Dry hopping with magnets

[Hogarth]

I don't know if this is an original idea -- probably not -- but I thought I'd post some pictures of my new dry-hopping technique. It involves putting a magnet inside the hop sock, and another on the outside of the keg. When the keg is sealed, you can 'engage' the dry hops by sliding them down into the beer, and disengage them when the beer's had enough by sliding them out again.

Here are the pics:

Sanitizing the hop bag:


10g of fuggles and a sanitized button magnet:


The hop bag, now full, hanging off the inside of the keg like some ghastly leech:


The other magnet:


Carrying on as usual:


All nice and easy. Hopefully the magnet won't have an allergic reaction to the inside of a beer keg. I'm keeping it just above the level of the beer and letting the hops float about. We shall see.

[kevthebootboy]

That's a cracking idea, and if you have a corny you would only need the one magnet,

I'm currently dry hopping a brew in my fermenter at the moment,I boiled the muslin bag and put the hops in,I was abit worryed about contaminating the hop bag by tieing it up with my fingers,was I right to be worryed?

Cheers, Kev

[Brotherton Lad]

Hogarth - good idea. Could it be used to help drunks find their way home from the pub? I used to love Magnet ales.

Kev - it all depends on where your fingers have been.

[Hogarth]

I'm currently dry hopping a brew in my fermenter at the moment,I boiled the muslin bag and put the hops in,I was abit worryed about contaminating the hop bag by tieing it up with my fingers,was I right to be worryed?

Cheers, Kev

Yeah, it's fiddly business, isn't it? I just wash my hands well and tie up the bag with a little bit of thread, while hoping for the best. I'm sure you'll be fine. Sanitization is a bit less critical at this stage than it is before fermentation.

[floydmeddler]

That's a cracking idea. Where do you buy those magnets?

[Hogarth]

They're neodymium magnets. You can get about ten of them for a fiver on ebay. I bought them for a stir plate, and the unused ones have been clinging to my fridge ever since. They're handy things to have around -- small but very fierce.

[kevthebootboy]

Ah cheers,I did spray my hands with iodophor befor .. Hand tee hee

hopfully there won't be any problems.

[mysterio]

Great idea Hogarth, i'm pinching that one for sure.

[Andy__]

Very impressed with that idea

[Manx Guy]

Impressed too!
I've ordered 10 6x3mm neo magnets of eBay...

They will come in handy for my September brews when I plan to fill both my kegs after the 'summer' brewing break

I'm thinking of a kit session ale dry hopped with goldings and a dark ale dry hopped with challenger or northdown, but need to do more research on the latter...

Cheers!
Guy

[Fallen]

How long do you leave the hops in there for dry hopping? Days, weeks or until you've quaffed it all

[Hogarth]

Usually about a week.

[micromaniac]

ive just dry hoped in the keg for the first time .i put about a gram in a s s tea ball and wopt it in the bottom itll be in there about three months befor i get round to it .is it fubar or should i get it out after a while

[adm]

1g? 3 months?

Just leave it - it will be absolutely fine.

[Fallen]

Magnets ordered off ebay.........fine idea Hogarth