Keggle Dip Tube and Hop/Trub Filter

Is there a good way to put a hop pellet / trub filter on the end of a dip tube in a keggle besides using a false bottom?

I had convinced myself that I could just use the old bazooka screen on the end of my ball valve that I used to use in my MLT. But today I ran the numbers and realized I'd be leaving between 0.8 and 1.3 gallons of wort behind because it won't siphon out of the bottom of the keggle.

That's an unacceptable loss.

I'm not against false bottoms. I just don't want to have to build or buy one if I don't have to.

Can you tip the keggle?

I could. It's not an ideal option either. I'm trying to get away from using brute-force in my brew day.

What do you do right now? I didn't think most false bottoms or bazooka screens would filter out trub or hop debris.

I've used my keggle twice. Both times,
I siphoned out of it.

I figured the bazooka wouldn't catch everything but would be better than nothing. My goal isn't to get sparkling clear wort out of it. But I don't want to get green beer again when I'm using 4 or 5oz of hop pellets in the boil.

And I'm not wanting to buy/build a hop spider yet.

I started looking around McMaster-Carr's webpage because I remembered they have small pore stainless steel mesh. I was thinking about clamping it on the end of the dip tube.

But then I found mesh filter bags. I could clamp a sanitized mesh filter bag on the tube going from the keggle to the carboy/bucket.

I'm thinking a 4" diameter, 300 micron nylon or polypropylene one. I just don't know how many uses I'd get out of it.

Now that I think about it some more, I could get the 14" long one and binder clip it to the lip of my keggle and use it in the boil as a hop spider.

Nevermind. Problem solved: dip tube and nylon bag.

I found some stainless "Lint traps" for my dryer at the grocery store that I just wrap around my dip tube. I hold it in place with a bit of 12 gage bare copper wire.

Looks like this thing uses 200 microns: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-way-control-pellet-hop-gunk-352293/

I would get the 5 gallon bucket size bag. You can also fashion a hop spider with it using a stainless canning funnel and some stainless rod with threads at the end. I'll try to dig up the thread on it.

I'm trying to accomplish one build at a time. My current project was: install valve and thermometer. Adding a dip tube has been tacked onto it.

Building a hop spider or buying a stainless micron filter is on my long range plan. Those filters run $40 - $90 and you have to pull it before you can drop an IC in. I think the spider build I sketched up was about $50.

Right now I'm working on a cheap interim solution.

I was thinking that putting something on the dip tube would be the way to go. But now I'm thinking that putting it on the outlet or using something more like a weighted hop sock attached to the rim is a better temp solution.

barnaclebob said:

What do you do right now? I didn't think most false bottoms or bazooka screens would filter out trub or hop debris.

Click to expand...

I keep pimping them, but NorCal's false bottoms are amazing. I got their keggle model with the level 3 filter stand. Brewed a pale with 10oz of pellet hops for 10g, threw em all in free ballin', no clogging at all, and I use a plate chiller as well. I haven't tried any more than that, but there was about a half inch thick layer of hops on top of the FB when I was done and I bet I could get that higher.

Yesterday, I was up at my folks filing the burrs off the holes
I just drilled in my keggle for the thermometer and ball valve. My mom was cracking walnuts from her tree, talking to me while I was doing it. After we finished up, she went in the house and started vacuum packaging the walnuts.

I said, "hey, could I borrow that for packaging hops?"

She said, "sure, but if you want one, you can put it on your Christmas list."

Which means I can start buying bulk hops again. Which means I can start brewing with whole leaf hops again.

Which means that NorCal level 3 stand (just the stand), is looking like a really good option. When I get to the point I want to convert this keggle to a HERMS mash tun, I'll add a false bottom to the stand.

If anyone else ever has the brilliant idea that they don't need a dip tube in a keggle, I just checked how much wort I would leave behind in mine without one: 1.9 gallons.

I talked to Jaybird a little. I'm going to get the Level 3 stand and use it as a hop filter. Then when I get to the point I can use keggle as a mash tun and get another keggle to boil in, I'm going to get the Level 1 stand and a false bottom.

I just bought this. Can't wait to test it out.

https://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html