Writer: Steve Thanos
Practically each model of beer is thought for possessing some degree of bitterness to stability out malt sweetness, and this primarily comes from the isomerization of alpha acids that happens when hops are added to the boiling wort. As soon as the boil is full, brewers purpose to switch clear wort to the fermenter, therefore many depend on some type of hop filtration, a standard choice being cloth luggage.
A well-liked materials used for hop filter luggage is muslin, a light-weight and versatile cotton cloth with a comparatively unfastened weave that permits wort to simply circulate by. Given its absorbent high quality, some consider utilizing muslin hop luggage can cut back total hop character in beer, which is of specific concern when making IPA. Because of this, many brewers go for luggage product of polyester, which along with being extra sturdy and fewer stretchy than muslin, is sort of utterly non-absorbent.
I’ve used each muslin and polyester luggage extensively in my brewing, normally going with no matter is most available when my wort reaches a boil. Whereas I can’t say I’ve seen both as being higher or worse than the opposite, I used to be curious if the completely different supplies may need a perceptible affect on a hoppy IPA and designed an xBmt to check it out.
| PURPOSE |
To guage the variations between an American IPA the place the kettle hops had been filtered with a muslin bag and one the place the kettle hops had been filtered with a polyester bag.
| METHODS |
For this xBmt, I went with my tried-and-true home IPA recipe.
Henceforth
Recipe Particulars
| Batch Measurement | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 65.8 | 8.9 SRM | 1.06 | 1.013 | 6.17 % |
| Actuals | 1.06 | 1.013 | 6.17 % | |||
Fermentables
| Identify | Quantity | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ye Olde Pale Ale | 10 lbs | 83.33 |
| Munich | 1.001 lbs | 8.34 |
| Caramel Malt 40L | 1 lbs | 8.33 |
Hops
| Identify | Quantity | Time | Use | Type | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) | 10 g | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 16.7 |
| Amarillo | 20 g | 10 min | Boil | Pellet | 6.4 |
| Citra | 20 g | 10 min | Boil | Pellet | 14.5 |
| Mosaic | 20 g | 10 min | Boil | Pellet | 11.6 |
| Amarillo | 28 g | 5 min | Boil | Pellet | 6.4 |
| Citra | 28 g | 5 min | Boil | Pellet | 14.5 |
| Mosaic | 28 g | 5 min | Boil | Pellet | 11.6 |
| Amarillo | 28 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 6.4 |
| Citra | 28 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 14.5 |
| Mosaic | 28 g | 5 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 11.6 |
Yeast
| Identify | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joystick (A18) | Imperial Yeast | 77% | 32°F – 32°F |
Notes
| Water Profile: Ca 125 | Mg 20 | Na 8 | SO4 310 | Cl 56 |
After accumulating 2 units of water and lighting the flame to get them heating up, I weighed out and milled the grains.
As soon as the water for every batch was adequately heated, I integrated the grains then checked to verify each had been on the identical goal mash temperature.
Whereas the mashes had been resting, I ready the kettle hop additions.
As soon as every 60 minute mash was full, I sparged to gather the identical pre-boil quantity then because the worts had been heating up, I ready the completely different hop luggage.
Left: muslin | Proper: polyester
The worts had been boiled for 60 minutes with hops added to both sort bag on the instances listed within the recipe, after which they had been shortly chilled with my JaDeD Brewing Hydra IC.
Refractometer readings confirmed each worts achieved the identical goal OG
Left: muslin 1.060 OG | Proper: polyester 1.060 OG
Subsequent, I racked equal volumes of wort from every batch to sanitized fermented, which had been positioned in my chamber and left to complete chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C earlier than I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast A18 Joystick into every.
With indicators of fermentation exercise absent 2 weeks later, I took hydrometer measurements displaying the beers had reached the identical goal FG.
Left: muslin 1.013 FG | Proper: polyester 1.013 FG
At this level, I transferred the beers to CO2 purged kegs and positioned them in my keezer and burst carbonated them in a single day earlier than lowering the gasoline to serving strain. After per week of conditioning, they had been able to serve to tasters for evaluaton.
Left: muslin | Proper: polyester
| RESULTS |
Cheers to Werk Pressure Brewing permitting me to gather information at their killer institution. A complete of twenty-two folks of various ranges of expertise participated on this xBmt. Every participant was served 2 samples of the beer the place the kettle hops had been filtered in a muslin bag and 1 pattern of the beer the place the kettle hops had been filtered in a polyester bag in several coloured opaque cups then requested to establish the distinctive pattern. Whereas 12 tasters (p<0.05) would have needed to precisely establish the distinctive pattern as a way to attain statistical significance, solely 7 did (p=0.64), indicating individuals on this xBmt had been unable to reliably distinguish an American IPA the place the kettle hops had been filtered in a muslin bag from one the place a polyester bag was used to filter the kettle hops.
My Impressions: Out of the 5 semi-blind triangle checks I tried, I accurately recognized the odd-beer-out simply as soon as, which aligns with my subjective notion that these beers had been similar in each approach.
| DISCUSSION |
Filtering kettle hops in the course of the boil is a simple approach to make sure solely the cleanest wort makes its approach to the fermenter. Whereas muslin luggage are low-cost and efficient, they’re fairly absorbent, which some consider reduces total hop character. Polyester luggage are a much less absorbent and extra sturdy, albeit barely pricier, different that many brewers have integrated into their routine. The actual fact tasters on this xBmt had been unable to reliably distinguish an American IPA the place the kettle hops had been filtered in a muslin bag from one the place a polyester bag was used as a substitute signifies any variations had been minor sufficient as to be largely imperceptible.
This xBmt was admittedly impressed by a earlier one displaying tasters might reliably inform aside a Pale Ale the place the kettle hops had been filtered in a polyester bag from one the place the hops had been added on to the wort. Whereas the dearth of a perceived distinction within the present xBmt appears to recommend muslin and polyester luggage have the identical affect when used for a hoppy IPA, it might very nicely be that hop luggage have an impact of character, no matter cloth sort.
Within the years I’ve been filtering my kettle hops, I’ve used each muslin and polyester luggage, and I’ve not seen any distinction between them. The outcomes of this xBmt verify for me that my interchangeable use of each probably isn’t having a noticeable affect on my beer, and the very fact I’m pleased with what I’m brewing solely buttresses this sentiment. That stated, I stay up for evaluating muslin luggage to including hops on to the wort.
If in case you have any ideas about this xBmt, please don’t hesitate to share within the feedback part beneath!
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