Using Hop Bags In Boil

[loikar]

One of these with some spider legs to hold it at the right height would probably work.

Not really, i think that would hold no more benefiet than a hop sock.
The idea is to have the "basket" as close to the walls and bottom of your vessel as possible.
This would contain your hops while still allowing them to float around the wort freely.

I was also thinking about a finer mesh on the bottom and slightly up the walls to contain\limit break material.

BF

 

[Nick JD]

The idea is to have the "basket" as close to the walls and bottom of your vessel as possible.

Like a really big hop sock?

Why not just use a BIAB bag? Costs a couple of bucks and is easy to clean.

 

[loikar]

Like a really big hop sock?

Why not just use a BIAB bag? Costs a couple of bucks and is easy to clean.

dont_make_me_scoff! h34r:

:lol:

 

[ianh]

Like a really big hop sock?

Why not just use a BIAB bag? Costs a couple of bucks and is easy to clean.

Agree why not use a second BIAB bag for the hops, can just put it over the side of the vessel and throw the hops in.

 

[Malted]

Agree why not use a second BIAB bag for the hops, can just put it over the side of the vessel and throw the hops in.

The idea is to have the "basket" as close to the walls and bottom of your vessel as possible.

I think Mister Fingers has designs of deep frying his hops in the wort. I reckon he is thinking that he will have the frying basket almost as big as the kettle. Once he has whirlpooled and the trub and hops have settled, he may well lift them out with his funky basket, drain them, chuck them onto a bit of butchers paper, throw a bit of salt at them, maybe a splash of vinegar too and throw them to the seagulls.
h34r:

 

[spog]

i use the mesh tea leaf strainers,available from the cheap shops.
they come in 40mm and 60mm diameter sizes and work very well,attatch a stainless steel fishing trace to it and drop it in the boil,easily removed when you want...cheers....spog...

 

[loikar]

Agree why not use a second BIAB bag for the hops, can just put it over the side of the vessel and throw the hops in.

I *THINK* it's because the bag is pliable.
using the basket around the perimeters allows the hops to roll with the boil.
A bag would restrict and bunch the hops up.

 

[browndog]

I used a hop sock for many brews but eventually gave it the heavy ho and went back to throwing the hops straight into the kettle, why you ask? well one day I noticed that inside the hop sock there was a lot of protein accumulating and it seemed to me that this was impeding the flow of wort through the sock. After noticing this on subsequent brews I turfed the sock. This may have something to do with the intensity of your boil, for mine, I have a very robust boil. As far as your plate chiller getting clogged, it is a simple matter of adjusting your post boil volume or raising/sieving your pickup to avoid getting hop matter in the chiller.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Mikedub]

I always use my biab bag for hops, works well, I just peg it around the urn and let the little buggers roam freely,

works even better when I remove the spent grain first

 

[Fat Bastard]

I used a hop sock for many brews but eventually gave it the heavy ho and went back to throwing the hops straight into the kettle, why you ask? well one day I noticed that inside the hop sock there was a lot of protein accumulating and it seemed to me that this was impeding the flow of wort through the sock. After noticing this on subsequent brews I turfed the sock. This may have something to do with the intensity of your boil, for mine, I have a very robust boil. As far as your plate chiller getting clogged, it is a simple matter of adjusting your post boil volume or raising/sieving your pickup to avoid getting hop matter in the chiller.

cheers

Browndog

Pretty much this. I used socks and found they got clogged with protein scum, tried a voille BIAB bag and had boil over problems, which is pretty much the only time I've had an issue with boilover, and have reverted to chucking them straight in the kettle. One modification I've done is to make a SS mesh false bottom that fits over my perforated false bottom that keeps the hops above the pickup, which itself runs a finer SS mesh strainer tube.

The last brew I did was a 5 minute IPA with about 240g of hops chucked in at the end of the boil and it didn't block the plate chiller. In fact, when I backflushed the chiller, I didn't notice any hop material in the water that came out.

Interestingly the mesh seemed to give a more even and vigorous boil, but no sign of boilover when dumping the 5 min addition in. Probably has to do with the bubbles nucleating on the mesh and not the hops.

 

[hoppy2B]

And all this time I've been cooking my hops in plain water. h34r:

 

[Superoo]

So with all the replies so far, nobody has really said too much about flavour being affected negatively.

Yes, I've noticed the film that builds up on the muslin bag.

I'll reserve my opinion on using a hops bag until the taste test, and if thats ok, i'll keep using the bag.
Otherwise, its sounding like a hop screen on my kettle outlet will be the go.

Thanks to All for the input...

will post my thoughts when the beer angel pisses some of this brew on my tonsils...

 

[browndog]

So with all the replies so far, nobody has really said too much about flavour being affected negatively.

Yes, I've noticed the film that builds up on the muslin bag.

I'll reserve my opinion on using a hops bag until the taste test, and if thats ok, i'll keep using the bag.
Otherwise, its sounding like a hop screen on my kettle outlet will be the go.

Thanks to All for the input...

will post my thoughts when the beer angel pisses some of this brew on my tonsils...

OK I should have included this in my post. When I went back to throwing my hops into the kettle, I found a marked improvement in the intensity of the hop flavour in my beers.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

OK I should have included this in my post. When I went back to throwing my hops into the kettle, I found a marked improvement in the intensity of the hop flavour in my beers.

Bingo ! Hop socks suck. Way to fine.
Nev

 

[Nick JD]

Bingo ! Hop socks suck. Way to fine.
Nev

It's the way to fine? Does it make the beer clearer?

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

It's the way to fine? Does it make the beer clearer?

Clearer in what sense? The mesh doesnt allow a free rolling boil effect in the sock. So it cost you a bag and lost hop utilization. I use a stainless basket which is a very course weave but i can still notice the hop difference.
Chuck those hops in the boil unrestricted you will be pleasantly surprised.You will lose some volume to hop break but its the best for your beer.
Nev

 

[Florian]

Agree why not use a second BIAB bag for the hops, can just put it over the side of the vessel and throw the hops in.

Could always use magnets to attach it to the sides and bottom of the vessel (when gas fired), means the bag can't swim up and constrain the hops. If doing so you might as well whirlpool with the bag inside and then lift your hot break out of the kettle. Would make it easier to run all that clear wort off.

I have a hop sock, but only used it three times. I found he hops weren't moving around enough, especially with a not so vigorous boil. Would not buy again, waste of money IMO. Use it for cold steeping grains very occasionally though.

 

[Cocko]

I'm going to make me a hopster...

^^FTW!

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

^^FTW!

Looks like mine.
Nev

 

[Malted]

Looks like mine.
Nev

So do you have it almost the size of the pot as BeerFingers dreams of, or smaller in diameter than the pot, as per the one in the photo?
How does it work for you? Would you do anything differently if you made it again?