# Using Chux as a dry hop bag? First attempt dry hopping



## pat86 (7/11/13)

Hey guys - newbie here, I want to try my first attempt at dry hopping in the FV and had read you can just use a Chux cloth out of the packet. 

Can't find an exact answer- Does anyone do this on the regular or should I at least boil the Chux first to sanitize it? 

Are you able to re-use them afterwards? 

Any other tips appreciated!

If anyone has had a bad experience lemme know, I can get my hands on some muslin/ cheese cloth otherwise. 

Cheers,


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## unclebarrel (7/11/13)

Hey pat,

I just chuck mine in ! I used to use hop bags, stocking ends and the like but now they go for a swim nudies !

The bag is a good idea if you are dry hopping huge amounts or flowers, otherwise a small amount of hops will settle in the trub.


UB


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## wbosher (7/11/13)

If using pellets, just chuck em in. They'll settle to the bottom with all the other crap.


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## QldKev (7/11/13)

nude swimming for the win.

I would think a chux would prevent any decent amounts of hop oils getting into the beer


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## scottfrompubs (7/11/13)

I have used chux once. It worked, but im not sure if it was just paranoia or not, but to me the beer seemed green. (Blue from the chux plus yellow from the beer).
These days I just put them in also.


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## Phoney (7/11/13)

You're not paranoid. Chux cloths do leech out blue colour. 

+10 for chuck em in nude.


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## BambisBrewingBeer (7/11/13)

I use sanitized stockings... only because I don't like the mess it leave in the bottom of the fermenter when you just chuck them in. When cleaning the fermenter out I always seem to get hoppy bits everywhere.


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## Yob (7/11/13)

Both Chux and stockings limit the exposure of the hops in contact with the beer, the only time I contain my hops is in the keg. That said, I cold condition all my beers so floaties is not an issue for me.


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## pat86 (7/11/13)

Thanks everyone - seems like a lot of votes for skinny dipping, looks like I'll actually have to use the Chux for cleaning : / 

If I do try it, I'll update on how it goes but i'm a little scared of producing green beer this far away from St Paddys day!


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## wbosher (7/11/13)

Just do it, shell be right.


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## Johnny Ringo (24/3/14)

Hi guys, I have a batch that has been in the fermenter for 6 days now and has a hydrometer reading of 1008. When I took the reading there are a lot of hops floaties that have come out. I was planning on waiting another week or two before bottling. Will this allow the floaties to settle at the bottom or do I need to do something extra? 
Cheers


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## Rod (24/3/14)

I have used these before ,


http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/empty-tea-bags


but now just chuck the hops in 

They come out at racking if you have the thingo in the back of the tap

and also a bit in the bottle won't hurt , don't know about kegs


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## Nizmoose (24/3/14)

If you're worried about hop bits can you just use the whole hop? As in not pellets?


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## DU99 (24/3/14)

i use empty tea bags from T2 or there large mesh ball.


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## pat86 (24/3/14)

Johnny Ringo said:


> Hi guys, I have a batch that has been in the fermenter for 6 days now and has a hydrometer reading of 1008. When I took the reading there are a lot of hops floaties that have come out. I was planning on waiting another week or two before bottling. Will this allow the floaties to settle at the bottom or do I need to do something extra?
> Cheers


How long are you planning to ferment? I usually leave brews in primary for at least 13-14 days and everything has dropped. If you are planning a shorter ferment like 9-10 days then you could cold crash for a couple of days as that will speed up the dropping, I believe it will also harden up the trub/ yeast cake a bit more, so if you bottle straight from the primary then you are less likely to get crud in there. 

As for the original post, I never got around to using chux, so no updates - if I dry hop it will usually just be pellets straight into the FV.


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## manticle (24/3/14)

> If you're worried about hop bits can you just use the whole hop? As in not pellets?


Flowers will disintegrate in the liquid so you just get bigger hop bits. Cone petals tend to block taps etc. I throw pellets straight in but plugs and flowers go into a stocking (loosely) or mini-mash bag.


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## technobabble66 (24/3/14)

+1 manticle.
Pellets are kinda OK after several days - they'll generally settle out.
Flowers will block the tap like a mutha - so stick them into a large/oversized mesh thing (stocking or laundry bag). You'd be best washing/steeping the bag thingy in hot water a few times first, & maybe with PBW/etc once or twice, just to leach out any residual chemical from manufacturing.


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## Johnny Ringo (24/3/14)

pat86 said:


> How long are you planning to ferment? I usually leave brews in primary for at least 13-14 days and everything has dropped. If you are planning a shorter ferment like 9-10 days then you could cold crash for a couple of days as that will speed up the dropping, I believe it will also harden up the trub/ yeast cake a bit more, so if you bottle straight from the primary then you are less likely to get crud in there.
> 
> As for the original post, I never got around to using chux, so no updates - if I dry hop it will usually just be pellets straight into the FV.


Yeah I was going to ferment for 15 days as that is when I will next have time to bottle. 

If I am to cold crash how many days before bottling should I do this and at what temp? 

I currently have it at at 18 degrees.


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## Nizmoose (24/3/14)

Johnny Ringo said:


> Yeah I was going to ferment for 15 days as that is when I will next have time to bottle.
> 
> If I am to cold crash how many days before bottling should I do this and at what temp?
> 
> I currently have it at at 18 degrees.


Would also like to know that one^
I dont have a secondary and never tried a cold crash before might be useful


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## manticle (24/3/14)

Chill it after it has finished fermenting and not before - especially if you are bottling. Different yeasts take different amounts of time and while 15 days should be more than enough provided you have pitched enough yeast, oxygenated enough, etc you won't know for sure unless you get a stable gravity in the expected range.

Once it has reached terminal gravity, a few more days in contact with the yeast is beneficial to ensure yeast cleans up its byproducts. Then as cold as you can for as long as you like but to get noticeable benefit - try at least 48 hours. More is better


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## pat86 (24/3/14)

Johnny Ringo said:


> Yeah I was going to ferment for 15 days as that is when I will next have time to bottle.
> 
> If I am to cold crash how many days before bottling should I do this and at what temp?
> 
> I currently have it at at 18 degrees.





manticle said:


> Chill it after it has finished fermenting and not before - especially if you are bottling. Different yeasts take different amounts of time and while 15 days should be more than enough provided you have pitched enough yeast, oxygenated enough, etc you won't know for sure unless you get a stable gravity in the expected range.
> 
> Once it has reached terminal gravity, a few more days in contact with the yeast is beneficial to ensure yeast cleans up its byproducts. Then as cold as you can for as long as you like but to get noticeable benefit - try at least 48 hours. More is better


What Manticle said - you need to make sure fermentation is fully complete (otherwise you risk bottle bombs) - so get a stable gravity reading for 2 or 3 days in a row and then drop your temperature down to around 0C-3C. John Palmer also recommends a few days after F.G. sitting on the yeast to clean up. I haven't really experimented and couldn't tell you what kind of flavour difference this makes, but F.G. has usually taken 5-9 days for me, and I often CC on day 13-15. John Palmer > me. 

I am sure smarter people know the freezing point of beer, but I had a FV get down to -1.5C by accident and it didn't freeze. I'm sure 2 degrees accomplishes the same thing, really, the colder the better. If your fridge only got to 10C I'm sure that would still be beneficial in terms of clearing and helping particles drop out. I am usually impatient so have CC'd for 1-2 days and right now have one that has been 15 days.


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