Question regarding dry hop bag in bucket

[HokieHomeBrewer]

OK so I've only dry hopped once and I used whole leaf and just dumped them in....it was a mess and clogged up my siphon. This time I'm using pellets and will be putting them in a weighted nylon bag.

I plan on dry hopping in a bucket, not carboy. So my question is, how do you suspend the bag? Do you just put the drawstring on the lip of the bucket and snap the lid down on it? Is that OK? Or will that break the seal enough to allow air into the beer?

What is the method I should be using? Thanks.

 

[HokieHomeBrewer]

Or...should I just free float it?

 

[tooldudetool]

The bag will want to float. Normally when I used to use bags I put a big sanitized stainless steel bolt to keep the bag from floating flat on the surface. It would just sort of hang with the top still floating and the bottom hanging straight down. Now I don't bother with the bag, I just dump the pellet hops in (usually 3 oz for an IPA), let it sit for a week, crash cool it for a day or two (which helps them drop out), then I put the sanitized bag on the end of my racking cane and rack into a keg. Works great! Also when putting your weighted bag in, do it slowly so the air can come out without it bubbling through the beer, you don't want to add oxygen at that point.

 

[Euphist]

I use thread to tie the bag shut and then tie the other end to the handle of the bucket.

 

[1BigBear]

more Dry Hop BAG Questions → No Weights !

In primary, after reaching FG.. pellet dry hopped 3.25 Gal IPA (LAST NIGHT) in a bucket using a muslin bag with no weights- local HBS said to bag it, but nothing about Weights..
(btw... it needs to clarify for sure as it was very cloudy at dry hop dunk !
it's a 9%er... easy)

S0 - Some questions ?
Do I need to sink that bag (after the fact) ? and risk 02( & contamination) by re-opening fermenter?

Will the bag eventually drop or just float. ?

Will some hops not reach the beer.? is that bad?

Can I just gently swirl the primary around every day or so to moisten floating hops.?

When dry hop sched is done.....should I REMOVE the hop bag ( to avoid possible grassy notes) and let it beer settle for a week in primary or just siphon it all to glass carboy for secondary and cold crash.?

or Should I just RAHAHB and leave it alone for another week or so.. ?

seems like there are many ways to skin this dry hop cat...

thxs
BB

 

[unionrdr]

I don't sink the bag. Most of it is under the surface like an iceberg anyway. And like tea bags in a sun tea jug,the hop oils settle downward into the beer as well. I dry hop after the beer's at FG & has settled out clear or slightly misty for 7 days. Then rack to bottling bucket & prime.