Can I squeeze my hop bags?

[Martin G]

I have been using hop bags for a while, and I have been wondering if I can squeeze them to get some of the oils out of them? Thinking about giving them a few squashes against the side with my spoon.

When cleaning up there always seems to be lots of aroma and flavour left in the spent hops, hence my question, but would squeezing release unwanted flavours or otherwise cause a problem like inconsistency?

[micromaniac]

why not just leave them in for longer and make a note of the time in solution and go from there in your next brew

[greenxpaddy]

The main problem you will find is microscopic hop particles clouding your beer. Best not to squeeze, just dry hop a little longer. When racking don't pull the bag out

[IPA]

The main problem you will find is microscopic hop particles clouding your beer. Best not to squeeze, just dry hop a little longer. When racking don't pull the bag out

Squeeze them by all means I have even sparged the hop bag in the past. You will not have any more particles than if you boiled them without a hop bag and transfered the wort through a hop filter.
Ian

[greenxpaddy]

Its my belief that hop particles from the boiler are either caught by irish moss prefilter or any that are present in the fermenter from day one are dragged in to the trub.

Particles caused by dry hopping after the main yeast drop stay in suspension.

That's what my experience has shown anyway. So I would not squeeze a dry hop bag.

[micromaniac]

Its my belief that hop particles from the boiler are either caught by irish moss prefilter or any that are present in the fermenter from day one are dragged in to the trub.

Particles caused by dry hopping after the main yeast drop stay in suspension.

That's what my experience has shown anyway. So I would not squeeze a dry hop bag.

same here i post hopped at 50* last brew, left them for 1/2 hour and they would,t sink to the bottom of boiler

[IPA]

I have been using hop bags for a while, and I have been wondering if I can squeeze them to get some of the oils out of them? Thinking about giving them a few squashes against the side with my spoon.

When cleaning up there always seems to be lots of aroma and flavour left in the spent hops, hence my question, but would squeezing release unwanted flavours or otherwise cause a problem like inconsistency?

I think this question refers to hops in the boil and not dry hopped ones

[darkonnis]

dont see any harm in squeezing. Think about it. It cannot be any different to them getting blasted round wit hthe convection current when you throw them in loose.
Regards dry hopping I disagree paddy, i dry hopped 20L with 100g not so long back and it was cloudy for a while, it now pours clear from the bottle 6 weeks on. I crash cooled for 2 days prior to bottling so theres barely any yeast left in suspension anyway. Or did you mean it wont clear in the fv?

[booldawg]

[quoteI have even sparged the hop bag in the past.][/quote]

I've not done this before but is this what the Americans refer to as 'first wort hopping' ?

[Martin G]

Thanks for the posts, leaning towards giving the bag a squeeze on the next brew, will try and do it in a way that I can repeat or modify. I was thinking about the boiil when I posted the question, but interesting comments about dry hopping.

[ajclarkson]

I've not done this before but is this what the Americans refer to as 'first wort hopping' ?

I suppose it could be classed as that if it was done as part of the mash sparge, but the more general meaning of first wort hopping is to add the hops to the kettle and then rack the wort from the mash on top. That way the hops are in there while the kettle heats from mash to boil. Gordon strong claims it gives much more smoothness to the bittering than a more traditional 60 min addition