Paint strainer bag as a hop filter

[bigboogieman]

I want to brew a WCIPA, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to dry hop. I had tried a hop bag, and didn't really like the results. On my last batch I chucked the hops directly in, thinking they would settle during the dry hop period, but they didn't. My bottling wand clogged up almost immediately, and made for a miserable bottling day.

So while pondering the other various dry hopping techniques, I thought of an idea that I hadn't heard before (maybe there's a reason!): how about taking a 5 gallon paint strainer bag and lining the fermenter with it? I could pin it to the inside of the fermenter with magnets, so that the top is well above the liquid. The bag would stay in there during fermentation and bottling. I'm using an Anvil bucket fermenter which has a spigot, so I can bottle directly from there. So this setup would allow me to chuck hop pellets directly in via the stopper hole. During bottling, the hops would stay on the inside of the strainer bag, while the spigot is on the outside. For that matter, most of the other gunk might stay inside the bag too.

Does anyone think this is a bad idea? My main concern would be the paint strainer bag leeching chemicals or flavors. Not sure what it's made of, I think polyester. It's your basic Home Depot model. I've heard of others using these bags for brewing, so I guess we're not worried about them being "food safe"?

 

[odie]

sounds like a plan. any idea of the micron rating?

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, folks have been using paint strainer bags forever, both in the kettle and in the fermentor. Most of those folks are still around

But I would not go to the bother of using magnets (btw - that bucket is stainless steel, yes?) Just tie the bag in a knot and toss it in. When you go to bottle the bag will keep the hops in check...

Cheers!

 

[bigboogieman]

sounds like a plan. any idea of the micron rating?

No, it doesn't say on the package. But looking at it now, it's definitely not as fine as my hop bag. Maybe I need something finer...

 

[Jag75]

I use them . I also use large muslin bags. I tie a ss washer to the string . It keeps the bag fully submerged

 

[bigboogieman]

fwiw, folks have been using paint strainer bags forever, both in the kettle and in the fermentor. Most of those folks are still around

But I would not go to the bother of using magnets (btw - that bucket is stainless steel, yes?) Just tie the bag in a knot and toss it in. When you go to bottle the bag will keep the hops in check...

Cheers!

Yes it's stainless. The reason I was thinking of doing it this way is that I wanted to avoid opening the fermenter and dropping in a large bag full of air. I dropped in a hop bag like that on a previous batch and was disappointed to see it floating on top and forming large air pockets. That batch was pretty well oxidized, and I think that was one of the causes. So I was just trying to come up with a way to keep as much air out as possible. Dropping naked hops in through the stopper hole seems to have solved that problem, but created another that I was trying to solve...

 

[mrveeno]

I use the bags as well. I also started dry hopping in the primary, then transfering to the secondaries.

 

[day_trippr]

Yes it's stainless.

If it's made from 304 stainless (aka 18 8) which is the most commonly used for kettles you won't get magnets to stick...

Cheers!

 

[bigboogieman]

If it's made from 304 stainless (aka 18 8) which is the most commonly used for kettles you won't get magnets to stick...

Cheers!

I was going to use pairs of magnets, one on the inside and one on the outside.

 

[T Murph]

Paint strainers are commonly used to dry hop beers and fruit additions in a variety of beverages. The are available in one and five gallon sizes. I have been using them for many years with good results. I don't recommend using them with pellet hops although it is done by many. Pellets tend to make their way through the mesh as they break up and add cloudiness to your beer. It is easy to tie the one gallon bags to the liquid out stem of cornies or other fermenters that have a dip tube. And you can tie the opening of the bag with string and lay it over the top opening of a bucket before snapping on the lid to your desired position your wort.