[euge]

The reusable nylon hop bags are great for adding hops to the boil. I find I can even add hops to a bag but it is hot!. The real pain is cleaning them. Beer.

[1vertical]

Anyone use one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Locking-Strainer-Infuser-Diameter/dp/B003FCMCMO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1287682738&sr=8-6) for hops in the boil?

Have you considered using/building a hop bag hanger? Here's a link to a semi-elaborate one but there are lots of other designs for the same thing on the web:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hop-bag-hanger-73829/

+1  have one...use it every beer

[skyler]

I love my tea balls. I use the giant one for a single large hop addition (when I bittered my märzen with 3.2% AA Tettnanger, or when I put 4-6 oz of pellet hops in at 5 min for an IPA). I use a 3-inch one for keg hopping and for moderate hop additions in the boil. I use little ones (2") for keg hopping and for small additions. Since I mostly use whole hops, I only need the balls or hop bags when I am using more than about 1.5 ounces of pellet hops. When that does happen, I have had absolutely no problems with the stainless hop balls. the large one would be impossible to open mid-boil to add hops to since the hops expand to fill the ball no matter how many hops I put in it. I have not had a problem with AA extraction - it has always been roughly the same as when using a nylon "hop bag" or a cheesecloth peasant's purse.