Dry Hop/Late Hop in a Sanitized Bag or Dump in Keg? Hop Spiders?

[Mike at Bay]

I am trying to get more clarity in some of my beers. Wondering what consensus is on Hops added open to the kettle or a spider? Also Dry hop adds...should I use a bag that can be removed from the keg or fermentor?

 

[Josh Hughes]

For brew day it Doesn’t matter really. My clarity doesn’t seem affected by how much stuff is in the fermenter or if I use a bag. It helps with cleanup though.

Dry hop shouldn’t matter either but I do not dry hop often. I usually throw in.

 

[Zefram]

I got a hop filter for the brew kettle on sale a while back and thought it would be a game changer. It wasn't. I didn't notice any change in clarity* and it is a pain to clean. I only use it if there is a ton of hops going in (and I'm not sure that's worth it).

I can't speak to dry hopping differences... I've just always thrown them in to the fermentor. But I also time it where I'm racking to a keg after a few days... I don't want the dry hops sitting in the fermentor for a long period.

*My usual procedure is Irish moss in the brew kettle and gelatin a few days before kegging.

 

[J A]

Clarity is not usually a hop thing unless your doing a hazy with a butt-load of hops in the whirlpool and dry hops. Then it's residual hop oils and not hop residue. Any actual hop material will flock out with the yeast. For keeping most of the hop material out of the way during transfer or bottling, it's better to us a bag or spider. I had a ton of trouble with dry-hopped beers when kegging from my Uni-tanks until I started using a spider. Even when there was a lot of hop gunk, though, it would just clog the keg poppets but the beer was otherwise clear.
The clarity you're after is going to come from other things. There are going to be a number of factors involved and a lot will depend on what methods you're using. Are you doing all-gain? BIAB? Extract? Are you bottling? Kegging?

 

[Dave Y]

For me, the biggest impact I've made to beer clarity has been a proper cold crash to ~37F for at least a day, 2 preferable. That causes practically all of the solid material to fall to the bottom of the beer, so when you rack the beer off the sediment, it's nice and clear.
Obviously some yeast strains aren't conducive to this but even so, it helps get solids out of the finished product.

 

[Brew Cat]

The best way to hop in most situations to get efficient use from the hops is to throw them in unconstrained. If you are using a lot and want to get out some material you should strain them when transferring . If you keg dry hop , you can bag or put a filter on your dip tube. Super hoppy beer you may need a floating dip tube in your keg
most beers will not need hop filtering as mentioned above something like Irish Moss and a cold crash is sufficient

 

[J A]

If you are using a lot and want to get out some material you should strain them when transferring .

Only if you're pressure-transferring, I'd say. If it's a gravity transfer with a typical strainer, it seems likely that O2 is going to be a problem. If it was in a fermenter with a racking spigot, there could be a hop screen tube or something similar attached to the inside and that could work to help strain stuff...problem with that is if it gets clogged up, you're sort of stuck.

We still don't know what methods the OP is using or what beers/recipes are problematic in terms of clarity.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

For me, the biggest impact I've made to beer clarity has been a proper cold crash to ~37F for at least a day, 2 preferable. That causes practically all of the solid material to fall to the bottom of the beer, so when you rack the beer off the sediment, it's nice and clear.
Obviously some yeast strains aren't conducive to this but even so, it helps get solids out of the finished product.

Cold crashing, 1/2 Whirlfloc tablet, and patience when conditioning are all that I use and I get very clear beer. Close (but not equal) to commercial clarity.

 

[J A]

Cold crashing, 1/2 Whirlfloc tablet, and patience when conditioning are all that I use and I get very clear beer. Close (but not equal) to commercial clarity.

Pretty much that. I do end up using Bio Fine in the keg and that speeds things up quite a bit.

 

[Brew Cat]

Only if you're pressure-transferring, I'd say. If it's a gravity transfer with a typical strainer, it seems likely that O2 is going to be a problem. If it was in a fermenter with a racking spigot, there could be a hop screen tube or something similar attached to the inside and that could work to help strain stuff...problem with that is if it gets clogged up, you're sort of stuck.

We still don't know what methods the OP is using or what beers/recipes are problematic in terms of clarity.

you could transfer beer with a strainer bag over the end of the racking cane
I personally just cold crash the fermenter

 

[J A]

you could transfer beer with a strainer bag over the end of the racking cane
I personally just cold crash the fermenter

Yeah, once the strainer is submerged it's okay but if it's on the intake end, it's going to be clogged pretty quickly.

 

[Craigerrr]

Your subject line, and the first sentence of your post are largely unrelated subjects.

If clarity is something you are trying to umprove , there are a few factors to consider.

On the hot side a good hot break, and a vigorous boil can help a lot. Also on the hot side a good recirculation of the mash "setting the grain bed as a filter" can also help. You can also use Irish moss, or whirlfloc late in the boil. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but there is a cumulative effect depending on how many of these parts of the process you are able to implement.

On the cold side, the first opportunity to help with clarity is to cool the wort rapidly which will give you a visible "cold break". It looks pretty weird, there is no mistaking it (see below).

Other than that on the cold side, you can "cold crash" as mentioned, which is to cool the beer to 0C/32F, or as close to that as you can get it. A couple or three days will help a fair bit. You can also lager, or condition cold for an extended period of time, up to several weeks if you are that patient. There is also the biofine, or gelatin option when kegging. Not sure if this is a good idea if bottling, it may be, but I just don't know.

Notice that I made no mention of hops...
A heavily hopped beer is less likely to clear, especially if you have a heavy whirlpool or hopstand, and if you have a heavy dry hop. If you are investing in some significant hop rates, you are presumably doing so to get a high level of hop flavor and aroma. These types of hop additions will negatively affect clarity, but if you want high levels of hop flavor and aroma, clarity will be sacrificed to a point.

Your grain bill, yeast selection, and water profile can also be factors that have an effect on clarity. Wheat, flaked wheat, flaked oats, and flaked barley will adversely affect clarity. Some yeast strains drop out more, or may stay in solution more than others.

Note though, don't confuse haze and clarity. There is a difference between a beer that is murky, and a Hefeweizen or a NEIPA, that have an appropriate and desirable level of haziness.

Will the beer taste better if it is clearer... maybe, maybe a little, or maybe not at all.

Sorry, in for a penny, in for a pound on this one.

Hope this helps

 

[Craigerrr]

Cold break

 

[Mike at Bay]

Clarity is not usually a hop thing unless your doing a hazy with a butt-load of hops in the whirlpool and dry hops. Then it's residual hop oils and not hop residue. Any actual hop material will flock out with the yeast. For keeping most of the hop material out of the way during transfer or bottling, it's better to us a bag or spider. I had a ton of trouble with dry-hopped beers when kegging from my Uni-tanks until I started using a spider. Even when there was a lot of hop gunk, though, it would just clog the keg poppets but the beer was otherwise clear.
The clarity you're after is going to come from other things. There are going to be a number of factors involved and a lot will depend on what methods you're using. Are you doing all-gain? BIAB? Extract? Are you bottling? Kegging?

All grain BIAB and Kegging.

 

[Mike at Bay]

Your subject line, and the first sentence of your post are largely unrelated subjects.

If clarity is something you are trying to umprove , there are a few factors to consider.

On the hot side a good hot break, and a vigorous boil can help a lot. Also on the hot side a good recirculation of the mash "setting the grain bed as a filter" can also help. You can also use Irish moss, or whirlfloc late in the boil. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but there is a cumulative effect depending on how many of these parts of the process you are able to implement.

On the cold side, the first opportunity to help with clarity is to cool the wort rapidly which will give you a visible "cold break". It looks pretty weird, there is no mistaking it (see below).

Other than that on the cold side, you can "cold crash" as mentioned, which is to cool the beer to 0C/32F, or as close to that as you can get it. A couple or three days will help a fair bit. You can also lager, or condition cold for an extended period of time, up to several weeks if you are that patient. There is also the biofine, or gelatin option when kegging. Not sure if this is a good idea if bottling, it may be, but I just don't know.

Notice that I made no mention of hops...
A heavily hopped beer is less likely to clear, especially if you have a heavy whirlpool or hopstand, and if you have a heavy dry hop. If you are investing in some significant hop rates, you are presumably doing so to get a high level of hop flavor and aroma. These types of hop additions will negatively affect clarity, but if you want high levels of hop flavor and aroma, clarity will be sacrificed to a point.

Your grain bill, yeast selection, and water profile can also be factors that have an effect on clarity. Wheat, flaked wheat, flaked oats, and flaked barley will adversely affect clarity. Some yeast strains drop out more, or may stay in solution more than others.

Note though, don't confuse haze and clarity. There is a difference between a beer that is murky, and a Hefeweizen or a NEIPA, that have an appropriate and desirable level of haziness.

Will the beer taste better if it is clearer... maybe, maybe a little, or maybe not at all.

Sorry, in for a penny, in for a pound on this one.

Hope this helps

Thanks all. I appreciate the clarification to my OP. Yes I am talking more about getting material out of the brew to the degree that is needed. Still learning so appreciate the support. Blonde Ale brewery tomorrow with only 2.4 oz of hops.

 

[J A]

All grain BIAB and Kegging.

I use paint strainer bags for hops in the kettle. The bigger ones have plenty of room for hops to float round and get good contact with wort.

If you're using carboys for fermenting, you're stuck with loose dry-hipping. For my unitank fermenters and keg hopping these things can't be beat:

 

[Mike at Bay]

I use paint strainer bags for hops in the kettle. The bigger ones have plenty of room for hops to float round and get good contact with wort. If you're using carboys for fermenting, you're stuck with loose dry-hipping. For my unitank fermenters and keg hopping these things can't be beat:
View attachment 33939

paint strainer bags during the boil? I see them online and MoreBeer has some other too. I see the pick of the strainer/shaker? Is there a name for that.....apologies for my density.

 

[west1m]

Yup, paint strainer bags for boiling and I use them if I dry hop as well. Just pick them up at Ace hardware. Tie them closed with cotton string. They last a long time.

 

[Craigerrr]

Paint strainer bags in the boil here too, mainly to keep my pump from clogging.
Dry hops, I just dump them in loose. No o2 concerns as I do so before fermentation is done.

 

[Mike at Bay]

Obvious but you don't let them hit the bottom to avoid scorching right? The bags look pretty big. Headed to Ace today!