Hop bag floating on top.

[Pavros]

What kind of FV do you use Pavros?

I'm about to dry hop an American Amber / Red. I want to throw the pellets in loose to get maximum aroma, but I'm using simple plastic buckets and fermenting in a cupboard that holds a steady 20deg. I've always been fearful of cold crashing due to the thing contracting and pulling air through their airlock.

I use a normal plastic bucket with lid. I never use an airlock, just clip the lid on fully then loosen/lift up about 1/4 of the lid. That way, I don't have to worry about liquid in the airlock being sucked back in.

I use hop pellets and throw them loose into the fv when dry hopping. I've never had a problem in 70+ kits. I leave the fv on the garage floor overnight and all the hop detritus drops to the bottom. When siphoning to the bottling bucket for batch priming, I tie a small mesh bag (the ones from the Festival kits) to the end which stops most of the crap transferring.

 

[Pavros]

Ha!
The censored word is crop but with an 'a'

 

[dad_of_jon]

Only if you didn't use enough marbles.

I bought giant marbles from here...

https://www.marbleking.co.uk/

6 do the trick.

 

[MashBag]

Boil an ignious rock (flint pebble)?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

In the fermenter I’ve found that nothing works bagged. Even when fully weighed down there is no extraction.

I use supermarket fruit and veg bags weighed down with a couple of sanitised stainless steel tablespoons and get good extraction

 

[Madhouse]

Bags have always worked for me, I make sure I use a decent sized bag to allow the hops some space, most of the time a stainless spoon gets lobbed in the bag too but I've dry-hopped without a weight with no issues.

Currently using one of those stainless tubes with rum soaked oak chips in to 'barrel age' a saison so we'll see how that goes - it's got no weights in it, sank ok two weeks ago and not looked at it since.

 

[dlowe1992]

I use a normal plastic bucket with lid. I never use an airlock, just clip the lid on fully then loosen/lift up about 1/4 of the lid. That way, I don't have to worry about liquid in the airlock being sucked back in.

I use hop pellets and throw them loose into the fv when dry hopping. I've never had a problem in 70+ kits. I leave the fv on the garage floor overnight and all the hop detritus drops to the bottom. When siphoning to the bottling bucket for batch priming, I tie a small mesh bag (the ones from the Festival kits) to the end which stops most of the **** transferring.

Cheers @Pavros. I’ve thrown them in loose tonight. In the end knocked up a balloon using a helium balloon the wife had spare and some spare beer line.

Cold crashing here I come!

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Hi Peeps, so emptied the stainless hop tube which was solid with hop pellets into the fermenter two days ago, smells so good, but I’m at bottling day and it still looks like this?
I was hopping to have the beer mini kegged for a gathering at the end of the month but I can’t cold crash at the moment. Any idea how long it will take to drop out at 18degrees?

 

[Pavros]

Perhaps tap the fv on the side? That might encourage it to drop as it breaks the solid mass on the surface. Or give the fv a gentle swirl but make sure not to slop the wort as that could allow oxygen into it.

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Ok cheers I’ll give it a gentle wiggle around and see what happens

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Bit better

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Well despite wiggling every day the hop’s kept floating back to the top? In the end I bottled with a filter on the end.
Not sure why but at least it’s bottled.
Will have to see if the results justify the faff in a couple of weeks.
Have to say the fermenter smelled wonderful!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

This happened to me all the time, regardless of cold crash or gentle swilling, if I dry hop I use a bag weighed down now.

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

This happened to me all the time, regardless of cold crash or gentle swilling, if I dry hop I use a bag weighed down now.

I’ll have to get more fruit and veg bags and weigh them down with half a brick to be sure!