Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: How big of a bag...  (Read 3050 times)

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
How big of a bag...
« on: November 03, 2016, 09:35:41 pm »
I am going to try dry-hopping in the keg for the first time.  I want to hang a nylon(?) bag from the corny keg lid.  What size bag should I use for 5 ounces of pellets?  Any other tips?

How much beer will this displace?  I'm thinking probably a gallon.  Turns a 5 gallon keg into a 4 gallon keg.  Am I right?
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2016, 09:44:35 pm »
Biggest tight mesh bag you can find. I find 5x7 bags are good for two ounces tops. Shouldn't take up a gallon of space, quart tops.

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7788
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2016, 09:50:51 pm »
Five ounces of pellets won't displace much beer at all - maybe half a cup. It will absorb quite a bit more than that, but still not a gallon. You might lose a couple of pints to the hops.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline Phil_M

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1760
  • Southern Maryland
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2016, 10:04:13 pm »
FWIW, I use the regular 1-gallon Lowes paint strainer bags to dry hop...so far, so good. No significant hop matter from pellets at least.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2016, 10:31:14 pm »
Five ounces of pellets won't displace much beer at all - maybe half a cup. It will absorb quite a bit more than that, but still not a gallon. You might lose a couple of pints to the hops.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
What he said. The hops will displace the same volume as when they are pellets, but you will lose beer.

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2016, 05:02:46 am »
I never use a bag. Just throw 'em in!

narvin

  • Guest
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2016, 05:43:42 am »
I never use a bag. Just throw 'em in!

In the keg that's a recipe for clogged poppets.  There is nothing worse than knowing you have 5 gallons of delicious beer that won't come out!

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2016, 06:01:26 am »
Why would you dry hop in a keg? terrible idea! Just dry hop in primary after fermentation is over. With 5 gallons it's great. You can cold crash to drop most of the yeast, then raise temp back up to 50-60s ina  day or two and just throw your hops in then.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2016, 06:08:38 am »
Keith, I dry hop American styles in a keg all the time in a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. No clogs, works perfectly fine. I just like to trap the hop aromas in the keg. But I use buckets, so I don't closed transfer from the fermenter to the keg. With that setup, it gives me what I'm after - good hop aromas that don't get oxidized on the way to the keg.
Jon H.

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2016, 06:11:25 am »
That makes sense if you are purging the keg first. Now I get it. I do similar when I dry hop in large fermentors. I either fill a yeast bring with dry hops, purge with co2 and the pump into beer or dry hop in another purged fermentor and then rack beer onto those hops.

carry on gents, yer way ahead of me. ;)

narvin

  • Guest
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2016, 06:15:51 am »
But yes, in any other situation I just throw the pellets in.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: How big of a bag...
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2016, 06:34:19 am »
That makes sense if you are purging the keg first.


Yep, I definitely purge.
Jon H.