Bag or no bag?

[Beerkench]

I use pellets in muslin bags but I'm wondering how it would be if just threw the hops in to the BM? How is the mess after?
I like the bags but the only drawback is that they take in a lot of wort, especially when doing multiple additions.

[Dicko]

With 42 brews now under my belt on the 20 litre I have just thrown the hops straight in the kettle, but I do let the wort settle out for about 45 mins in the kettle after chilling the wort. ( I use an immersion chiller)
The wort comes out crystal clear into the fermenter for fermentation.
I find that this helps with protein haze.
I have also found that brewbrite helps settle and floc proteins better than koppfloc and with light coloured lagers i use Polyclar in the secondary cube prior to kegging.
Cheers

[SteveOR]

Yes I did my first batch with bags. Then I decided to do what the speidel videos showed. Just throw the pellets in. Waiting after chilling w/immersion is a must. Give the precipitation some time. Just like Dicko says clear into fermentor. I placed a funnel with fine screen filter between a 20l and a carboy. The filter was clean.

[cpa4ny]

I usually use quite a fair bit of hops in the boil (~3 oz / 60 gr) + the plate chiller, so I have to bag my hops.

However, I recently ordered one of those metal mesh filters with 300 micron holes (from Chad @ ArborFab in Michigan).

It's still on its way from the US to Singapore, so I will report how it works once I receive it.

[pmac]

I use a large hop sock that can take all of my additions during the boil (got it here: https://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=698). It sits perfectly between the centre rod and the unit and is well submerged. Works a treat for me and I get plenty of hoppiness for my tastes. I no chill, but this saves hop calcs for no chilling and leaves less mess after whirlpooling and more beer!

After the boil I just give the hop sock a good squeeze to get the wort and hop juice back out.

[Beerkench]

I use a large hop sock that can take all of my additions during the boil (got it here: https://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=698). It sits perfectly between the centre rod and the unit and is well submerged. Works a treat for me and I get plenty of hoppiness for my tastes. I no chill, but this saves hop calcs for no chilling and leaves less mess after whirlpooling and more beer!

After the boil I just give the hop sock a good squeeze to get the wort and hop juice back out.

Those look the part those hop socks. I'll have to try and hunt one down this side of the equator.

[Dicko]

I use a large hop sock that can take all of my additions during the boil (got it here: https://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=698). It sits perfectly between the centre rod and the unit and is well submerged. Works a treat for me and I get plenty of hoppiness for my tastes. I no chill, but this saves hop calcs for no chilling and leaves less mess after whirlpooling and more beer!

After the boil I just give the hop sock a good squeeze to get the wort and hop juice back out.

Those look the part those hop socks. I'll have to try and hunt one down this side of the equator.

I am sure Craftbrewer would send you one if you have no luck closer to home

[Beerkench]

I usually use quite a fair bit of hops in the boil (~3 oz / 60 gr) + the plate chiller, so I have to bag my hops.

However, I recently ordered one of those metal mesh filters with 300 micron holes (from Chad @ ArborFab in Michigan).

It's still on its way from the US to Singapore, so I will report how it works once I receive it.

Do you know if the mesh filter will fit inbetween an immersion chiller?

[cpa4ny]

I ordered a 6" diameter mesh filter, as I tend to use a lot of hops.

It would probably be too big to fit in the IC as well.

[dinnerstick]

if i'm making a lager with only bittering additions, or a less hoppy bitter, i throw the pellets in directly. for very hoppy IPAs and the like, or for a lot of whole cones, i use a separate little muslin hop sock (free-floating) for each addition. at the end of the boil i stick some bbq tongs in with the immersion chiller, and after chilling i retrieve the socks and drape them over the center post of the BM. as i run off the wort (after allowing a good 1/2 hour to settle) they drain ok with some encouragement (gentle squeezing), which also lets loose some new sediment. it's not the best way of doing things, in fact it's kind of annoying, but it does just about work. those big strainers and metal filters look quite appealing.

[cpa4ny]

If you use whole cones - I understand that this accessory works fairly well:

http://speidels-braumeister.de/shop/en/Accessories/Brewing/Hop-sieve-for-20-litre-and-50-litre-Braumeister

I only use whole hops in the HopRocket. Pellets for the rest (boil & dry-hop).