wilfw Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Where a recipe uses hop pellets, how exactly do you go about using them? Does one use them loose and the bits sink to the bottom of the fermenter along with the yeast sediment or should they be placed in a muslin bag and then disposed of after steeping or boiling? When I've used whole dried hops I've always placed them in a muslin bag. I was just wondering if pellets are a cleaner way of hopping and can be used without the bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi Wilf i prefer putting them in a bag, i have just dry hopped a brew with pellets and no bag and i have small bits of hops clogging up my bottler. It was the 1st time i tried it without a bag and wont bother again, not with pellets anyway. I will try them wrapped in chux wipes next, seems to be a popular method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfw Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 "chux wipes" - now that's something I've never heard of, must be something we don't have up here in the UK. I think a muslin bag would fit the bill though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah the muslin is fine thats what i have here at the moment Dint notice you were in the U.K but you may have something like this Chux Superwipes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfw Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah, looks exactly like what we call J cloth http://www.jcloth.com/english.jcloth.gk, they might work really well tied up with string with hop pellets inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi Wilf +1 for the Chux cloths and if you don't have them where you are then you can always use either a muslin bag, hop sock, cheesecloth, ladies stockings/pantyhose, or Swiss Voile (curtain material). A lot of people throw them in commando style too but the only time I have ever done this I also ended up with little bits of hops blocking the bottler... lol and because I keg, I only had 3 bottles to do but still it annoyed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah' date=' looks exactly like what we call J cloth http://www.jcloth.com/english.jcloth.gk, they might work really well tied up with string with hop pellets inside.[/quote'] Yeah looks the same, i would tie off with some butchers twine that i would sanitise with the cloth. The muslin bag i just sanitised add the hops tie it off with a knot on the top and throw it in the FV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfw Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah I always sanitize the muslin bag and string by boiling them for 5mins before adding hops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah I always sanitize the muslin bag and string by boiling them for 5mins before adding hops. I just leave it sit in my no rinse sanitiser, wring off the excess, i wear sanitised disposable rubber gloves and its good to go. Everything i touch or use in my brew gets sanitised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use a chux sometimes but prefer my little stock bag that comes from most asian grocery stores. They are essentially a muslin bag with a draw string made for putting your exotic chinese herbs in when making a soup stock. I just boil it for a few minutes to make sure all the nasties are dead and then add the hops and toss it in aided by my sanitised rubber gloves. I prefer to boil my bag instead of just using sanitiser as there is usually a small amount of hop matter that can't be washed from the bag which sanitiser is not really suited to - therefore I sterilise first [rightful] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 If using a Chux (or similar) don't use string as it is just something else to pose possible contamination. Just tie the diagonal corners together and chuck it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrewingBenny Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Reviving an old thread here. I went to the local paint shop and purchased a paint strainer bag (thingy) LOL. Sanitised/sterilised in StarSan, put the pellets in, tied a knot into it and put it into the concentrate tin with boiling water over the top. Left it for ten minutes or so, then poured it into the wort which I make up on the stove in a pot, lifted it out after a further 5 or so with the sterilised mixing spoon and bobs your uncle. So many ways to do the one thing. Awesome to hear of alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundawake Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 If I'm dry hopping I use a stainless steel hopball. Similar to a thing you'd use for tea leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrewingBenny Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I might look into one of those stainless jobs thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 toss em in freeball.. 1 less thing to clean and sanitise.. of course, do what best suits your process and equipment, but as I Cold Condition and rack to bulk prime I can leave any sediment behind and hops will settle when cold conditioning. Too easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrewingBenny Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Yob, that sounds brilliant. But with a blank stare, what the heck is that you said, remember i'm like a newly bottled brew "GREEN" at this stuff. You're talking like a pro to an amateur LOL. [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I use a soup stock bag which you'll find at just about any asian grocers. I just boil it in water before use to sterilise then add the hops and toss it in the fermentor a few into fermentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB8 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Grab a handfull of pellets, open FV, shout Geronimo as you toss them in commando style, they will settle out in the trub. I have an IPA which is depositing the odd piece of hop debris into my glass, its really not an issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I know people regularly swear by just chucking the hops in but I'd recommend constraining them in a bag or chux. I leave my beer in the fermentor for around 2 weeks and I CC on top of that and on my few trials of hops commando style I have found that too much hop matter makes it into the bottle. I prefer to take about 5 mins to boil my hops/stock bag or the 2 minutes to wrap them in a fresh chux and have lovely lump free beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Thats odd Muddy, I rarely if ever get anything coming through.. I know you generally rack to bulk prime too so am unsure as to why the differences observed. at the end of the day, as long as there are hops in there it is the right road to be on [bandit] Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I now use SS Tea Infusers. I have 6 and they work a treat. Just need to ensure no more than about 20g of hops in them otherwise they restrict the hops too much when they expand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I chuck them in whole as well. I don't CC, and I usually bottle after 10 days in primary. I rack to secondary for bulk priming and I reckon I've had maybe 2 bottles this year with a bit of green in them. [cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyR4 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I prefer to mix my hops with my dry ingredients, and then bring to a boil in 2l of water - simmer for 10 mins and then strain into fermenter - this has worked exceptionally well for years with great imparted flavor and no mess[roll] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I prefer to mix my hops with my dry ingredients' date=' and then bring to a boil in 2l of water - simmer for 10 mins and then strain into fermenter - this has worked exceptionally well for years with great imparted flavor and no mess[roll'] This would work but the outcome would be inconsistent as it all depends on how much sugars/dry ingredients you are adding, assuming that this amount may vary at times. A good brewer should be trying to brew consistently. However, this obviously doesn't really matter if you are using the same ingredients or sugars all the time. Edit: just to elaborate a bit further..... by the amount of sugars to 2L water, I am referring that the more sugars you add then the higher the gravity which will in turn impact how much goodness is extracted from the hops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I now use SS Tea Infusers. I have 6 and they work a treat. Just need to ensure no more than about 20g of hops in them otherwise they restrict the hops too much when they expand. I saw this post and ended up ordering 3 - The missus wasn't impressed.....but this was probably just the $6.96 that broke the camel's back on top of my multiple orders for multiple cans of malt during the recent free shipping promotion [biggrin] . Do you use them in the boil Bill or just for dry hopping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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