Using a hop bag???

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:05 pm

Has anybody ever bothered with this?

I some older books on the subject, I have come across pictures of them with fresh hop flowers in them, but I've never seen the point myself...

Post by **Jim** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:25 pm

People who use them do it to avoid having to strain them out a t the end of the boil.

There are arguments against them, though:

1. The loose hops are supposed to swirl round the boiler and help to coagulate proteins.

2. At the end of the boil the hops settle at the bottom of the boiler and act as a kind of strainer to filter out the trub.

I never use a hop bag.

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:37 pm

Yeah! I'm aware of the filtering thing... That's why you have to havea whole extra stage if you use hop pellets, I gather...

I just bung hops in meeself! But I thought it might just be worth having the debate...

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:18 pm

like Jim I never use hop bag, and I use hop pellet , I'm looking forward to use my own whole hop.

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:30 pm

You use pellets... How do you filter them out when they've broken up? :huh:

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:53 pm

evening Reg
well, at the end of the boil, i make a whirlpool and i wait for 15 minutes, all the hop stay in the middle, and i open just a little bit the spigot .easy

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:56 pm

Bonsoir, JY, mon brave...

I see... Commercial brewers actually have a device called a whirlpool that does this automatically... Do you just make yours by stirring the wort?

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:03 pm

yes i stir well the wort for about 30 seconds, and wait a few minute.
my hop is now 10cm high and hope i'll be able to pick some on it.

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:10 pm

Well that sounds easy enough!!!

I forgot that you were growing your own... What variety have you planted?

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:16 pm

i've planted: 3 columbus, 1 saaz, 1 magnum, 2 perle. they've all a very high % of alpha acid, the problem will be to know the real % of AA ! <_<

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:20 pm

Yeah, I think that depends on the soil as well on the maturity of the hop flower, although I'm told that the aroma of the flower can tell you quite alot about how it will worked as a flavouring or prserving hop.

I must confess JY, I don't know what to look for in a hop's smell. The advantage of pellets is that they are graded for you and the outer layer of the pellet oxidises protecting the inner powder of the pellet from going off...

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:31 pm

yes , i know that're many things that can change the aroma or the % of AA, but i want to try it, i think it could work.
i'm going to make some inquiries waiting for the crop at the end of the year. :rolleyes:

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:33 pm

Well let us know what you find out, mate... I think we'd all like to know. As I live in the South East where hops are traditionally grown in the UK, it would be good to know what to look for...

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:44 pm

of course, I 'll let you know about it, but you've to wait until the end of the year !!

jean-yves · Post by **jean-yves** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:12 pm

another good hop site, with good links:http://my.vbe.com/~hawley/hops.htm

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Using a hop bag???

Using a hop bag???