Hop sock/bag cleaning

[psymn]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought some reusable hop/grain bags on EBay, and after a few brews they are all stained green. Anyone know if this stain will cause any off flavors in the beer, or how to clean them?

Matt

 

[cweston]

I usually just wash them in dish soap and water with the rest of the gear after a brew session. I think the discoloration is inevitable and harmless.

 

[davidkrau]

I've got green nylon Hop bags. It dosen't bother me. I suppose I could beach them white but I assume boiling wort sanitizes them. Maybe I'lll get scared if someone tells me different

 

[Walker]

mine are more of a brown color (I use them for grains, and let the hops float free.)

I don't worry about them being clean because (as david mentioned) you are going to boil them or anyway. When I am done with them, I clean them off with water and run them through the dishwasher with the next load of dishes.

A soak in bleach solution will return them to a more white color if it really bothers you.

-walker

 

[DeejayDebi]

I use the cheap muslin bags - a few minutes after I pull the bag out I turn them inside out to dump the contents rince it out well and throw in a bowl of sanitizer. No stains. But I won't hurt anything.

 

[Cheesefood]

It's like a Wok...the dirtier they are, the more built in flavor they have. My HBS uses bags that look like pure chocolate.

Mmmm...chocolate...

 

[wild]

I use mine for both grains and hops. Because the mesh is very fine it'll start getting clogged. After so many brews, Ill toss it into my single step sanitizer and let it clean it out. I get about 3 years out of each bag.

Wild

 

[budbo]

I use disposable ones, $.40 each and no hassle