Dry Hopping Weights

[pharaohpierre]

So I went to dry hop yesterday and I was not happy with how my previous dry hops went. Previously, I had put the hops in a Muslin bag, tied it, and dropped it in the carboy. It would then hang out on top of the beer for around 5-7 days. I wanted my hops to sink to the bottom.

This time I looked around my home and couldn't find a suitable weight to add to the bag so I finally got the idea to throw in 2 of my whisky stones that I keep in the freezer. I figured they were heavy enough and them being in the freezer was sanitary enough. Not too bad, the muslin bag fell straight to the bottom. What do you guys use as your dry hop weights to give me some suggestions?

 

[JustLooking]

and them being in the freezer was sanitary enough.

 

[joyceman]

The kids' marbles, works like a charm. Definitely sanitize those first, I know where theyve been.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

You at least sanitized the bag right?

 

[ktblunden]

Yeah, that's just not a sound line of reasoning at all. Next time stick them in the hop bag and boil the whole thing, drain the water, add the hops, and drop it in.

I use marbles like a previous poster. I use the method above.

 

[northcal]

I use random stainless parts

 

[Grannyknot]

I rarely use a bag, but the few times I have, I've used large marbles. Sanitized.

 

[Calichusetts]

Marbles work great. They sink the hops and give some extra gaps from the beer to flow through

 

[dinnerstick]

also large marbles. i went out and got a bag of superhero marbles, not just decorative ones. i have also used corny posts, they don't work well (not that heavy), get completely caked up with gunk, and when you go to keg the beer you can't find a post. instead of freezing them to sanitize i just pop them in my mouth for a minute!

 

[ktblunden]

instead of freezing them to sanitize i just pop them in my mouth for a minute!

I chuckled.

 

[TimelessCynic]

Stainless bolts


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[pharaohpierre]

Yeah I like the idea of marbles and stainless bolts. Plus, I don't know why some posters are freaking out about me not sanitizing my whisky stones. I mean they literally go from the freezer into my 40% whiskey, then rinsed under tap water and back into the freezer. I know its better to be safe than sorry but lets not be the over worried parent here.

 

[pharaohpierre]

You at least sanitized the bag right?

yeah, I sanitized the bag

 

[dinnerstick]

Yeah I like the idea of marbles and stainless bolts. Plus, I don't know why some posters are freaking out about me not sanitizing my whisky stones. I mean they literally go from the freezer into my 40% whiskey, then rinsed under tap water and back into the freezer. I know its better to be safe than sorry but lets not be the over worried parent here.

careful, man, there's a beverage here

 

[pharaohpierre]

I was referring to whisky Dinnerstick, not a Caucasian

 

[Clonefan94]

I tried the bag thing once. Personally, I've just found it a lot easier to just go ahead and drop them in without the bag. Then, when I rack to keg, I just cut a nice piece of paint strainer bag from Home Depot, sanitize that and put that over the end of my autosiphon.

 

[TimelessCynic]

Now we are diverging from the original message of the thread but yes......i have found it way easier as well to just throw them in loose. When i rack i just don't lower the end of the tube that low. Works for me cause i bank a lot yeast/trub/beer mixture in mason jars for re pitching.


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[Yooper]

The hops don't have to sink to be effective- as long as they touch the beer, are are fairly "loose" (bagged or not), and the beer can permeate them to saturate them, floating is fine.

 

[msa8967]

I use glass beads bought from Dollar Tree. I boil these in water with my hop sack and have never had any issues.

 

[TimelessCynic]

The hops don't have to sink to be effective- as long as they touch the beer, are are fairly "loose" (bagged or not), and the beer can permeate them to saturate them, floating is fine.

1,3,5,7 days yooper? There seems to be a lot of debate.



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[Yooper]

1,3,5,7 days yooper? There seems to be a lot of debate.



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My "sweet spot" is about 5 days, but I go as short as 3 days if I have to keg the beer due to work schedules or something else going on- with good results. I haven't noticed any gain in a 7 day dryhop, but I don't shy away from it either if my timing works out that way.

 

[shortyz]

ss anal beads

 

[TimelessCynic]

ss anal beads

Sanitized?


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[Calichusetts]

I really like to use a bag with marbles...I tend to dry hop a few days after krausen drops (IPAs) because I want to bottle ASAP. The hop bag sinks to the bottom and stirs up the yeast. At the same time, I ramp up the temp. I have had no issues with even 9% beers reaching FG in about a week...10 days at most. I'm guessing this process helps

 

[pharaohpierre]

ss anal beads

The Whisky stones I think would be fine, but SS anal beads I am definitely santizing

If I were to just toss them in and then use like a muslin bag or something at the end of the racking cane tube then would that possibly cause a clog or cause aeration issues?