Hops bag?

[depper]

Hello all and greetings from the Buckeye state!  This is my first post as I will be boiling my first wort this Saturday.  I've been educating myself as much as possible as to the best methods for making good beer.  My awesome wife bought me a beer making kit for Father's Day and bought a Belgian Golden Ale kit as my first brew.  Reading through the instructions it says to add hops twice during the 60min boil.  So my question to you all is, should I bag my hops when I put them in the boil, and if so, what type of bagging material should I use?? 

Thanks for all your time and help!  I look forward to learning so much more about this awesome hobby!

Tim

[cubalz]

You can use a muslin hop bag available from any home brew supply -this is what I do. They are cheap ($1.00 a piece) and disposable so I keep a bunch of them in my homebrew room.

[jtoots]

Hey Depper, welcome aboard!  There's a similar thread that just kicked up here:

http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php/topic,11367.0.html

I personally just dump 'em right in, no bag, but then I use a stainless strainer after the batch has cooled and I'm dumping into my primary bucket.  Either way, you're good to go!  Have fun!!

[depper]

Thanks for the advice.  I noticed the other thread just a few days ago.  I've been reading those replies as well   I am planning on using cheese-cloth for this batch, since that's what I have in the house.  Just trying to make my process as neat and simple as possible!  Brewing first batch ever in about an hour!  Can't wait!!!

[Maine Homebrewer]

I don't bother to bag the hops. I used to, but at some point I started adding three or four hop additions to a batch. Bags aren't free, and that adds up. Being the cheapskate that I am, I just didn't want to pay for them. So I stopped using them, and nothing bad happened.  Haven't bagged them in years. Nor do I strain. My method of aerating is to pour from the pot into a bucket, then through a funnel into the carboy. Doing long, slow pours. Well, that gives the hops an opportunity to settle to the bottom and be left behind. But other than that I don't try real hard to separate them. They just become part of the sediment. No big deal.