Cleaning carboys after dryhopping

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by jthahn, Aug 9, 2012.

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  1. jthahn

    jthahn Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Indiana

    I'm curious if anyone has any good tips or methods for cleaning dryhops out of carboys once you've transferred your beer. some of my big IPAs use a pretty excessive amount of dryhops. I don't want them to go in the carboy loose because then its a nightmare to transfer the beer (clogging the filter). I've been using bags for the hops but by the time they've absorbed beer the bags are just huge and a massive PITA to get out of the carboy. I just transferred one out a few days ago and this time I'm going to let the bags dry out and see if that makes it any easier to clean them out. In the past I would turn the carboy upside down and then use a serrated knife to "grab" the bags and slowly pull all the hops out. A process that took 20-30 minutes and left my hands raw. I'm sick of brewing IPAs for this reason...maybe the best thing to do is get a better bottle with the wider mouth?
     
    #1 jthahn, Aug 9, 2012
  2. Homebrew42

    Homebrew42 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2006 New York

    The solution is to not dry hop in a carboy. If you keg I'd recommend dry hopping in the keg.
     
    #2 Homebrew42, Aug 9, 2012
  3. Seany

    Seany Zealot (595) Sep 27, 2005 Canada (QC)

    I second this. I never dry hop in carboy. Either bucket or keg.
     
    #3 Seany, Aug 9, 2012
  4. jthahn

    jthahn Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Indiana

    alright well its pretty easy to deal with a bucket, but when those are all occupied i'm down to carboys...when i keg i do dryhop the keg, but only ~2oz. Some of my IPAs have 8oz. or more of dryhops before getting the 2oz. in the keg.
    When i bottle the keg solution doesn't work.
     
    #4 jthahn, Aug 9, 2012
  5. Homebrew42

    Homebrew42 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2006 New York

    There's no reason why it couldn't, just use the keg as a seconday just as you would a carboy, then bottle from the keg or transfer to a bottling bucket.
     
    #5 Homebrew42, Aug 9, 2012
    jthahn likes this.
  6. jthahn

    jthahn Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Indiana

    yeah thats a good point. i like it.
     
    #6 jthahn, Aug 9, 2012
  7. Timmush

    Timmush Pundit (931) Jan 5, 2008 New Jersey

    I am sure this is a dumb question, but, when you use the Keg as a secondary..don't you need to have an airlock or something?
     
    #7 Timmush, Aug 9, 2012
  8. kjyost

    kjyost Initiate (0) May 4, 2008 Canada (MB)

    K
    Keys, unlike carboys can withstand pressure increases and do not let in air from the outside environment.
     
    #8 kjyost, Aug 9, 2012
  9. Homebrew42

    Homebrew42 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2006 New York

    You can easily put an airlock or blow off tube on a keg, but it's not really necessary as long as fermentation is complete.
     
    #9 Homebrew42, Aug 9, 2012
  10. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I may be missing something... why can't you dry hop with 8 oz. in the keg?
     
    #10 VikeMan, Aug 9, 2012
  11. jthahn

    jthahn Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Indiana

    you can.
     
    #11 jthahn, Aug 9, 2012
  12. Ilanko

    Ilanko Initiate (0) Aug 3, 2012 New York

    I have never did dry hopping before but I am planning to do so on my newly brewed American White. Your hop bag issue is good warning for me.
    I might use the hop bag with extra string, connected from inside out. This way i can separate the hops from the bag in side the carboy.

    When the time comes i will make a video on that
     
    #12 Ilanko, Aug 9, 2012
  13. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Better Bottles are still a PITA to get free of hops
     
    #13 jbakajust1, Aug 9, 2012
  14. Ejayz

    Ejayz Initiate (0) May 15, 2011 Iowa

    If you have to do this I find a good overnight soak with Oxiclean can be very effective.
     
    #14 Ejayz, Aug 9, 2012
  15. Homebrew42

    Homebrew42 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2006 New York

    How does that help get a bag of hops out of a carboy?
     
    #15 Homebrew42, Aug 9, 2012
  16. Ejayz

    Ejayz Initiate (0) May 15, 2011 Iowa

    Oops might of skipped reading that part of the post...
     
    #16 Ejayz, Aug 10, 2012
  17. itsjustzach

    itsjustzach Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2006 Ohio

    I just pull on the release valve every couple of days if I secondary in a keg.
     
    #17 itsjustzach, Aug 10, 2012
  18. Pnell316

    Pnell316 Initiate (0) Aug 16, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I always dryhop in the carboy with whole hopes and no bags. I just make sure I don't move the carboy prior to transfer. The hops stay at the top of the carboy and I put the autosiphon at the bottom. When the hops get to the bottom I stop, never really had any issues using this method.
     
    #18 Pnell316, Aug 10, 2012
  19. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,647) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    No hops in a bag here. When racking off I put a sanitized 5 gallon paint strainer over the racking cane. Then I put some water in the carboy, swirl around and dump hops, add more water swirl and dump, and so on. Then scrub with the brush and use the cleaner that is on hand. Works for me.
     
    #19 hopfenunmaltz, Aug 10, 2012
  20. chcfan

    chcfan Initiate (0) Oct 29, 2008 California

    I've found them much easier to clean due to their light weight and wide openings. I don't have a kegging system (since I have little spare room and no way to refrigerate a keg) and I just dry hop straight into them with no bag. A few hours with OxiClean, dump that out and then hose them out and any and all nastiness is gone. I've curved a bottle brush and used that for the top of the inside in the past as well.
     
    #20 chcfan, Aug 10, 2012
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