How Do You Hop?

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dougsbrew

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hi there, i have on of these for hopping in my boil. 250 micron,

Hopsock_final.jpg
and i find that when i first put it into boil - after 10 minutes, hot break settled down,
the wort flows freely through the mesh, however after 15min or more it starts to get
a build up on the mesh and the wort doesnt flow freely through it anymore. i am thinking i should have gone the 500 micron.
so i was wondering what others use to hop their beer?
 
I chuck them in commando! But am considering using my old BIAB bag as a hop bag on large hop brews. I figure its big enough to let them flow freely and not effect extraction.. If it even does, is another question.
 
Usually on one foot. Sometimes I try to get away with using two, but I'm usually just called out for jumping :p

But seriously, When were using the chiller, we'll use a bag, no chill, its straight into the kettle.

Hope this helps

Mitch :D
 
i have been thinking about chucking them straight in, as in the hop sock the debri sits at the bottom so i assumed it would sit at the bottom of the boiler with the hot break -this is right is it?
 
A good whirlpool mate and it all good!

This raises a question I had regarding the whirlpool.

Does the hop material thrown straight in the boil help with settling the hot break when whirlpooling?

Reason I ask is I have been using a hop bag for hopping and then I tried using a whirlpool to collect the hot break but it is too light and just gets stirred up by even the slightest wort movement near it when I drain the pot. I currently do 20L maxi-biab but am looking to step up to a 2V system. Just in the process of buying the necessary equipment.
 
I used to use a hop sock when I was on a clarity quest, thought it would help but have since started filtering so no more problems but more so I found a little loss in hop utilisation... Others opinions will vary but just speaking from personal experience.

I cannot give any scientific reason, others may, for loose hops helping the whirlpool drop break too but it makes sense to me in a way...

Before my first AG, Fents said to me to whirlpool, from memory his words were: "Really get it spinning so there is a big twirling dent in the middle and it takes more than a cigarette to finish spinning" - as I said from memory and without the swearing! ;) BTW: In a 120L pot it really takes some stirring/technique but practice makes perfect...

With a side pot pick up tube and a good whirlpool you should not have to take any break or hop dregs.

2c.

DSC02367.JPG
 
This raises a question I had regarding the whirlpool.

Does the hop material thrown straight in the boil help with settling the hot break when whirlpooling?

Reason I ask is I have been using a hop bag for hopping and then I tried using a whirlpool to collect the hot break but it is too light and just gets stirred up by even the slightest wort movement near it when I drain the pot. I currently do 20L maxi-biab but am looking to step up to a 2V system. Just in the process of buying the necessary equipment.


whirlfloc
 
I struggled with a 20lt pot to get a trub cone with and without hops, I was getting 2-4 lts of trub and wort left over. Just done a full volume tonight in a 50lts keg it is so much easier to get a whirlpool going and the mass of the wort keeps it spinning longer so I ended up with 1lts of trub and wort. I dunno what happened as I allowed for 2.5lts of trub and got 1lt but I was meant to get 21lts in fermenter and got 19lts :S dunno if it was the boil off or the grain absorption of mash tun dead space or what :S
 
I used to use a stocking, but now i throw them straight in. I find the hops help the shit down the bottom hold together a bit more. I nochill, if i was uising a plate chiller it may be a different story
 
hi there, i have on of these for hopping in my boil. 250 micron,

View attachment 46718
and i find that when i first put it into boil - after 10 minutes, hot break settled down,
the wort flows freely through the mesh, however after 15min or more it starts to get
a build up on the mesh and the wort doesnt flow freely through it anymore. i am thinking i should have gone the 500 micron.
so i was wondering what others use to hop their beer?

Was a hop socker :blink: and just got one of these and have used it for 2 brews. Very handy to throw the hops into it but it takes forever to drain - it shits me. I'm going commando from now on and I will also throw my hops in the pot as well <_<
Cheers
BBB
 
I have one of the jumbo 500um hop socks from Craftbrewer. Very handy when using plugs or flowers as my kettle tap blocks with them. A good whirlpool will settle out an average amount of hops.

:icon_offtopic: Now the misses is away, been going commando more often. I like it but I think the neighbours are going to call the cops :p
 
Oh, no one has mentioned using full flowers!

If I was using flowers, I would use my hop sock or my kettle falsie with out doubt...

But pallets would seem to be the basis of all advise/posts above...

Flowers: Nothing a whirlpool can do about them IMO, they are gonna block your tap, unless you sock or false bottom...


IMG_0213.JPG





EDIT: DB has now mentioned.
 
I've found a far better bag from Craftbrewer that handles flowers beautifully. Of course Rosscoe doesn't make as much per bag as from the industrial-strength hop thingo (I had 2 and gave them away at my last brew day)

I peg the bag round the edge of the kettle, weigh it down in the middle with a few SS items so it doesn't billow up, and it forms a little swimming pool for the hops, the boiling wort is forced up through them as there's nowhere else for it to go. Ideal mesh for a free drain, and I use it when I'm using a shedload of hop pellets as well, as in an APA for example or a Pils where I could be using up to 130g of Saaz Pellets which would otherwise create a lot of mud - this bag traps the pellet material as well.
 
Oh, no one has mentioned using full flowers!

If I was using flowers, I would use my hop sock or my kettle falsie with out doubt...

But pallets would seem to be the basis of all advise/posts above...

Flowers: Nothing a whirlpool can do about them IMO, they are gonna block your tap, unless you sock or false bottom...


Yeah i agree with Cocko.

I use both flowers and pellets (depending on my stock levels) and have found flowers give a freshness i haven't had from pellets (might be imagining it) but they sure as hell block up my kettle tap. I chuck em in reckless abandon if i'm using pellets, but use a sock if i'm going with flowers.

@ kelby:
how good do those kegs go with a whirlpool mate.... Best thing i ever did was get a couple of them for my brewery. The domed bottom is absolutely perfect for concentrating all sorts of left over shit in the centre of the kettle after flameout....

Purpose built i reckon.
 
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