Hopsocks Vs Stockings

[piraterum]

I recently bought a hop sock and was not impressed by the draw string leaking during the boil. :angry:

I have used nylon stockings in the past and found them quite useful as hopsocks. They are particuarly useful for multiple hop additions and when your finished you can just chuck them away without having to painstakingly clean them.

I'm aware the hop utilisation is lower using a hopsock/stocking and that you must use more hops to achieve the same effect as throwing the hops in freely. I think the extra dollar or two per batch is worth it not having to worry about straining the remaining hop residue before adding to the fermenter. I've tried adding whirfloc tablets and stiring while cooling to settle out the hop residue which I found quite ineffective.

How do you add your hops and keep them out of the final brew?

 

[Adamt]

Whole flowers (for at least some portion of the hop bill) + Beerbelly hop stopper and pickup tube... Cancels out all of those utilisation issues and isn't a waste of good stockings ( :mellow: ).

 

[Tony]

mash tun style false bottom and a slow drain!

stops 95% of hops and the hops stop the break

cheers

 

[reg]

mash tun style false bottom and a slow drain!

stops 95% of hops and the hops stop the break

cheers

Tony with that style of set up do you need to whirlpool?

 

[matti]

If your hop-sock is is big enough and you can break up the hop flowers you can get top utilisation using the hop bags.
when using pellets or plugs I think there is no real difference using bag or no bag, just whirl pool at end.
As you try to drain the last bit out of the kettle- run it though your nylon sock or hop bag.

In my partial days this always worked a treat.

 

[Pumpy]

I recently bought a hop sock and was not impressed by the draw string leaking during the boil. :angry:

I have used nylon stockings in the past and found them quite useful as hopsocks. They are particuarly useful for multiple hop additions and when your finished you can just chuck them away without having to painstakingly clean them.

I'm am aware the hop utilisation is lower using a hopsock/stocking and that you must use more hops to achieve the same effect as throwing the hops in freely. I think the extra dollar or two per batch is worth it not having to worry about straining the remaining hop residue before adding to the fermenter. I've tried adding whirfloc tablets and stiring while cooling to settle out the hop residue which I found quite ineffective.

How do you add your hops and keep them out of the final brew?

Piraterum,

I used a hopsock for a while and did not appear to affect the beer, I feel that it is important to get good water flow around the hops so if you have a big hop bill in the Hopsock that does not appear to happen .and the temperature in the hopsock does not appear to be boiling .

I finally moved to Warrens idea on the false bottom in the kettle which I am finally happy with using either hops pellets or flowers .

I make 40 litres in a 50 litre kettle and to avoid loosing the hops on boilover and sticking around the top of the kettle I use an 'antifoam' which is available from MHB which breaks the surface tension and all the hops sink into the boil rather than floating on the top its excellent stuff . and it does not affect the head retention of the final beer .

I have not used stocking but similar to hopsocks would say dont overpack with hops as they expand a fair bit that may mean having a couple of stockings.

Pumpy

 

[Tony]

No, no worlpooling.

That beer was no chilled. I just let it stand for 10 min after turning off the gas and then drain slowly to the cube. i crack the ball valve all the way for a second or 2 to get it flowing and fill the hose so there is no air in there and then throttle it back to a slow flow. Takes about 5 to 10 minuites to fill a 25 liter cube.

Every drop of wort is recovered with bugger all hops going in. I then pick up the dried hop cake with my hands and put it in the bin with the spent grain.

Too easy

Cheers

 

[reg]

Tony is that a 12"false bottom?

Pumpy what are the two other pipes for in that photo?

Those are both great set ups to model different techniques. Well done and thanks for sharing

 

[matti]

my educated guess on Pumpys photo

left -inlet.
Bottom -mash master probe.

 

[Tony]

Roughtly 10 to 12 inches

Its just a piece of flat perforated plate cut out with tin snips. Its not a pressed dome shape. I use the low point in the bottom of the keg to pickup in.

like i said, it gets every drop

cheers