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Orfy said:
Like that but made from stainless steel
redir
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Actually that sure looks lie a SS one. At least, it looks just like the one I have had forever.

Which brings up another cool thing. These things last forever. I've been using the same one in the kitchen, and for bottle label remover, for about 10 years. Sometimes I leave it submerged for long periods. It still looks brand new.

I love SS.
 
I have always just thrown my hops straight into the boil... these things intrigue me and I just might try it... does it work well with aroma additions at flameout?
 
I made one of these this weekend.
I assume they work just as good for extract brewing on the stove top?
Also, do you just leave your bittering hops in, when you add your flavor hops, and your aromo hops????
 
Right, the process from boiling on can be the same for extract and all-grain brewers. And yes, you just add the new hops in with the ones that are already in there. That's the beauty of the always open coupler at the top.
 
passedpawn said:
Actually that sure looks lie a SS one. At least, it looks just like the one I have had forever.

Which brings up another cool thing. These things last forever. I've been using the same one in the kitchen, and for bottle label remover, for about 10 years. Sometimes I leave it submerged for long periods. It still looks brand new.

I love SS.
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How do you clean the little hops pieces out of it? I eventually gave up and just use a new scrubby each batch.
 
smellysell said:
How do you clean the little hops pieces out of it? I eventually gave up and just use a new scrubby each batch.
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I don't use one of these to stop hops. I use them for other things, though. I use a Sparky hop spider. I honestly don't know why anyone would use anything else, but to each his own.

I use the SS scrubbies to scrub - that's it.
 
passedpawn said:
I don't use one of these to stop hops. I use them for other things, though. I use a Sparky hop spider. I honestly don't know why anyone would use anything else, but to each his own.

I use the SS scrubbies to scrub - that's it.
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Ahhh, I see.

I build one of the hop spider's a long time ago, but made the mistake of using pvc for the arms also and haven't gotten around to making another one since that one melted. Might be time...

Anybody used these in e-kettles?
 
So, I just built this. I used 2 extra nuts all the way at the back of the bolt to make it adjustable on any kettle I use.

Question. Has anyone tried this for a grain bag? I know there's really no reason to use this for grains because you don't really do additions, but just a thought for helping not having to fish it out afterwards
 
Two questions before I gather parts to make one of these. I just started AG and only have a 30 qt brew pot.

1. Anybody have problems controlling boilover after the first hop addition? Seems it would be harder to vigorously stir with this in the way.

2. Some recipes call for a hop addition at flame out. Does this get in the way of using an immersion chiller? I usually drop my IC in the pot during the last 10 minutes of boil.

Thanks.
 
fezzman said:
Two questions before I gather parts to make one of these. I just started AG and only have a 30 qt brew pot.

1. Anybody have problems controlling boilover after the first hop addition? Seems it would be harder to vigorously stir with this in the way.

2. Some recipes call for a hop addition at flame out. Does this get in the way of using an immersion chiller? I usually drop my IC in the pot during the last 10 minutes of boil.

Thanks.
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1. You can avoid a boil over when adding hops by simply turning the burner off or way down for a minute or so before the hop additions. You can remove the paint strainer bad or move it to the side if you need to stir which normally I don't do.

2. It would depend a lot on the configuration of the immersion chiller. I don't use an IC anymore, but I would think that you could either hang the bag inside the chiller coil or push it to one side. You may have to remove the strainer, install the chiller then put the strainer back in.
 
Here's my version. No need for anything more than a single support rod. I have no stability problems whatsoever. It's not like the thing is trying to escape:

4238651688_4741c448e5.jpg


4238651542_c61a9fae65.jpg


The orange rod is a section of a fiberglass driveway marker. It's easily removed from the PVC coupling for compact storage and ease of cleaning.
 
Catt22 said:
Here's my version. No need for anything more than a single support rod. I have no stability problems whatsoever. It's not like the thing is trying to escape:

4238651688_4741c448e5.jpg


4238651542_c61a9fae65.jpg


The orange rod is a section of a fiberglass driveway marker. It's easily removed from the PVC coupling for compact storage and ease of cleaning.
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When my bag is full of hops it can get pretty heavy. That orange pole looks a little flexible. How does it hold up with a bunch of wet hops in there (looks unused in the pic)
 
passedpawn said:
When my bag is full of hops it can get pretty heavy. That orange pole looks a little flexible. How does it hold up with a bunch of wet hops in there (looks unused in the pic)
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The fiberglass rod is much stronger than you might guess. The only time there is any stress on the rod is when lifting it out of the wort. It will flex some when you lift it out full of wet hops, but comes nowhere near failing.

The pics were taken before the first use. You have a keen eye for the obvious.:D

I no longer use this contraption. I gave it away to one of my brewing friends who uses it regularly and he says it works just fine. I was not happy with the hop utilization and I was never convinced that the wort was able to circulate freely through the fine mesh of the bag. I found what I think is a much better alternative.
 
EarthBound said:
...which is...
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I'd rather not say at the moment. I'm still testing the method. I want to be sure it works well using only pellet hops, only whole hops and a combination of both before I put it out there for public consumption. I will say that it's a really simple and effective solution and it's particularly well suited for use with the converted kegs. I'll update this down the road with the pertinent details.
 
Catt22 said:
I'd rather not say at the moment. I'm still testing the method. I want to be sure it works well using only pellet hops, only whole hops and a combination of both before I put it out there for public consumption. I will say that it's a really simple and effective solution and it's particularly well suited for use with the converted kegs. I'll update this down the road with the pertinent details.
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TEASE!

:p
 
fezzman said:
TEASE!

:p
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That's not my intent. I just want to be sure it works well before I suggest anyone else try it this way. Unfortunately it may be a week or so before I can brew again and do some further testing.
 
I decided to go ahead and post some pics even though I have not finished with the testing part, so caveat emptor etc.

First off, this will not work for everyone. It's intended for use with the pie plate type false bottom (I have the one from Northern Brewer), although the general concept might be applicable to some other configurations.

Here's the scoop. When using this FB in my boil kettle as a hop screen, the hops and trub tend to cake up on the FB which severely restricts the flow. This interferes with my circulation through a CFC and back to the kettle for a rapid chill and whirlpool effect. The more hops I use, the more severe the restriction seems to be. While cleaning the kettle after the boil, I have noticed that the hops and break material tend to cake up densely on the FB. I also noticed that they stay put even when I lift the FB out of the kettle. It occurred to me that one could take advantage of this caking effect. I thought that if I could let the hops and break material cake up as usual until the flow rate slows, I could then use something to lift the FB slightly allowing the wort to flow under the edge and this would restore full flow. I rigged up a lifting rod made from a section of 1/4" copper and simply used an SS sheet metal screw to attach it to the FB. I bent the top to hook over the lip of the keg top to hold it in the up position. When not lifting the FB, it just leans against the inside of the kettle. My dip tube holds the FB firmly in place, yet there is enough flex in the FB to permit lifting the edge about 1/8-1/4" or so without any deformation of the FB. This will only work if you have some way to hold the FB down securely and your pickup tube must be able to resist bending easily. The 1/2" rigid copper works really well in that regard.

This is what the cake looks like on the FB with part of it scraped away so you can see the thickness:
4128977563_6546b3c64f.jpg


This is a view of the lift rod attached to the FB and hooked over the lip of the kettle
4706948354_d53bb9a7d9.jpg


Here it is on my work table for a better view
4706308525_328162223e.jpg


This is a close up of the business end of the pick up tube. Note the ring sweated to the down part just below the elbow. This ring was cut from a coupling and serves to hold the FB down firmly.
4706308671_2e46f56072.jpg


Thought I'd get these pics up as it will be awhile before I can evaluate this mod completely. I'm guessing that this configuration will hold back better than 98% of the debris and possibly more. I'm mostly seeking a high flow rate for a fast chill. This solution may be too easy for some. If anyone gives it a try, please post back with your results.
 
FB work fine as filters and the lift the edge thing is nice, but I wouldn't want that setup with a plate chiller. A lot of hop material would through before the FB started to catch everything (clog) and then again after you have to lift the edge. Shouldn't be any problem w/ your CFC though.
 
Lil' Sparky said:
FB work fine as filters and the lift the edge thing is nice, but I wouldn't want that setup with a plate chiller. A lot of hop material would through before the FB started to catch everything (clog) and then again after you have to lift the edge. Shouldn't be any problem w/ your CFC though.
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You're probably right that it might not work well with a plate chiller as they are notorious particle traps. That's also the main reason why I will probably never own a plate chiller. I think it should work well with most other CFC's or IC's though.
 
I bet a bazooka T would also work well for this in the BK. Most of the sludge that would be on your FB will otherwise settle to the floor of the kettle, the T may get a bit clogged, but it shouldn't be a showstopper.

For that matter, as long as you're using pellet hops, you can let 'er rip! If you let most of the gunk settle for a few minutes, you're only going to get a bit of sediment through it. Whole hops are a different story, but a bazooka T can easily stop them.
 
ScubaSteve said:
I bet a bazooka T would also work well for this in the BK. Most of the sludge that would be on your FB will otherwise settle to the floor of the kettle, the T may get a bit clogged, but it shouldn't be a showstopper.

For that matter, as long as you're using pellet hops, you can let 'er rip! If you let most of the gunk settle for a few minutes, you're only going to get a bit of sediment through it. Whole hops are a different story, but a bazooka T can easily stop them.
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I think you would lose that bet. Pellet hops will blind a bazooka T, an SS braid, or most any type of screen in a heartbeat if you are pumping the wort fast while circulating back to the BK in a loop and it most certainly will be a showstopper. Pellet hops will cake up on just about anything with holes or slits small enough to hold them back, including a FB. The debris is a conglomeration of hop particulates and break material. It forms a very dense cake on whatever is used to filter them out. Whole hops are somewhat less of a problem, but not by much. A combination of whole hops and pellets is no better. The severity of the problem depends a lot on the quantity of the hops used in the batch. More hops worsens the situation. The FB I've been using does not stop the flow entirely, even when using large quantities of hops. The problem I am trying to mitigate is that the debris dramatically slows the flow rate while circulating the wort through the CFC and back to the kettle. Depending on the beer style, the slow flow may or may not be a big deal. I want a very fast cooling rate with my IPA's and similar beers with a lot of flavor and aroma late hop additions. Fast cooling is supposed to improve retention of both. Beers such as many of the lagers I brew have much lower hop loading, so the debris cake is thinner and not as restrictive so the flow rate is more than adequate from start to finish. Most of those beers don't have a lot of flavor and aroma hops in them anyway, so it's not as critical to rapidly cool them.
 
Thanks for sharing Catt22. You've definitely come up with a good idea that I have not seen before. Steve, did you mean to suggest adding a bazooka under the FB? I haven't thought of this yet, but I'll probably give it a try. The bazooka would filter out what the FB doesn't. The bazooka shouldn't get clogged because the FB would've filtered most of the hops. The bazooka would be utilized while the FB is being lifted by the rod. Right?
 
Earthbound,

Thanks for the kind words. Using a secondary screen under the FB is an interesting idea. There's little room under my FB and I'm sure a Bazooka screen would not fit. One could make a screen shaped differently that may work though. I'm thinking maybe a disc shaped SS screen (like a flying saucer shape) to fit the pickup tube. I don't think it would need to be very large, maybe a 4" diameter or so. This auxiliary screen would trap nearly 100% of anything that makes it past or around the FB and would allow my "lift 'n flow" work with plate chillers too. I'm going to build the saucer screen and experiment with it a little. Great idea EB!
 
Cat,

You have a very good idea but I will stick with my Lil' Sparky filter and Therminator because of the speed of chilling. Instead of using a paint strainer I use a 100 micron polyester tube filter. I have not detected a loss of hoppiness in the dozen or so beers I have done to date using the filter and knock on wood no chiller clogs yet either.
 
Sawdustguy said:
Cat,

You have a very good idea but I will stick with my Lil' Sparky filter and Therminator because of the speed of chilling. Instead of using a paint strainer I use a 100 micron polyester tube filter. I have not detected a loss of hoppiness in the dozen or so beers I have done to date using the filter and knock on wood no chiller clogs yet either.
Click to expand...

How does the 100 micron filter compare to the paint strainer bags? IOW, is the mesh opening larger? Does any of the hop debris escape through the filter? It's been my experience that with any kind of filter it's either to fine to permit a good flow through or it won't stop the finer stuff from passing. I was trying to figure out a way that I might adapt Blichmann's Hop Blocker thingy or build something similar myself. That's kinda how I came up with lifting the FB after it caked up with debris. So far, it's working really well for me, but I'm not using a plate chiller either. The CFC I built is plenty fast if I can maintain a high flow rate. That's been the glitch until I came up with this solution.

I was extremely disappointed in the hop utilization with the paint strainer bags, especially when using it with pellet hops. The hop debris would literally coat the inside of the bag solidly.
 
Catt22 said:
I think you would lose that bet. Pellet hops will blind a bazooka T, an SS braid, or most any type of screen in a heartbeat if you are pumping the wort fast while circulating back to the BK in a loop and it most certainly will be a showstopper......
Click to expand...

You're totally right. I think I was smoking crack when I posted.:D

I guess I was imagining letting the pellets settle and keeping the bazooka tee off the bottom, and scraping the tee with a spoon if you needed to. I forgot how tenacious and gunky the fine hop particles can be though....it cements itself right into the screen! This is one reason why I primarily use whole hops now.....:mug:
 
ScubaSteve said:
You're totally right. I think I was smoking crack when I posted.:D

I guess I was imagining letting the pellets settle and keeping the bazooka tee off the bottom, and scraping the tee with a spoon if you needed to. I forgot how tenacious and gunky the fine hop particles can be though....it cements itself right into the screen! This is one reason why I primarily use whole hops now.....:mug:
Click to expand...

I think this is one of the reasons that Blichmann pushed to develope his hop blocker gizmo. Prior to that, the best thing he had available was basically a Bazooka style screen. He came up with a shield that fit over it to help keep it clear of the hop debris. It did not work all that well with pellet hops and only marginally better with whole hops or a combination of the two. A friend of mine has that set up and I've observed it in operation. Not necessarily a bad solution, but not the end all either IMO. Circulating the wort changes the whole ball game entirely and for the worse. Now I'm thinking a miniature Bazooka T attached to the pickup tube below the FB may be the way to go. That, or maybe my saucer screen idea. Now I've got to scare up some screen and SS wire to sew one up and give it a try. Might be awhile until I can get to it though.
 
Catt22 said:
How does the 100 micron filter compare to the paint strainer bags? IOW, is the mesh opening larger? Does any of the hop debris escape through the filter? It's been my experience that with any kind of filter it's either to fine to permit a good flow through or it won't stop the finer stuff from passing. I was trying to figure out a way that I might adapt Blichmann's Hop Blocker thingy or build something similar myself. That's kinda how I came up with lifting the FB after it caked up with debris. So far, it's working really well for me, but I'm not using a plate chiller either. The CFC I built is plenty fast if I can maintain a high flow rate. That's been the glitch until I came up with this solution.

I was extremely disappointed in the hop utilization with the paint strainer bags, especially when using it with pellet hops. The hop debris would literally coat the inside of the bag solidly.
Click to expand...

Catt,

My polyester hop filter is much finer than a paint strainer bag as it is 100 micron. Nothing gets out of the polyester filter bag except the wort diluted hop oils, which is what we want. During the boil the hops give up their oils and that is what gives the beer it's hop flavor. The wort diluted hop oils easily permeate the filter but the soild hop matter does not. I made a double IPA late last fall that was as hoppy as any other commercial double IPA I have ever had. It's just a shame that hop extracts are not cheaper. It would simplify alot of our brewing process. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/interviews/interview/805/ http://www.hopunion.com/CO2-hopextract.html
 
Sawdustguy said:
Catt,

My polyester hop filter is much finer than a paint strainer bag as it is 100 micron. Nothing gets out of the polyester filter bag except the wort diluted hop oils, which is what we want. During the boil the hops give up their oils and that is what gives the beer it's hop flavor. The wort diluted hop oils easily permeate the filter but the soild hop matter does not. I made a double IPA late last fall that was as hoppy as any other commercial double IPA I have ever had. It's just a shame that hop extracts are not cheaper. It would simplify alot of our brewing process. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/interviews/interview/805/ http://www.hopunion.com/CO2-hopextract.html
Click to expand...

I wonder why my experience with the hop strainer has been so much different than many others. Maybe it's some other factor and not the strainer itself. In any case, I think I've found the solution that works best for me, at least for the time being it does. I may give the paint strainer another try sometime just for the hell of it.
 
I tried mine out today for the first time. It worked great. How are you guys cleaning these? Or are you just putting a new bag on each time you brew?
 

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