Too many hops to take hydrometer reading.

[benkbenkbenk]

I have a beer in my primary, It's been there two weeks. When transferring my boil, I didn't have anyone there to hold the strainer to separate my hops.

Airlock activity has all but stopped and the krausen has fallen back, but the hops are still floating, There were about 75grams of leaf hops in the boil, and they are now stopping me from floating my hydrometer.

Also, I am planning on dry hopping this beer, so if I were to add the hops now they would probably just float on top of the boil hops and barely come in contact with the beer!

Should I try to scoop them out with a well sterilised slotted spoon? Any other ideas?

Thanks!

 

[biochemedic]

Issue #1...filter those bad boys out on the way into the fermenter!
Issue #2...wine thief or turkey baster (sanitized, of course), although your idea of just spooning them out works too...

 

[antony]

+1 on the sanitized turkey baster. If its ready, rack from underneath. I've been using a grain bag in a large strainer to filter junk out on the way to the fermenter. That along with a little irish moss has really made the last couple batches much clearer.

 

[benkbenkbenk]

Yeah, I would have filtered then out in the way into the fermenter but had noone there to help.

Turkey baster idea for a sample is a good one, but should I try to remove the hops anyway to get my dry hops in?

 

[Yooper]

Yeah, I would have filtered then out in the way into the fermenter but had noone there to help.

Turkey baster idea for a sample is a good one, but should I try to remove the hops anyway to get my dry hops in?

No, don't mess around with it. When you siphon it, you can start your siphon in the middle and lower the siphon as the level of the beer lowers. By trying to strain out the spent hops now, you'll simply oxidize and ruin the beer.

 

[benkbenkbenk]

So I should dry hop in a secondary? The only option I have would be to put it in my bottling bucket, which might mess up with the priming sugar.

I'm having a homebrew and trying not to worry, but I wish I knew what was best to do!

 

[zachattack]

Nah just toss those dry hops in there!

 

[Trippel-A]

Yeah, I would have filtered then out in the way into the fermenter but had noone there to help.

I don't know if my attempt to attach photos will work, but the one with the little strainer supported by a stirring stick is what I did the first time I was in your shoes. It was nerve wracking, but it worked. The other attachment shows the usefulness of a great big strainer! Also, you don't have to keep stopping to empty a great big strainer like you do with a little one.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

+1 to strainer pictures

 

[Pratzie]

I don't know if my attempt to attach photos will work, but the one with the little strainer supported by a stirring stick is what I did the first time I was in your shoes. It was nerve wracking, but it worked. The other attachment shows the usefulness of a great big strainer! Also, you don't have to keep stopping to empty a great big strainer like you do with a little one.

Like Yooper said, the strainer idea at this point will ruin the beer since fermentation is complete. It will oxidize during the transfer. Follow her instructions with the siphone below the hop and go from there. Ur gonna lose alot of brew anyway cuz the hops will absorb some liquid but next time, def don't transfer the hop material from the boil into ur fermenter.

 

[Trippel-A]

Like Yooper said, the strainer idea at this point will ruin the beer since fermentation is complete. It will oxidize during the transfer.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I am NOT recommending that benkbenkbenk strain now. I'm only recommending a way to strain without help in the future.

 

[benkbenkbenk]

Yeah. So definitely gonna filter on the way into the fermenter next time round.

I managed to take a readying by pushing some hops out of the way and floating my hydrometer. The layer of hops wasn't as thick as I first thought.

I have dry hopped now, just stuck em in on top and pushed em down a little into the brew with a well sanitized spoon.

Will be bottling next weekend, I have a grain bag that I am going to tie round my syphon which will hopefully stop it getting clogged up.

Thanks for the advice.