Adding Hops

[PeteH]

I spoke to my LHBS chap on saturday and he said there is a slight chance of infection if dry hopping, and a safer way to add hops is to put them in a cafetiere (sp?) and strain off the liquid. Anyone else use this method? He also suggested that as there is hops in with the Fixby Gold that I bought I won't need to add any. Didn't Fivetide add extra to Fixby Gold, or was that to replace the ones with the kit?
Cheers.
Pete.

[PeteH]

Cheers Daab.
I was assuming that it was the boiling/boiled water that would kill off the bacteria, but if the effect is less than that of dry hopping its probably not worth it then. Is it still worth dry hopping a kit like Fixby Gold then?

[fivetide]

Dry hopping with a muslin bag adds a nice hoppy aroma and gives you a little more control over the kit. I've really enjoyed adapting kit recipes with hops and differnet yeasts and have had some really good results with no hint at infection. I don't do anything complicated, just plan to sanitise anything that touches the beer, including boiling the muslin as DaaB says. I think an ounce of dryhop improves kits enormously, but then I like hoppy beers. Non hop-heads might start detecting 'grassiness' etc... Horses for courses I expect, and I always take my hops out after a period and allow for further lengthy conditioning rather than leave them in the barrel for the duration.

[PeteH]

Cheers fellas. I got the hops (goldings) but forgot to get the hop bag, bugger. All his talk of cafetieres must have put me off! I don't think I'll leave em in for too long, don't want to overdo it on my first go.
Fivetide, when you say you like hoppy beers, can you give me any examples of bought stuff that you like? Might give me an idea of how hoppy I like mine. I think I prefer more hops in summer, seems more refreshing to me. Jennings cocker hoop is hoppy and I quite like that.