Extract Brewing - Remove hops before FV?

[ScottM]

As above, I'm getting set to do my first extract brew. I have all of the ingredients and I'm ready to go. The only thing I am unsure of is when to remove the hops. Do I remove them as I transfer to the FV so that only the liquor itself goes in, or do I let them pour into the FV for primary fermentation?

Also, my recipe uses lime zest, should I leave the zest in for primary or should I be removing that as well?

Thanks

 

[graysalchemy]

You need to remove the hops after the boil if you had a hop filter on your boiler and a bottom tap the hops form a filter which will filter out the cold break material as well :thumb: :thumb:

I would also remove the peel as well post boil.

 

[ScottM]

Ideal, thanks.

I've not actually got a boiler to do it in so I'll be making it in 10L of water in a pot and then transferring to FV. I'll be filling the bath to cool it off in to get the temp dropped quick though. I've got a couple of muslins to strain it through. I'll just boil the muslin in the water at the start to make sure it's sterile.

Cheers

 

[graysalchemy]

Are you boiling the wort then? As you need to boil the bittering hops to isomerize the alpha acids, that is partly the reason for a 60-90 minute boil as well as securing the break.

 

[RobWalker]

I do the same thing you're doing, mine's just tipped through a muslin bag and into the fermenter after the boil. If you're topping up, put your cold water in first and steep the bag in the cold water before adding the 10L or so of extract to get all of the wort out of the hops, speciality grains etc. The cool also makes the bag squeezable so you don't lose anything.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

If your using brand new muslin cloth make sure you wash it first in very hot soapy water. Muslin is sprayed with a type of oil to preserve it. Make sue you give in a very good rinse and always pre-wet the cloth

 

[ScottM]

Are you boiling the wort then? As you need to boil the bittering hops to isomerize the alpha acids, that is partly the reason for a 60-90 minute boil as well as securing the break.

Yeah I'm going to boil it as a 10l batch rather than a 23l batch, that way I can cool it quicker etc. I'll still be following the 60 minute boil pattern :)

I do the same thing you're doing, mine's just tipped through a muslin bag and into the fermenter after the boil. If you're topping up, put your cold water in first and steep the bag in the cold water before adding the 10L or so of extract to get all of the wort out of the hops, speciality grains etc. The cool also makes the bag squeezable so you don't lose anything.

Great advice, thanks :thumb:

If your using brand new muslin cloth make sure you wash it first in very hot soapy water. Muslin is sprayed with a type of oil to preserve it. Make sue you give in a very good rinse and always pre-wet the cloth

Ahh good call, I did rinse through the last one by chance :thumb:

 

[RobWalker]

correct - you won't lose as much. :P

 

[albertjohn]

Make sue you give in a very good rinse and always pre-wet the cloth.