reusing hop bags and sanitation question

[toddfore]

The last few batches I have made have had a slightly off to very off taste and I'm trying to figure out where it's coming from.
How many times do you use a hop bag and do you thoroughly clean it or just wash it off with hot water?
Have a large kettle but don't brew big enough to use a temperature probe so I have it plugged. Took notice that there was a lot of build up in the threads in the inside. Tried cleaning it real good but was wondering if anyone puts the plug on the inside so threads don't hold old wort? Seems like it would be easier to keep clean.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[bigken462]

Buddy, those things are cheap enough I just toss them after use when I did use them. Since I use a hop spider now, I have a bunch of those that has never been used. They may still smell like the hops they were bagged with, but they are still new. If you'll PM your address i'll send you a cpl hand fulls so ya don't have to worry about reusing them - at least for a while. lol

Just let me know. Also, welcome to the forum!

 

[McKnuckle]

I have used the same polyester hop bag many times over. It's permanently stained, but retains no odor or funk, and has never caused me a problem. I rinse it thoroughly with hot water and hang to dry.

 

[IslandLizard]

The finely woven polyester hop sacks are very reusable. Just rinse out with water. A small bucket or dishwash tub works best, with a few water changes.

They may not be white anymore, but shouldn't "tarnish" your next brew.

If you want them white again, soak, or even better, boil in some PBW in small pot. I do that every once in a while, but is really not necessary.

Cheap as they may be, the fabric (muslin) hop bags are intended for single use, although they can be washed and cleaned a few times too, until they fall apart. Again boiling in PBW does miracles.

Remember, anything that gets boiled does not need to be (pre-)sanitized.

There is no easy way to plug up the inside of a thermometer port, as the threads are only on the outside. I've stuck a rubber stopper in it when boiling turkey soup.

 

[IslandLizard]

I doubt the hop sacks are the culprit, but you could try a new one and see if it improves.

In brewing there are so many variables. If there's an off taste, could you describe it?

 

[bigken462]

I guess I should have mentioned it was the single use muslin bags that I have piling up from the kits I purchase from my local shop. I just toss them in the drawer and use the polyester bags I got from @wilserbrewer here on the forum that is attached to my spider.

It gets as clean as the water hose cleans it. I might dip it in the pan of soapy water when I do clean up, but so long as there is no solids left in it, I brew on without worry.

When I first started brewing, I did try to rewash those muslin bags. All they managed to do was make a mess in the washer coming apart. For the pennies they cost, I just toss them.

The poly bags though are practically indestructible!

 

[toddfore]

best way to describe is sour.

 

[didinho]

best way to describe is sour.

sounds like an infection then...

 

[IslandLizard]

+1 ^

That indeed hints to an infection. Does it get more sour with time? Any pellicle forming?

If that's the case, it's not your hop sacks, they are boiled in the wort.

Anything on the cold side (after the boil) needs to be adequately sanitized. And as the old-age saying goes, "you cannot sanitize unless it's clean in the first place."
What kind of cleaner and sanitizer are you using?

Could it be dirty bottles? They need to be spotlessly clean and sanitized on the inside.

 

[toddfore]

During boil in last 5 min., I put my wort cooler in to sanitize it. I use 1 step cleaner and star san. My practice has been that I put everything I use in the fermentation bucket and pour in some 1 step. I then pull the pieces out as needed and spray w/star san. At the end, I just have the bucket. I shake the bucket, open the spigot valve to let some out and then dump the rest out. I spray entire bucket w/star san and turn upside down to get excess out. I then open the valve to the kettle and let it run into the bucket. Meanwhile, I put an oxygen aerator in boiling water for 3 min. I then put the aerator in the wort for 10min, add yeast and put lid on. When it's time to bottle, I use the 1 step and star san on the bucket, tubing, mixing spoon, and filler. See any flaws in that?

 

[Kate00]

I've been using the same polyester hop bags for dry hopping as well as brewing for several years. I clean them by soaking in PBW for a bit, and sanitize with star san when dry hopping. I've never had an issue.

Check your tubing. I had a few batches get ruined before I figured out it was the tubing that I was using to rack that was doing it. I replace my tubing every 3-4 batches, and cut the old tubing up to use as blowoff tubes. Haven't lost a batch since I started doing that a few years ago (knock on wood).