Dry Hopping Efficiency With Flowers

[TidalPete]

i need to make a big sign for the garage that reminds me to blend the flowers

Got just the thing for you kymba. PM me if interested. :icon_cheers:
As for a reply to the OP, as suggested above a home-made voil bag or pre-boiled cut-off leg of pantyhose knotted at the top combined with something REALLY heavy in sterilised ss will keep even the most stubborn leaf, plug, or pellet hops under the wort. Think big eg 100mm x 18mm ss bolt (just an example ).
I would tend to think though that even if your hop leaves float they are still saturated with wort & so will give you maximum extraction even if they may get in the way when emptying the fermenter. Sinking in a bag though leaves (pardon the pun? ) nothing to chance.

TP

 

[Fat Bastard]

I've been using a boiled stocking for my pelletised (and the last mulled up hop flower) dry hopping. Last time I used a 2" length of 1" dia SS bar in one end and the hops had enough bouyancy to stretch the stocking so they still floated on top. Next time it'll be a similar sized lump of ss in each end!

I might attach a ss wire to one end so I can pull it out prior to racking to the bottling bucket for maximum hop utilisation. Just pulling it through the hole in the cube should squeeze a good amount of hoppy wort out.

 

[stux]

Have you considered just using a French press. I find they work really well with flowers and it's a great way to really get a big Nelson etc type aroma

 

[Spiesy]

Have you considered just using a French press. I find they work really well with flowers and it's a great way to really get a big Nelson etc type aroma

My second brew using flowers for dry hopping came on last weekend, a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale clone (dry hopped with 0.5g/1L of Galaxy flowers). The first brew being Dr. Smurto's TTL clone (dry hopped with 0.5g/1L of Aussie Goldings, that a mate grew).

Shithouse. I get this vibe that I can only describe as "honey, but with the sweetness taken out".

I guess you could kind of equate the latest to a REALLY weak Galaxy vibe... it's getting better the longer in the keg, but it's not great. Cocko, on the other hand, dry hopped with pellets (same brew), and whilst I haven't tasted his version, he's happy with it. My hops were added French Press stylee, btw.

I have since thrown out all my flowers. Perhaps I was doing it wrong (not blending, etc), but honestly... pellets just sound like they are more suited for this purpose (easier and more of a 'known quantity').

On evaluation, I'm thinking I needed to add a lot more flowers to hops (on weight alone). Either that or chop them up, or do something else tedious. I think I'll just stick with pellets for dry hopping from here on in.

I enjoy rice.

 

[manticle]

Whole flowers need more boiling as apposed to pellets. This is because pelleted hops have been crushed exposing the lupulin glands. Does that sound right? :huh:

No. Where does this information come from?

Dried flowers need more by weight than pellets to get the same utilisation (bittering). Possibly, I guess, maybe, a longer boil might give you a touch more. Is that what you're trying to suggest?