How many of you guys use hop bags?

[vanwolfhausen]

I go back and forth with this all the time because a screen won't help w/ pellets and know that whirlpooling it should keep all crap in middle. Plus my down tube is on edge of kettle but, I ALWAYS use a bag!!haha Let me know your input guys?

 

[DeathBrewer]

i always use a bag. i STILL needz me one of these:

 

[Brew-boy]

I only use hop bags with whole hops never pellets. I perfer pellets because after I chill I let the wort rest for 45 mins then rack clear beer off the trub and cold break.

 

[Bokonon]

I use one of the big 5 gal paint strainer bags attached to 2 dowel rods on top. Lots of room for the hops to float around in there and after I've cooled down I roll the bag on the dowels and let whatever wort has soaked in drip out

 

[the_bird]

I've been using hop bags recently, just because I was having such a b!tch of a time with my homemade hop screeen. I built something like what Deathbrewer showed, which it nice except it kinda gets in the way of the wort chiller and the hop bags I have are a little bit too small for the chiller. The last few batches have only had one or two hop additions, so I've just been throwing the bag in loose.

 

[EdWort]

I use one and am happy with the results.

 

[blacklab]

Hop baggin' it over here.

 

[Liquidicem]

Ed, have you used that with 5 gallon batches in the Keggle? I used mine for the first time this weekend in my 7 gallon pot and it worked great but I'm a little concerned about when I make the switch to a keggle for my next beer. It didn't quite seem long enough to get all the way down in there.

 

[maltMonkey]

I use them w/pellet hops always.

 

[Evets]

Ed, have you used that with 5 gallon batches in the Keggle? I used mine for the first time this weekend in my 7 gallon pot and it worked great but I'm a little concerned about when I make the switch to a keggle for my next beer. It didn't quite seem long enough to get all the way down in there.

I use the same basic set-up as Ed but I suspend mine with a piece of flexible wire rather than a rigid support so I can hang it lower in the keggle for 5g batches. You could also build it with a longer piece of PVC, I suppose.

 

[EdWort]

Ed, have you used that with 5 gallon batches in the Keggle? I used mine for the first time this weekend in my 7 gallon pot and it worked great but I'm a little concerned about when I make the switch to a keggle for my next beer. It didn't quite seem long enough to get all the way down in there.

Nope. I don't do 5 gallon batches in my Keggle (now sold as I wait for my 20 gallon Blichmann Boilermaker to arrive at Austin Home Brew).

I use my 7 gallon kettle for the 5 gallon batches. Using a 5 gallon paint strainer from Lowes (2 for $2.98), I would adjust it so it won't touch the bottom of the kettle.

 

[conpewter]

My first brew with the paint strainer/PVC thing in a kettle did not seem to really let the hops get utilized well (we'll see when the brew is done) it did not seem to "slosh about" very much during the boil.

I'm wondering if I get some SS wire and make a loop and put it in the bottom of the bag if it will give some more area for the hops to mix with the wort as it boils.

 

[AnOldUR]

EdWort's setup looks nice, but I like to drop my IC into the boil for the last 5-10 minutes. I'm 50-50 for using bags or just throwing the hops into the pot.

Recently I've been using a hose clamp to fasten a bag to the end of the siphon tube when draining the pot into the carboy. Doesn't get everything, but helps remove some break and hops that make it to the edge after whirlpooling.

 

[Bokonon]

EdWort's setup looks nice, but I like to drop my IC into the boil for the last 5-10 minutes. I'm 50-50 for using bags or just throwing the hops into the pot.

Recently I've been using a hose clamp to fasten a bag to the end of the siphon tube when draining the pot into the carboy. Doesn't get everything, but helps remove break and hops that make it to the edge after whirlpooling.

I use the same kind of setup as EdWort and also use an immersion chiller. Since I didn't want to deal with sanitizing the IC outside of the kettle, I just stick the IC in after the hot break but before my first hop addition and let it hang out in there for the whole boil.

 

[Liquidicem]

On my last run I just lifted the hop bag out, put the immersion chiller in, and the put the hop bag back in the center of the chiller for the last 15 minutes of the boil.

 

[EdWort]

On my last run I just lifted the hop bag out, put the immersion chiller in, and the put the hop bag back in the center of the chiller for the last 15 minutes of the boil.

That's what I do too.

 

[EinGutesBier]

Hop bags? Only for dry hopping.

 

[Sixbillionethans]

I use one of the 5 gal paint strainer bag/PVC thingy's too. Love it. Use it with an IC.

Advantage (in addition to those already listed): I have a valve with a pickup tube that I use to drain the kettle. Since the trub is primarily in the bag, I just drain right into the carboy. It's great. Barely any kettle losses (<0.1 gal).

Disadvantage: I don't think there is a significant hop utilization difference (bitterness), based on 5 batches. I've also read others experience and they found the same conclusion. BUT, I do question using the hop bag with that last 1 minute aroma addition. I'm considering avoiding the bag for the aroma addition or switching to a tea or dry hopping scheme.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Nope, never used one...