can easily move it around in the fermenter slowly. This may help in hope exposure and allow for more penetration into the compacted hops.

 

[Beer-lord]

I have the same screen and never used more than 2 oz in it and even then when it was time to remove them, it didn't look like the inside was as wet as the outside of the hops. I wondered how much was actually dispersed so now I go commando, cold crash and I'm good.
I've also tried, as much as possible, to use cryo and hop hash to keep things cleaner.

 

[lslbrew]

I have used ones likes these in the boil. Take a lesson from me if you are using these. That little pin on the top of the lid, take a pair of pliers in the under side of the lid and bend the legs of the pin back up thru a hole and then bend them over. I had the pins pop out of my lid and the can fell to the bottom.