Hops in the Fermenter

[Smith_Fest]

Hello! I have a quick question about hops in the fermenter.

I've brewed a handful of batches, but have always used pellet hops. When the boil was complete and it was time to transfer to the fermenter, I would pour in the whole pot, hops and all.

Today I made my first batch using whole leaf hops. When the boil was finished, I had a lot of hops sitting in the bottom of the kettle and they were clogging up the funnel to the fermenter. I ended up just pitching them.

My question is, are the hops meant to be transferred to the fermenter, or is ok for them to get tossed out after the boil? The whole leaf hops were added at flameout, so I'm just a little worried that they didn't stay in the wort long enough to do their job.

 

[ong]

Generally you want to keep all your hops from entering the fermenter. In my opinion it's not a big deal if some make it in there, but you certainly don't need any in the fermenter.

 

[Owly055]

Generally you want to keep all your hops from entering the fermenter. In my opinion it's not a big deal if some make it in there, but you certainly don't need any in the fermenter.

Hops in the ferementer can be a nuisance........ unless they are pellet hops. When I use dry hops or fresh hops, I always use a hop bag......... I rarely use anything but pellet hops anymore.

H.W.

 

[Smith_Fest]

Good to know. Thanks guys, I appreciate the responses.

 

[histo320]

I always siphon or pour the kettle through a strainer so that hops do not make it into the fermenter.

When I dry hop I always use hop bag.

 

[C-Rider]

I always strain using this paint strainer which is made to sit in a 5 or 6 gallon bucket. You can find them online or at a major paint supply shop. I strain ONLY because I do 2 gallon[url=https://www.homebrewtalk.com/photo/paint-strainer-60936.html] [/URL] batches in a 2 gallon bucket and want to get the max wort into the bucket. I can't afford any space for hops or anything else.

 

[RM-MN]

The late addition hops are meant for flavor and aroma and to get the most from them they need to be in the fermenter in my opinion. I put them all in and strain them out when I siphon to the bottling bucket by slipping a gallon size paint strainer bag over the racking cane or autosiphon and hold it in place with a rubber band. Be sure to sanitize the whole thing before you put it into the wort. You may get the bag to clog up and have to pull it out to let the hops fall off, then restart the siphon.

 

[Owly055]

The late addition hops are meant for flavor and aroma and to get the most from them they need to be in the fermenter in my opinion. I put them all in and strain them out when I siphon to the bottling bucket by slipping a gallon size paint strainer bag over the racking cane or autosiphon and hold it in place with a rubber band. Be sure to sanitize the whole thing before you put it into the wort. You may get the bag to clog up and have to pull it out to let the hops fall off, then restart the siphon.

I recently was distracted while brewing and simply forgot my late addition hops........ couldn't believe I'd done that. In fact I forgot them until after I'd pitched the yeast....... Undecided, I dawdled, trying to make a decision on what was the best course. A day or so later while the brew was at full krausen, I pitched in the hops (pellet). The brew turned out excellent. This wasn't really "dry hopping"...... these hops lay in the fermenter until I transferred to the cold crash vessel. Good flavor, good aroma............ Some mistakes come out for the better.

H.W.

 

[chickypad]

I recently was distracted while brewing and simply forgot my late addition hops........ couldn't believe I'd done that. In fact I forgot them until after I'd pitched the yeast....... Undecided, I dawdled, trying to make a decision on what was the best course. A day or so later while the brew was at full krausen, I pitched in the hops (pellet). The brew turned out excellent. This wasn't really "dry hopping"...... these hops lay in the fermenter until I transferred to the cold crash vessel. Good flavor, good aroma............ Some mistakes come out for the better..

How is that not dry hopping? Are you saying because you did it at full krausen?

 

[Yooper]

I don't strain my wort, except that when I use whole hops (leaf/cone hops), they can clog my pump. So if I use them, I either bag them, and let the pellets go free, or use a bazooka tube and bag the pellets (as the pellets will clog the bazooka tube).

I've never noticed a bit of difference in the final beer in times I used a bag and didn't put the debris in the fermenter vs the times I did. The hops are "used up", so to speak, and so they aren't contributing bittering or flavor, but I've read that some brewers think they may get a 'vegetal' or 'grassy' flavor from hops debris in the fermenter. Since I never have, I haven't worried about it. I don't generally strain the wort, and have good results.

 

[Owly055]

How is that not dry hopping? Are you saying because you did it at full krausen?

It is "dry hopping".............however most people dry hop for a specific number of days during the "secondary"........... a bit more of a "scientific" procedure.


H.W.

 

[chickypad]

I don't know about scientific buy I dry hop exactly the way you described, except I wait for primary fermentation to finish. Unless dry hopping in the keg, then I usually leave them until the keg kicks. Quite a few folks dry hop in primary or the keg without the use of a traditional secondary, lots of ways to skin a cat.


edit: sorry OP, I think we've gone off topic.

 

[Queequeg]

I use a homemade hop spider with 400 micron nylon mesh.