I need to rack my ipa into a keg. Only problem is, I am an idiot and forgot to bag the whole leaf hops when I was boiling. So, I think I need to strain before the beer reaches the keg. I have read using a paint strainer bag around the auto-siphon, but would a disposable coffee filter work?
It would take days to strain it through a coffee filter. A large kitchen strainer should work well enough for with leaf hops.
I think the OP is racking the beer to the keg (already fermented). The OP needs to put a nylon bag or something of this sort around the the racking cane. Not sure if a coffee filter would work. Straining it through a kitchen strainer at this point would surely oxidize the beer and ruin it.
You're right -- I missed that. But, as I said, a coffee filter is not the answer. It would be waaaaay too slow and would need to be cleaned frequently during the process, inviting all sorts of problems, oxidation being one of them.
How about putting some stainless steel scrubber (scotch brite) around the tip of your racking cain? It won't blind the way other filters will. Or you could pass it through a kettle screen (bazooka tube). Don't aerate your wort, whatever you do!
I would use a nylon hop bag or paint bag wrapped around the bottom of the racking cane. It will definitely work with leaf hops. If the OP is using a plastic bucket or Better Bottle I would not use anything that could scratch the inside (such as the items you mentioned).
cold crash the carboy with the hops, drop your siphon and let it go. direct the first few seconds into a pot and the rest into the keg. sure, you'll get some gunk in your dip tube, probably clog it up. release pressure, uncrew the post to the dip tube and open the gas valve a crack. just for a second and the hops will get pushed out of the tube. keep the keg cold and don't move it at all. you'll have clear beer right until the last two or three pours. leaf hops are big, they will fall out nicely with some time and if kept cold.
A lot of brewers use scrubbers for this purpose. If he's using a plastic fermenter he does need to be carefull not to scratch it. A "tube" of paint strainer wrapped around the racking cane seems like it should work okay. Seems like it might need to be shaken free of material during the siphon process a few times.
I'd be worried about oxidation with just about any method of straining finished beer. I think I would transfer to the keg without straining, if possible, and just let it settle there. You'd lose a couple pints to cloudiness, but the bulk of the beer should be clear--and not oxidized. You can try putting a strainer on the siphon end if that's the only way to avoid clogging, but I would not strain on the other end.
