Draining the hop bag

[Ginger Man]

I've brewed a few batches so far and each time I run into one minor irritation. After my boil is done (and any aroma hop additions complete), I remove my nylon hop bag, only to find it swelled with wort, which slowly pisses out from the corner. I hold it there for 10 minutes, letting to drain, squeezing it (with sanitized metal tongs) and moving it around to try to speed up the process. I'll admit this isn't the worst thing in the world, but I'd be interested to hear any solutions/ideas.

[Audiopup]

I just chuck my hops into the boil. The only thing I bag is any specialty grains I may have. I then strain them out transferring them from the kettle to the fermenter.

[wild]

I've had the same problem Ginger Man and have found only one solution that makes me happy. After the aroma steep is done, I pull the bag up above the wort and clip it to the side of the brew pot at an angle (to get a good pissing stream) and leave it there while my wort is cooling. Once my wort is cool, I've gotten all I can out of my hop bag, I pull it out of the pot and transfer my wort to the fermenter.

Good luck,
Wild

[Nilboglin]

Hmm, I have never used a hop bag.
Other then cleaner wort what benefits do you get from using it Ginger Man? Better taste/aroma ?

[toneyc]

No bags, bags are a PITA.

:)
Toney.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by Nilboglin
Hmm, I have never used a hop bag.
Other then cleaner wort what benefits do you get from using it Ginger Man? Better taste/aroma ?

I would venture to guess that the hop bag hinders you in more ways than draining it. I say just toss the hops in. Worry about being neat when you transfer to secondary.

[Ginger Man]

The first time I brewed I didn't bag the hops and straining into the fermenter was a PITA. That said, I didn't have a proper brewing strainer, so it was a kind of makeshift rig with a colander and a small strainer. Maybe I just need a proper strainer, but the bag was cheaper...

Nilboglin, I don't think there are any benefits other than cleaner wort. I did read somewhere (I think BYO) that, at least for dry hopping, a bag can reduce the effectiveness of hop aroma oils, so you should add 10-15% more hops; couldn't say if this is true for aroma/flavor hop additions during the boil as well, but I wouldn't be surprised now that I think about it. Is that what you mean, HogieWan?

[HogieWan]

Yep

[I'mRocketMan]

Originally posted by HogieWan
I would venture to guess that the hop bag hinders you in more ways than draining it. I say just toss the hops in. Worry about being neat when you transfer to secondary.

What HogieWan said! I don't think that leaving them in the primary hurts the brew any...

Cheers! Rocket

[ZAPP168]

It may not hurt the brew any, but does it affect flavor having hops in the primary? I have a funnel with a screen in it and I catch most of them, but it takes time as the funnel clogs alot. I would think that letting them stay in the primary would add more hop flavor?

[woodring]

I don't have any empirical evidence, but it seems to me that grain and hops will be able to impart as much flavor when they are bunched together in a tea bag. Let them swim free. I use a large strainer. It is not expensive.

For grains, I strain from one brewpot to another. (I use two pots) And at the end of the boil, I strain again into the primary. Even pellet hops can filter some of the protein out of the wort.

I do use the steeping bag for dry hopping. Otherwise I have always ended up with little leafies floating in my finished beer. I don't think it made a huge difference flavor wise, but sometimes guests don't have a proper appreciation for floaties.

Dan Woodring

[corkybstewart]

Hops that have been boiled in the wort probably don't have much flavor left to contribute, certainly not at fermentation temps. I suppose hops added at flameout might contribute some flavor, but you shouldn't be getting any really significant amount in the fermenter. If so, you have bigger problems to deal with.