Hop utilization using hop bags

General Homebrew Discussion
1

I admit I don’t follow brewing forums as much as I did 20 years ago, and am constantly amazed by some of the newer methods people are coming up with (I love "shaken not stirred as it fits in with my laziness…brilliant!)

Question:  As I recall the conventional wisdom for using hop bags for hop pellets is to use 50 percent more (or 1.5x what the recipe calls for) to account for the decrease in hop utilization from being in the bag. Is that still the accepted correction factor? And I also have one hop screen cylinders that sit on the edge of the kettle. I’m not sure about those things…the pellets just turn into a sludge and are never part of the main boil.

Seems like I always get my best results from using whole hops, but many varieties are becoming increasingly hard to find in whole hop form…especially continental noble hops.

2

I don’t know what the number is, but 50% seems like a lot. Maybe it’s more like 10%. Regardless , I’ve never adjusted when using hop bags. At my 3 gallon batch level it probably won’t make too much of a difference. Regarding the hop spider, the lupulin is extracted and mixes into the wort leaving the vegetal matter (sludge) you don’t want in the spider.

3

I use a correction factor of 1.00.  Or maybe it’s 1.05.  It’s nowhere near as significant as 1.50.

4

I’ve never heard that. 10% is the generally accepted number. But as we showed on the podcast, all that really matters is what it tastes like to you.

5

I use hop bags regularly with great success.  I have the Hop Utilization setting in BeerSmith set to 90%.

6

I use a hop bag and while I am sure I am losing something, my taste buds are not that sensitive I don’t think so I have not tried the 10% or whatever it is rule.

7

Numbers don’t matter. How the beer tastes does. If you like it, it’s good.

8

+1. Brew the same batch with and without, do a blind taste test and see if it matters to you.

9

I have never increased the amount of pellet hops when using a hop bag and have never noticed any difference in flavor when brewing with or without a bag.  As Denny said, it’s the taste that matters.

10

Hop utilization in bags depends on several factors, so the ideal correction factor can vary. Here’s a breakdown:

Mesh size: Tighter weaves reduce wort flow and utilization. Looser weaves increase flow but risk hop pellets escaping.
Bag material: Muslin allows better wort penetration than nylon.
Hop form: Whole hops typically have higher utilization than pellets in bags.
Bag filling: Overfilling reduces wort movement and utilization.
Boil intensity: Stronger boils can extract more from the hops.

11

I made a large diameter stainless hop spider. It is pretty deep and I’ve never really noticed much difference. I give it a little stir and works fine. Sure saves a lot of issues for me.