Hop/break strainer help needed

[Brewpastor]

My brew kettle is a dish-bottomed vessel with the outlet coming right off the bottom. When brewing with pellet hops I insert a 3/4" copper elbow in the outlet to create a make-shift standpipe. It works well enough. I should add that I chill in the kettle using a whirlpool chiller and I get great break and settling with this.

My issue is the system does not work with leaf hops and everything gets clogged. I am trying to think of a solution. There are a couple ideas I am considering and I am looking for others.

One idea is to use some SS mesh to roll/create a vertical tube/screen, much like those bazooka screens people use in MLTs. I would simple insert one end of this in the elbow and let it rip.

Another idea is to use a SS spray ball I have as a sort of screen. This hallow ball is a bit larger then a baseball with numerous holes drilled in it. It has a short length of pipe (@ 3/4 - 1" ID) on one end. I could put that over the copper elbow and see what happens.

Another option is to modify the spray ball by attaching a kind of "hat" over the top (think inverted cone or Chinese hat) The idea would be to try to prevent the settling of break and hops directly on top of the spray ball so the clear wort could be drawn from under the "hat". This is my personal choice of options at the moment, but I am still looking.

Thoughts? Criticism? Suggestions?

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I use a SS chore boy scratchie over my dip tube and it works great for whole leaf hops. I always have clogging issues when I use pellets so I only use whole leaf now. Your spray ball thingy should work just fine.

 

[Brewpastor]

I had a SS scrubby in my kettle and it clogged horribly. The problem is the dish bottom and the way hops and trub settle in it

Another idea is to use a mesh strainer/colander. I would invert it and secure it to the outlet tube with a nut and bolt. That way I could tighten it down, creating a pretty good seal between it and the kettle. I have a similar set-up with the false bottom in my MLT.

 

[Brewpastor]

Here is an image of my MLT in which you can see the false bottom and the nut and bolt securing it to the edge of the kettle. You can also see the nature of the dish I am dealing with.

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[Yooper]

Hmmmm. That's a tough one. I've struggled myself with a hops stopper or something. Pellet hops go through my pumps fine and don't clog while I swear even if ONE little leaf breaks off out of my kettle I get clogging issues.

Since I use both pellets and leaf hops, I've never found anything that works for both.

I saw a stainless mesh hopstopper somewhere, but I can't remember. It was supposed to work for both pellets and leaf hops. The idea was that it was pretty flat, with the diptube in the bottom between the two sides. Sort of like your strainer/colander idea, but flatter, if that makes sense.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

Might try something like this? I want to do this with mine but my project list is long and this is not quit to the top of the list yet.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/keg-ekeggle-conversion-pics-259848/index3.html

starting on page 3 and an test run on page 5 or 6 I think

 

[dstar26t]

I use a hop stopper. Never had a problem with recipes involving all pellet, all whole, or mixtures of both. You would have to modify one or make your own from SS mesh. The only drawback is it takes 10 minutes to scrub clean with a toothbrush. I soak it in caustic every 2-3 batches to really get it clean.
This picture shows the kettle after draining my homegrown hop IPA this past weekend. 18oz of dried homegrown whole hops in the kettle.

Kettle filling:


I use a plate chiller so I'm not sure how the hop stopper would work with cold break.

 

[Atl300zx]

i use the same as the poster above as well with no issues as well. I almost always use leaf and pellet together. I also have a plate chiller so i dont have cold break.

 

[dstar26t]

Besides the cleaning time, the other thing I don't like is not being able to fill the kettle through the drain. I'm sure it would be fine, especially since I use a grant, but I don't want grain bits on the inside of the screen and then making it to the fermenter. Your nightmares may vary.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I built a hopster after fighting hops in every batch. I used a smaller mesh, 20x20, and it works great for whole and pellet. I too whirlpool chill in the kettle, and I can't imagine anything working better. Made it to fit my kettle and it is like having nothing in there. Hops flow as they would normally during the boil and when the kettle is drained, lift and rinse. Have not had one problem since building this, it was $100 though. Best $100 bill I've spent. Your system is awesome by the way.



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hopster-hopscreen-157529/