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Message |
    
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 488
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 70.246.92.129
| | Posted on Sunday, October 04, 2009 - 05:35 pm: | 
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I'm sure this has been asked many times, but I love threads on dry hopping. With a typical narrow-necked carboy, how do you recommend adding the dry hops (1 oz) when they are whole flower? If I put them in a bag and squeeze through the neck, I will have a deuce (or maybe even a trey) of a time trying to get them out after it's finished and they've swelled up. If I throw them in there loose, when I rack they will likely clog up my Super Siphon before all the beer is transferred. Should I maybe put the hops into 2-3 smaller bags? Any other recommendations?
Can anyone recommend a carboy with a wider neck? |
Connie
Senior Member
Username: Connie
Post Number: 1469
Registered: 10-2000
Posted From: 76.17.52.96
| | Posted on Sunday, October 04, 2009 - 05:54 pm: |
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Some people use buckets when dry hopping with whole hops. |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1809
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.36.103
| | Posted on Sunday, October 04, 2009 - 11:31 pm: |
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Timely thread . .
Two weeks ago I racked my Lawnmower ale into the kegs. I had put an ounce of loose whole Cascades in each carboy. When I racked, I stretched a white knee-hi stocking over the racking cane then out over the carboy lip. Slower than usual flow but it siphoned ever drop!
 |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1810
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.36.103
| | Posted on Sunday, October 04, 2009 - 11:32 pm: |
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Oh . . and they will exit the carboy just fine on cleanup . . . |
Mike Vachow
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 164
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 70.239.215.242
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 02:22 am: |
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Stuff 'em in there. Don't bother with mesh bags. I use the smallest size mash screen on my siphon hose. The hops swell but are soggy enough to wiggle out easily with an index finger.
Mike
St. Louis |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 490
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 70.246.92.129
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 02:32 am: |
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Very good, DH. I knew I'd get a good idea here. |
Tex Brewer
Intermediate Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 492
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 01:47 pm: |
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In looking at your picture, the hops are not exactly in intimate contact with the beer. Typically, a hop bag is weighted with marbles to submerge the hops. Wouldn't you get more extraction if they were submerged? Do you do anything (poking, stirring, etc.) to the hops? |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1812
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 72.4.22.214
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 03:27 pm: |
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The hops are completely immersed in beer, though it may look like they are just sitting on top. Whether it helps to drown them, others may have an opinion. IMHO 10 days of immersion is going to wash the hops pretty thoroughly . . maybe not to the degree of Sierra's Torpedo, but still good enough at the home brew level. I do suspect the concentration of hop extract going into the keg increases as the level in the carboy decreases and that greater extract concentration gets picked up by the racking cane. |
Denny Conn
Senior Member
Username: Denny
Post Number: 7283
Registered: 01-2001
Posted From: 140.211.82.4
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 04:26 pm: |
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I use cheap muslin hop bags. Squeeze 'em to get 'em in, cut them apart to get them out. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10758
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 04:29 pm: |
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Cheap muslin steeping bags are worthless (too coarse) for hop pellets, but as Denny says, they are effective for whole hops. |
Denny Conn
Senior Member
Username: Denny
Post Number: 7284
Registered: 01-2001
Posted From: 75.145.77.185
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 05:57 pm: |
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Good point, Bill. For pellets I just put 'em in loose and wait for them to drop. I tried that with whole hops, but apparently I'm siphoning dysfunctional. |
Hophead
Senior Member
Username: Hophead
Post Number: 2875
Registered: 03-2002
Posted From: 167.4.1.41
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 07:56 pm: |
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I use both pellets and whole leaf, and don't have a problem with siphoning with the little red cap on the end of the siphon? Perhaps the 3/8" flow is significantly slower than the 1/2" flow so it doesn't become a hoover as much...
Nice pix. I like the carboy handles, I hate leaning into the chest freezer and trying to get my hand underneath to lift it out! |
Skotrat
Senior Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 1030
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 173.9.91.69
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 08:56 pm: |
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Zymico Hopper Stopper....
Right in the Serving Keg; The only way to Dry Hop...
 |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 3825
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.32.232.200
| | Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 - 11:15 pm: |
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Zymie does it again.
I like to dry hop in the keg. No problem getting the hop bag out there. |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1814
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.36.103
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 01:32 am: |
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I might consider a hopperstopper if I was gonna drain a keg in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure I'd want my hops to languish in the keg for the couple of months it usually takes to drain it. |
Skotrat
Senior Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 1032
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 173.9.91.69
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 12:30 pm: |
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I have been using those hopper stoppers since Zymie sent me 4 back in 1997 or 1998.
They really make everything much easier |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 3828
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.32.146.33
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 03:32 pm: |
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Hack,
I use a hopsack in the keg with some dental floss attached and shut the lid on the floss. If it gets too much I can open the lid and pull it out with the floss.
I learned that trick from someone here. Denny maybe? |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10760
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 04:11 pm: |
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I've been using dental floss with hop bags in secondary, and occasionally in serving kegs, for many years. Be sure not to use flavored floss. Monofilament fishing line works well, too.
(Message edited by BillPierce on October 06, 2009) |
Skotrat
Senior Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 1033
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 173.9.91.69
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 04:28 pm: |
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Dental Floss???
I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of
Dental Floss
Raisin' it up
Waxen it down
In a little white box
That I can sell uptown
Knee High Stockings work fine too... shove the hops in... Tie the stocking in a knot... Toss it in the keg |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1817
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.36.103
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 11:59 pm: |
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Might give the dental floss thing a try (if I can find my zircon encrusted tweezers to lower the bag into the keg). Stren may be more apropos in order to 'fish' the hops out of the keg, though. |
Denny Conn
Senior Member
Username: Denny
Post Number: 7285
Registered: 01-2001
Posted From: 140.211.82.4
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 06:38 pm: |
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Vance, I use monofilament instead of dental floss and tie it to the top of the diptube.
Scott, I saw the premiere performance of "Montana" many years ago....maybe like 1970-71. |
Marc Rehfuss
Member
Username: Marc_rehfuss
Post Number: 126
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 199.133.215.18
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 08:57 pm: |
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I've always just let the whole hops sit on top for ~2 weeks, then siphon from underneath tying a nylon bad to the racking cane. No problems here.
For kegs, I just stuff the hops into a sanitized muslin bag and let it float on top of the beer in the keg for its duration. I don't bother tying the bag to anything. Works fine for me. |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 3829
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.32.133.111
| | Posted on Thursday, October 08, 2009 - 12:58 am: |
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Skot posts some really good vintage Zappa links on Facebook from time to time. Bout time again?
Ta ta tdla ta ta ta.... |
Scott Morales
Member
Username: Smutty
Post Number: 159
Registered: 09-2005
Posted From: 75.68.50.10
| | Posted on Thursday, October 08, 2009 - 01:18 am: |
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For dry hopping in serving kegs, I use the stainless steel mesh tea balls, they're inexpensive and easy to use. I have a few 2" and a 3"; I recommend a 3 as it will fit an oz easily. Plus the kids like the green snow balls that plop out when the kegs empty.
http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Stainless-Steel-Mesh-Ball/dp/B00004RIZ7 |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 3831
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.32.154.34
| | Posted on Friday, October 09, 2009 - 12:00 am: |
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Scott, do the hops get wet in the center? The tea ball I tried would still be dry in the middle with a 1/2 oz. |
Hallertauer
Advanced Member
Username: Hallertauer
Post Number: 567
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 84.169.134.133
| | Posted on Friday, October 09, 2009 - 12:44 pm: |
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I do what skot does in reference to filtering out pellets in the keg. After you have tried this once, you will not use any other method. |
Scott Morales
Member
Username: Smutty
Post Number: 161
Registered: 09-2005
Posted From: 75.68.50.10
| | Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 - 07:19 pm: |
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Vance, I can't say that I've noticed any dry pellets. The hops are a soggy mess when I plop it out to clean the mesh. I usually will do .5 oz in a 2" ball so there's plenty of room to expand. Next time I use them I'll take a note to do a thorough check and post the results. |
Hophead
Senior Member
Username: Hophead
Post Number: 2878
Registered: 03-2002
Posted From: 167.4.1.41
| | Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 - 08:47 pm: |
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I use the tea balls with pellet hops too, and the trick is not to over fill them as scott mentions, as they expand a lot. I typically only fill them 1/3 full, and they expand to the whole ball. They are wet throughout.
Prosit! |
Tex Brewer
Advanced Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 503
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 06:09 pm: |
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I ended up dividing my 1 oz. of whole hops into three muslin hop socks. It was relatively easy to pull them out through the neck of the carboy. Wish I could find a wider-mouth carboy. |
Maxieboy
New Member
Username: Maxieboy
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2009
Posted From: 174.42.243.2
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 03:58 pm: |
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I used to use muslin bags for dry hopping in a carboy. Suspended said bag in empty carboy, used a funnel and pushed the whole hops into the bag w/ a chopstick. Tied off bag and let fall in, then racked the beer. One night, after several HB IPAs, started the dry hop process, and whoops!, no muslin bag! Have never looked back! Getting a bag of wet hops out of a carboy is a PITA. Loose; wash right out. No issues racking loose dry hopped beer. YMMV. |
Tex Brewer
Advanced Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 504
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 70.246.94.140
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 04:49 pm: |
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Maxie, post #2--welcome to the board! My Super Siphon (large dia. hose with marble check valve on the intake end)has always sucked up one or more hop petals when I have dry hopped without a bag. It messes up the marble deal and I can't siphon properly. What are you racking with? dhacker's suggestion of a sock over the intake may do the trick. He uses a racking cane, which has a much lower flow than Super Siphon, so that might be a factor, too (less suck velocity resulting in less drawing of hop petals toward the intake). |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10856
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 06:14 pm: |
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Tex, I recommend using the 3/8 in. version of the Super Siphon, which has much less suction. I bought both a 3/8 in. and 1/2 model, and I use the larger one in the garage rather than the brewery. |
Maxieboy
New Member
Username: Maxieboy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2009
Posted From: 98.135.18.40
| | Posted on Sunday, October 25, 2009 - 11:32 pm: |
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Glad to be here! Bill nailed it. I used the 3/8" version. Now I force rack with CO2 and have precise control over flow rates. Good luck! |
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