Use a hop bag with pellets ?

[BronxBrew]

Anything wrong with using a hop bag with pellets ? My batch just said to put them in the wort. I used a bag instead.

If you do. Do you first dump out the initial hops to add your second and therd ? I didn't. What's going to be the down side of doing this ?

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

It works either way. pellet hops have some small particles that will make it through a muslin hop sock but most of the hops will stay in the bag.

You just leave the hops in the boil until the boil is finished, same as not using a hop bag.

 

[Wreck99]

I use a bag for my hop pellets and just add the hop additions to the mix as I go. Never had a problem.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I actually used hop bags for the first time today - because i added pumpkin puree to the boil and didn't want to just strain it back out again. Fished out the hop bags with my ultra-long spoon while the wort was chilling.

 

[Calichusetts]

I only do it for dry hopping

 

[kh54s10]

I just dumped the pellet hops in until I did an IPA. I felt I lost too much to the trub. I now bag all hop additions. After the boil I pull the bag and sit it in a colander over the pot to drain.

It also makes siphoning to the bottling bucket easier since the trub layer in the fermenter is smaller, so I don't have to be quite as careful getting the last of the beer transferred.

 

[ludomonster]

I've used separate bags for separate additions and a single bag for all additions. As with using bags versus not using them, it comes down to convenience. You can also tie the drawstring to the kettle handle or use a binder clip if you don't want to fish it out. I tend to use large hop bags to allow the hops to gain as large of a surface area as possible.

 

[Anthrop]

You get better utilization if you just toss the pellets in - its all about surface area exposure to the wort, and the more space you give them to float around the better. Bags are more useful for full leaf hops. I would also recommend using irish moss or a whirlfloc tablet to help collect the trub as well. I also like to pour my worth through a fine mesh stainless steel strainer and then into the primary - basically performing the function of the bag without sacrificing hop utilization.

 

[Akavango]

I would also recommend using irish moss or a whirlfloc tablet to help collect the trub as well.

Can you expand on that point? What difference would it make?
Thanks.

 

[a6ladd]

The irish moss or whirfloc will help pull trub out of your wort during the cold break. Sort of like the addition of gelatin to a secondary fermenter or a keg.

 

[unionrdr]

The difference between tossing hops in loose & bagging them is so minimal-less than 10%-that it's better imo to bag them & skip the mess in the strainer/FV. I have 6 or 8 hop sacks & one grain sack,depending on whether I'm using whol or pellet hops. So each addition gets it's own bag. You also don't want to add more than 1oz per hop sack to get good utilization. I get them at my LHBS for 35c or so each. So they're cheap to get a handfull of.
You could also search for how I clean them,they come out white as new.

 

[sidepart]

I've only used pellets so far and haven't really had any issues just throwing the hops into the wort. I use a strainer when I dump the wort into the primary though. Does a decent job of keeping a good percentage of that muck out of my wort.

As for the additions, you did it right. Just add the hops to the boil as needed. Take this example:

Cascade 60 minutes
Fuggle 15 minutes
Fuggle 3 minutes

You'd toss in Cascade when you get a boil. After 45 minutes, toss in the Fuggle. 3 minutes before you pull your kettle off the stove, add the last addition of Fuggle. Don't remove any hops from the wort during the hour long boil. Just strain or remove your hop bag after "flame out".

 

[unionrdr]

45 minute additions aren't good for much. A little flavor,a lil more bittering. Just do the 60 for bittering,then 20 & even 10 for flavor. More definition that way between bittering & flavor.

 

[sidepart]

45 minute additions aren't good for much. A little flavor,a lil more bittering. Just do the 60 for bittering,then 20 & even 10 for flavor. More definition that way between bittering & flavor.

45 minute additions? I agree, not really useful. I gave an example of a 60/15/3 schedule though. I think I just suck at explaining things sometimes, sorry.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Bags are more useful for full leaf hops.

Can you explain this one?

I figured that full leaf hops, due to their lower effective surface area, would be much more effective if allowed to swim free.

They are also way easier to filter out of the wort than pellet debris.