Hops lining the edge of boil

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by TastyAdventure, Mar 17, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. TastyAdventure

    TastyAdventure Initiate (0) Nov 13, 2012 Kentucky

    When I brewed my first batch, a little while after throwing in my first round of hops, i noticed they started clinging on the side of the brewpot just above the water level. This concerns me because a significant amount of the hops are not IN the beer getting boiled! I regularly scrapped the hops and put them back into the wort but they kept creeping up the sides.

    Advice? Should I leave them be next time? What's the effects of that?

    Help me understand. Thanks.
     
    #1 TastyAdventure, Mar 17, 2013
  2. JoeSpartaNJ

    JoeSpartaNJ Zealot (691) Feb 5, 2008 New Jersey

    That is normal. The natural turbulence from the boil pushes them to the side of the kettle.
     
    #2 JoeSpartaNJ, Mar 17, 2013
  3. RendoMike

    RendoMike Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 England

    Good question OP. I've always wondered if it reduces hop utilization and often just spoon the wort to push the debris back in the pot. I have a 11 gal pot for my 5 gal batches, so boil over isn't a concern. Can I just ignore it and leave the boil be in between hop additions? I've done tons of reading and I've never seen this mentioned.
     
    #3 RendoMike, Mar 17, 2013
  4. yesmar

    yesmar Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2009 Pennsylvania

    I stir the hops back into the boil. Otherwise, I figure they're out of the game.
     
    #4 yesmar, Mar 17, 2013
  5. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I also stir the hops back into the boil.

    Cheers!
     
    #5 JackHorzempa, Mar 17, 2013
  6. utahbeerdude

    utahbeerdude Maven (1,374) May 2, 2006 Utah

    I'm guessing that you are using pellet hops? You can put them in nylon mesh bags to keep them in the wort while boiling. I always do this when using pellet hops, mostly to keep them out of the fermenter when I drain the kettle.
     
    #6 utahbeerdude, Mar 17, 2013
  7. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    Even with the fine mesh on the hop spider, I still get hop material on the sides as the wort volume decreases. I don't use the hop spider any,ore, but it did help. I have a small silicone spoon that I keep in my brew toolbox. I just scrape the sides often. It does decrease hop contact, but I am not sure how much.
     
    #7 scurvy311, Mar 17, 2013
  8. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    This weekend I brewed for the first time in a few months. I was trying to multitask some other stuff and walked away from the kettle. I had a boil over and hops all throughout the inside and outside of the kettle. DO stir the hops back in regularly because they're a real bitch to get off when they get baked onto either side of the kettle.
     
    #8 inchrisin, Mar 17, 2013
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.