# Stay down ya bastard !



## wereprawn (25/1/14)

How do you guys keep your hop bags from floating? I have tried putting various heavy odds n sods in my hop bag . It sinks but then comes back to the top within an hour or so. For years I just threw them into the brew loose but have noticed that some varieties leave an intense grassy flavour when used this way . Citra and Sylva in particular.

I have tried putting the bag in when fermentation is close to finishing and when its well and truly finished.

Not a huge problem but I have not heard this happening to anyone else.

From what I have heard, sinking the bag seems to extract more hoppiness.

Thoughts anyone?


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## IsonAd (25/1/14)

Now I just throw them in loose but in the past I found a ss butter knife worked well.


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## lukiferj (25/1/14)

Marbles and unscented dental floss.


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## wereprawn (25/1/14)

Tried A ss b n b knife. Still floats. Tried 2 chunks of quartz about twice the size of my thumb each (boiled for half an hour to sterilize) . Still floats.


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## GundyBrewer (25/1/14)

Last time I dry hopped I sanitised an empty plastic bottle, put marbles in the hop bag and tied it around the neck if the bottle. That way the hops were suspended in the middle of the beer.


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## indica86 (25/1/14)

Let your hops run free.
Or stick up a goldfish's bum, that'll keep doing laps and spread out the hoppiness.


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## wereprawn (25/1/14)

> Let your hops run free.
> Or stick up a goldfish's bum, that'll keep doing laps and spread out the hoppiness.





Nah. **** that! My goldfish only hold one pellet each.


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## hoppy2B (26/1/14)

I went out and bought some stainless nuts for the purpose. I'm thinking a couple of inches of stainless 1'' thick rod would have been a better option if Its available.


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## Rod (26/1/14)

what is the problem with the hop bag floating

would not the hop flavour be dissipated better as it would move away , sink , from the bag 

:unsure:


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## BottloBill (26/1/14)

Got a mate who uses large s/s fishing lures to hold them down


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## _HOME_BREW_WALLACE_ (26/1/14)

1 knife floats? use 2. if 2 floats, use 3........ Pretty simple really.


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## hoppy2B (26/1/14)

Rod said:


> what is the problem with the hop bag floating
> 
> would not the hop flavour be dissipated better as it would move away , sink , from the bag
> 
> :unsure:


The problem is when the hops are up out of the liquid. And its not just a matter of them not releasing their flavour and aroma. When the hops are afloat above the liquid and you have placed your dry hops into the ferment vessel after fermentation and there is no CO2 in the vessel the hops can go mouldy. Total disaster when that happens.


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## Florian (26/1/14)

_WALLACE_ said:


> 1 knife floats? use 2. if 2 floats, use 3........ Pretty simple really.


Thank god someone said it!


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## wereprawn (26/1/14)

Makes sense Hoppy. That's why some of my brews get infected when I dry hop!
Never thought of that.

A trip to the hardware shop may be in order.


Thanks all.


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## Kumamoto_Ken (26/1/14)

I use a (sanitised) port glass with the stem tied to the hopsock string. Has worked for me so far.


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