Hop Socks

[homekegger1]

Hey guys,

Sure this has been done to death, but does using a hopsock supplied from craftbrewer actually lower the IBUness of a beer? Just asking as I am in the process of using one for the first time.

Cheers and Beers

HK

 

[TidalPete]

Hey guys,

Sure this has been done to death, but does using a hopsock supplied from craftbrewer actually lower the IBUness of a beer? Just asking as I am in the process of using one for the first time.

Cheers and Beers

HK

TTBOMK yes!
When using my hopsock I always increase each hop addition by 10% to counteract the reduced effect of the rolling boil inside the hopsock.

TP

 

[Sammus]

Hey guys,

Sure this has been done to death, but does using a hopsock supplied from craftbrewer actually lower the IBUness of a beer? Just asking as I am in the process of using one for the first time.

Cheers and Beers

HK

Yep. And it's called 'bitterness' not 'IBUness' That's like called 'current' 'amperage' or 'length' 'meterage'.

 

[Ross]

I brew both ways & have done for many years & cannot detect any difference whatsoever, as a consequence I make no change to the recipes using either method - FYI Promash reduces IBU's by 1 unit if using a hop bag.

Cheers Ross

 

[MarkBastard]

I think it depends on a few things. I have one of the hop socks that has a regular hole opening, not the super fine one, and I reckon the hop utilisation would be the same. The boil goes right through the hop sock in my urn with no problems.

That said I stopped using the hop sock for pellets anyway as they just fall to the bottom of the kettle anyway so there's no real need for a hop sock in my opinion. Flowers on the other hand I find the hop sock handy.

 

[Kleiny]

Tasty Mcdole from TBN uses hop socks all the time and reckons there is no diff but he does say he uses a large sack for a small quantity.

I was going to give it a crack but a dont have enough hop socks for all my additions in a an APA so will wait until next brew when im doing some lagers with small amount of hop additions.

Kleiny

 

[Dazza_devil]

I use a craftbrewer hopsock and always have done for my hop pellet additions. My recipes are constructed using IanH's spreadsheet with the Hop Concentration Factor turned off and a 9 litre boil. Plenty of hop goodness and bitterness get's into my brews and a lot of hop matter stays in the sock. I can recommend using a shot glass or similar to weigh the sock down whilst doing the boil.

 

[Batz]

I brew both with and without a hop sock, I use the hop sock when I chill to stop hops flowing into my chiller. I personally notice a big difference and increase the hops whenever I use it.


Batz

 

[Sammus]

I use a hopsock when I lauter sometimes to stop bits of grain coming through into my kettle.

 

[argon]

I always have used a hop sock so can't really comment on the change in IBU. I do find that it does need a bit of a squeeze when draining the kettle. If I was to just let it hang while draining or take it straight out, I find that there is still a fair bit of wort left in it.

So now at flameout, i take it out suspend above the kettle, give it a quick squeeze (with some thick gloves of course) then drain the kettle. Can get about a litre of so out. I'd reckon that pulling it out and discarding immediately would leave a fair bit of hoppy wort behind and could possibly alter the profile.

 

[MarkBastard]

Not only that argon, but I imagine that wort stuck in there is quite bitter wort. So what I do is squeeze it out with my boil spoon, and then I dunk it back into the wort a few times again and swish it all around before draining it again.

Also I guess if you use a hop sock and a no chill cube you may end up back at 'normal' eh?

 

[argon]

Also I guess if you use a hop sock and a no chill cube you may end up back at 'normal' eh?

Yeah that was my initial thought actually... a bit of accidental balance actually. I always use a hops sock and always No Chill. So maybe could be right, what you lose in the sock you make in the cube.