How much to adjust hops when using a spider?

[z-bob]

Since I've started using a hop spider, my beers seem a lot less hoppy than they were before. But I haven't brewed the same recipe twice so I don't have any real data to compare. My spider has a PVC collar with a very fine-mesh nylon bag that hangs down into the wort. I'm guessing the bag hold about a half gallon.

Just wondering how much extra hops I need to add to account for the bag. Or if I need to try a little looser-mesh bag (like a 1-gallon paint strainer bag) so the wort can circulate thru it easier. Or is it all my imagination?

 

[Murphys_Law]

I got tired of trying to squeeze the mesh hop bag so I just go "commando" and haven't looked back.

I whirlpool when chilling, which helps the trub, and cold crash almost everything.

Clean, clear beer every time!

 

[chickypad]

When I use the hop spider I attach a 5 gal paint strainer bag.

 

[kingmatt]

Since I've started using a hop spider, my beers seem a lot less hoppy than they were before. But I haven't brewed the same recipe twice so I don't have any real data to compare. My spider has a PVC collar with a very fine-mesh nylon bag that hangs down into the wort. I'm guessing the bag hold about a half gallon.

Just wondering how much extra hops I need to add to account for the bag. Or if I need to try a little looser-mesh bag (like a 1-gallon paint strainer bag) so the wort can circulate thru it easier. Or is it all my imagination?

If you are going to use a hop spider you need a way bigger bag (like one that hangs almost to the bottom of your kettle) to make sure your hops can freely move throughout your wort during the boil.

That said, I just toss my pellets in freely, chill, whirlpool (stir like crazy) and let it sit for 15 or so minutes before racking to my fermenter...my hop debris and trub stay at the bottom of my kettle even when I brew DIPAs.

 

[z-bob]

I was trying to reduce the amount of hop matter in the bottom of my fermenter, mainly because it doesn't pack down very tight and I lose a lot of beer that way (at least I think I do) I may try a 5-gallon paint strainer bag, although that will be too big and might cause problems during the boil.

I haven't had much luck dropping out the hops and crap during the chill. Maybe I should work on that. So I've been just pouring the entire contents of the kettle into the fermenter.

What about using a strainer bag in the fermenter? I want to try using a bucket to do open fermentation... Lifting out the bag might introduce a lot of oxygen, when I'm at the point I don't want any more oxygen... [still thinking] I think I got it! forget the spider and just throw the hops in the kettle. Put a sanitized strainer bag in the bucket, pour in the cooled wort, and lift out the bag and drain it before I pitch the yeast.

 

[Warthaug]

I stopped using my hop spider due to the amount of hop oils that would bind to the material (nylon, I think); washing it in the sink would turn the water bright yellow with lupulin that was not in my beer. Muslin cloth doesn't seem to have that effect, but I've not been able to find a muslin bag big enough, so I use muslin hop-bags instead. Keeps the plate chiller unplugged and gets all the flavour out of the hops with minimal loss.