I was thinking of using some nylon stockings as a hop-bag for dry hopping in my fermentor. Are they safe to use or will they be degraded by the wort?
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2I use nylon stockings in around 20 batches or so without any problems. Make sure to buy nude ones, or ones that don't have any dye in them. When dry hopping with them, I usually boil them for about ten minutes or so before adding them to the fermentor.– rotoJan 14, 2013 at 19:44
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Thanks for the feedback - I'll go ahead and use them then!– PoshpawsJan 16, 2013 at 13:36
2 Answers
Nylon is usually pretty safe to put into beer. You should wash them and sterilize them before putting them in the fermentor. If you boil them that should do the trick, and so long as there aren't any holes after boiling should be fine to use.
They are completely safe to use. I personally steer clear of colored nylon stockings. If you're worried about bacteria you can soak them in a bleach mixture overnight, rise out, and then boil them. You could also soak them in Star San after boiling (if you're a germaphobe like me!).
Make sure you tie them and ensure there aren't any holes. Also, if you're using a lot of hops you can use multiple nylon stockings so your hops aren't as bunched up. I also use a light stainless steal "mixer" from a protein bottle to keep them from floating at the surface.
Cheers!