Filtering through grain bag

[HappiBrew]

Just wondering how crazy I was for doing this. After my boil and chill with immersion chiller, I no longer rack with an auto siphon which picks up a bunch of hot break and hop material. I now just stretch a grain sock over my big funnel and dump the whole kettle in. The grain sock catches 99% of the crud and I can then squeeze out any whole cone additions I did at the time. Obviously I dunk the bag and funnel in Star San 1st to make sure it's sanitary. Seems like everything else work gang busters.

 

[AT-JeffT]

I used my grain bag to strain our hop particles when racking to bottle/keg. I had a persistent infection because of it. I have since dedicated a paint strainer bag for straining use only, and my infection went away. I would highly suggest picking up a $2 paint stainer bag and be sure it never sees grain. Cheap insurance against infection.

Thread about it

 

[RM-MN]

Just wondering how crazy I was for doing this. After my boil and chill with immersion chiller, I no longer rack with an auto siphon which picks up a bunch of hot break and hop material. I now just stretch a grain sock over my big funnel and dump the whole kettle in. The grain sock catches 99% of the crud and I can then squeeze out any whole cone additions I did at the time. Obviously I dunk the bag and funnel in Star San 1st to make sure it's sanitary. Seems like everything else work gang busters.

What do you have against hot break material and hop material? I dump it all into the fermenter and let it settle out to the bottom and I get good tasting and clear beer. People who have done a side by side test can't taste any difference and the only people who really feel the need to filter it out are those who use plate chillers because that material can clog them up.

 

[dannysk]

People who have done a side by side test can't taste any difference and the only people who really feel the need to filter it out are those who use plate chillers because that material can clog them up.

I have done side to sides and there was a significant difference guess it depends on the style of beer. For heavier/darker beers, it was less noticeable. However, for lighter beers, e.g., Pilsners of pale ales. Because of how I added and removed the hops, the difference was likely only due to the proteins and protein-complexes that remained. The flavor was best described as being a long, slow to finish hanging bitter. More of a mouthfeel that a flavor. It kind of covered up the subtleties that would otherwise be there. The preferred hop bitterness was not there and the was not nearly as clean and balanced.

This same type of difference is present if doing an open fermentation and not removing/scraping this less soluble components that are "scrubbed" out with the foam. Though I proven or confirmed this, I believe that this is a big advantage and why some commercial brewers prefer the open fermenters versus the closed conicals.

 

[davekippen]

I do the same thing with a 5 gallon paint strainer (sanitized of course). Love the results.

 

[HappiBrew]

I used my grain bag to strain our hop particles when racking to bottle/keg. I had a persistent infection because of it. I have since dedicated a paint strainer bag for straining use only, and my infection went away. I would highly suggest picking up a $2 paint stainer bag and be sure it never sees grain. Cheap insurance against infection.

Thread about it

Thanks, I actually use the cheap 45 cent muslin grain socks and just throw them out when I'm finished. I do have the nicer nylon grain bags that I use for the occasional stove top BIAB but that is always used preboil. I wonder how a paint strainer would work compared to a muslin sock. I will have to consider that next time.

 

[HappiBrew]

What do you have against hot break material and hop material? I dump it all into the fermenter and let it settle out to the bottom and I get good tasting and clear beer. People who have done a side by side test can't taste any difference and the only people who really feel the need to filter it out are those who use plate chillers because that material can clog them up.

For me, it's not just about the hot break but also the hop sludge. I feel like lots of lingering crud from the boil kettle has to effect the overall clarity both visually and by taste, even if it is very negligible. The effort and expense to do a basic screening of my wort is equally negligible to me. So IMHO it's worth it if it makes any noticeable difference at all.

 

[Bassman2003]

I have found great use for the paint strainer bags but not for racking...

I use one for the transfer from mash/lauter to boil kettle. After my last Vorlauf I put the hose into the strainer bag and drop them into boil kettle for the drain. Shortens the number of vorlaufs and gives me super clean wort into the BK.

Second bag holds the hops during the boil. This keeps all of that gunk in the bag so I do not need a strainer during the chilling process. I rigged up a coat hanger and a 1x2 to keep the bag suspended across the boil kettle.

These bags are awesome!