dry hopping

[barside laundry]

I made an IPA that is currently fermenting and I want to throw a muslin bag of cascade hops into the secondary and then another bag into the keg. I have done this one time before and the result was great! I am about to do it again but I can't help but wonder why it does not spoil the beer. It is not like the hops are being boiled.....even the muslin bags have been laying on the counter at the brew shop. How is this not ruining the beer?

 

[El Pistolero]

By the time you rack to secondary there's a high enough alchohol content that it's tough for any nasties to take hold.

 

[Eskram]

Wouldn't it be hard to get the muslin bag out of the carboy?

I was just planning on throwing mine directly in.

 

[cbotrice]

If you are worried about the bag, you could always steam it with or without the hops and that would sterilize it pretty good. As to getting the bag out of the carboy you can always bend a hanger into a hook and snag it out. MPW