Squeeze or don’t squeeze hop bag after dry hopping ?

[Celso Souza Filho]

Hello !
These days I was taking my hop bag out of the fermenter and came across a question, should I squeeze all the juice out of the soaked hop pellets or just let it drip a bit and take it out?
So I did both! I had a 13 gallons separated in two fermenters, so I squeeze all the juice on one and the other I just let it drip. The results was very different! The one I squeezed had a lot more hop flavor than the one I didn’t but I notice that when I squeeze the hop juice out some hop came through the bag as well so I’m afraid the it can cause some off flavors over time for the contact of the hop with the brew. What you guys think ?

 

[flars]

I wouldn't worry about off flavors from the hop debris that dropped back into the keg. Some leave the hops in the keg until it is emptied. You may get some settled hop debris in the first glass or two of beer poured. Getting some settlings from the first pours is normal for kegging.

 

[Celso Souza Filho]

I wouldn't worry about off flavors from the hop debris that dropped back into the keg. Some leave the hops in the keg until it is emptied. You may get some settled hop debris in the first glass or two of beer poured. Getting some settlings from the first pours is normal for kegging.

Yes I think once it settles is not goin to be a problem I’m probably squeezing all hopbags from now on

 

[IslandLizard]

Aside from using weighted down, roomy bags (pellet hops expand tremendously) agitating that hop bag/keg periodically will also help getting more flavor out. For example by shaking, rocking or rolling the keg every few hours. But you're likely to end up with some fine hop dust that makes it through the bag's pores. The coarser, the more gets through, but the easier the beer can permeate. The dust will settle, so the first few pints may be a bit sharp on the tongue and throat.

When you remove it, sure squeeze that good hoppy beer out!

Just watch out for air exposure and oxidation while working with an open keg. I always stream CO2 through the in port when working with an open keg. And flush the hop bag with CO2 too before dropping it in.

 

[Celso Souza Filho]

Aside from using a weighted down, roomy bag (pellet hops expand tremendously) agitating that hop bag/keg periodically will also help getting more flavor out. For example by shaking, rocking or rolling the keg every few hours. But you're likely to end up with some fine hop dust that makes it through the bag's pores. The coarser, the more gets through, but the easier the beer can permeate. The dust will settle, so the first few pints may be a bit sharp on the tongue and throat.

When you remove it, sure squeeze that good hoppy beer out!

Just watch out for air exposure and oxidation while working with an open keg. I always stream CO2 through the in port when working with an open keg. And flush the hop bag with CO2 too before dropping it in.

Yes I do rock the buckets at least once a day! Good tip to flush the hopbag with co2, never did that.

 

[portguy]

Espreme o saco! Just squeeze it! It will fade away anyways...might as well get the good stuff.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes I do rock the buckets at least once a day! Good tip to flush the hopbag with co2, never did that.

Buckets... I thought you were keg hopping. Very similar, just no rolling!

Are the lids tight and quite well sealing? If you have CO2, flush the bucket's headspace through the airlock hole, after lifting the lid and adding the dry hop bags. That headspace will contain all air within seconds once that lid is off. Don't agitate that beer with air in the headspace!

I used to bag dry hops, but now just add them loose, they will end up on the bottom after 3-5 days followed by 2 days of cold crashing.

Unless you want cleaner yeast to harvest, why bag?

 

[Celso Souza Filho]

Buckets... I thought you were keg hopping. Very similar, just no rolling!

Are the lids tight and quite well sealing? If you have CO2, flush the bucket's headspace through the airlock hole, after lifting the lid and adding the dry hop bags. That headspace will contain all air within seconds once that lid is off. Don't agitate that beer with air in the headspace!

I used to bag dry hops, but now just add them loose, they will end up on the bottom after 3-5 days followed by 2 days of cold crashing.

Unless you want cleaner yeast to harvest, why bag?

I do dry hopping at the end of fermentation when there is a little activety still so I don’t worry about air in the head space. I use kegs but Just after dh never tried adding them loose, I think you are right probably don’t need the bag if I’m doing a cold crush afterwards anyway!

 

[IslandLizard]

I do dry hopping at the end of fermentation when there is a little activety still so I don’t worry about air in the head space. I use kegs but Just after dh never tried adding them loose, I think you are right probably don’t need the bag if I’m doing a cold crush afterwards anyway!

Little activity means little CO2 production.
Even if the headspace is relatively large, you lost all the CO2 by removing the lid, so you're exposing the beer to air (O2). Hence the extra 1" access hole in some of my lids. I can stream some CO2 in through the airlock hole while adding dry hops, fruit, syrup, wood cubes, etc. through the 1".

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Wash your hands then squeeze it like it owes you money

 

[Celso Souza Filho]

Little activity means little CO2 production.
Even if the headspace is relatively large, you lost all the CO2 by removing the lid, so you're exposing the beer to air (O2). Hence the extra 1" access hole in some of my lids. I can stream some CO2 in through the airlock hole while adding dry hops, fruit, syrup, wood cubes, etc. through the 1".

That’s very clever! How do you close this 1” hole when you’re not using it?

 

[IslandLizard]

That’s very clever! How do you close this 1” hole when you’re not using it?

#5.5 or #6 rubber stopper (solid). Or a #6 (solid) carboy bung.

When using a drilled one you could insert a thermowell. Drill the 1" hole in the middle or near the middle.

 

[day_trippr]

Wash your hands then squeeze it like it owes you money

This.

Cheers!