Hop/grain Bags

[sgw86]

Hi,

I have been purchasing the Hop/Grain bags from my LHBS (2 for $5.50) and every brew have just been throwing them out and buying new ones....yep understand this is a big waste of money.

What do people do to clean their hop/grain bags after they use them? I do Extract Brewing so my main use is for steeping specality grains, boiling hops, dry hopping.

Do I just rinse them out after use with hot water and then let air dry?

Do I need to sanitise in StarSan the bags before I use them? Understand I will need to drop into StarSan before Dry Hopping but my guess is for 60min or 15min boils use I don't need to sanitise the bags?

If I am adding hops at Flame out is it neccessary to sanitise the bag?

Lots of questions. I am always concerned on sanitising things as you can probably gather from my questions above

Thanks again all. Much appreciated for all the help.

Cheers,

Sam.

 

[QldKev]

A quick clean in hot water will be ok. If you want a soak in unscented Napi san is better. Always make sure you rinse and dry them properly.

No need to use starsan if it's going into the boil. If the bags ever get funky and start growing due to sitting around wet, toss them.

QldKev

 

[sgw86]

A quick clean in hot water will be ok. If you want a soak in unscented Napi san is better. Always make sure you rinse and dry them properly.

No need to use starsan if it's going into the boil. If the bags ever get funky and start growing due to sitting around wet, toss them.

QldKev

Thanks for the feedback QldKev.

So there is no need to sanitise a hop bag if it's being added at "flame out"? I was always under the impression you needed to boil thing for at least 10 mins to make them sanitised?

 

[Nick JD]

Thanks for the feedback QldKev.

So there is no need to sanitise a hop bag if it's being added at "flame out"? I was always under the impression you needed to boil thing for at least 10 mins to make them sanitised?

If you are no chilling, then any bugs on the bag will have plenty of time to die.

If you are chilling, then a flame out addition would probably still have time to kill the bugs before chilling.

Bugs just aren't that strong (1 minute at 70C will kill virtually all of them) - the stuff that will survive is more of an issue to surgeons than it is to homebrewers.

 

[sgw86]

If you are no chilling, then any bugs on the bag will have plenty of time to die.

If you are chilling, then a flame out addition would probably still have time to kill the bugs before chilling.

Bugs just aren't that strong (1 minute at 70C will kill virtually all of them) - the stuff that will survive is more of an issue to surgeons than it is to homebrewers.

Thanks Nick!

Cheers,

Sam.