Using pellets in a hop bag

[BrewMonster]

Just did my first re-do beer. First one used no hop bag and I used a 5gal paint strainer bag for the second. MAJOR difference in hop utilization. Painter strainer bag goes away!

I have been told since I started (a little over a year now) to never just pour the wort into the fermenter, that the wort being exposed to so much air would some how mess with the flavor...then again, maybe I should look further into the history of brewing. Maybe that was normal at one point.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I don't really see the need for hop bags during the boil, I just throw everything in and then after the wort has cooled I pour it through a metal screened colander into the fermentation vessel of choice. Removes most hop material and aerates at the same time. Anything wrong with this method?
When I dry hop I just use a muslin bag and make sure to squeeze it out when I remove it.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I have been told since I started (a little over a year now) to never just pour the wort into the fermenter, that the wort being exposed to so much air would some how mess with the flavor...then again, maybe I should look further into the history of brewing. Maybe that was normal at one point.

As long as your wort is cooled, you WANT to aerate it, the yeast need the oxygen to reproduce and all that good stuff they do. You wouldn't want to aerate it while it's hot, or anytime after fermentation, but when pouring into the fermenter to add yeast, it's definitely a good idea to aerate as best you can...

 

[Piratwolf]

You wouldn't want to aerate it while it's hot

I don't believe this is widely taken as a concern anymore. HSA seems to be going the way of autolysis, BB carboy concerns, and the mandatory secondary.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I don't believe this is widely taken as a concern anymore. HSA seems to be going the way of autolysis, BB carboy concerns, and the mandatory secondary.

Good to know! I had aerated a couple by filtering while hot this way before I read a few threads advising against it... I certainly didn't notice any negative effects in either of those batches.

 

[tuirc]

Well, I tried using a small muslin hop bag for the first time today with a Dunkel HefeWeizen. When I looked at the way it was performing though, I got concerned. I just didn't see how it was going to provide enough hoppiness as a tea bag. It would seem like you would have to either extend the boil or expose the hops. I read this thread and one or two others and backed out of the hop bag halfway through. Luckily hops isn't a feature part of a Hefeweizen, so I doubt whatever I didn't get in the first 30 minutes will be missed, but I think I've made my decision about hop bags now. I like a clean wort as much as the next guy, but .....

 

[richkev]

I don't really see the need for hop bags during the boil, I just throw everything in and then after the wort has cooled I pour it through a metal screened colander into the fermentation vessel of choice. Removes most hop material and aerates at the same time. Anything wrong with this method?

This is what I do, also. I think a lot of folks use cfc's or plate chillers and they need to keep out as much particulate, as possible. I just use an immersion chiller (a la Jamil) so no worries.