jaginger

Recipes 

I don't know if you've checked out this thread yet http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hopster-hopscreen-157529/

It's a vast improvement over the PVC/bag style screen (no disrepect to 'da Man sparky!). You get full boil circluation, no matting and clogging of hops, and a very wide mouth to make additions super easy. I'd check it out before building anything.

DrBrewDC

Recipes 

I like it... a LOT! Perhaps when I upgrade to a keggle it will part of the system. I think for now... with my 5 gal batches... I like the idea of $10 compared to $100.

Any comment on my prior thoughts or separate bags?

BigJay13

Recipes 

I have one of the lil' sparkys and I haven't used it in a while. I changed my system so I can whirlpool all the break and hop material to the center and draw off the side. When I use whole hops I may use it again so my pump doesn't get clogged.

yipp

Recipes 

Are you reusing the paint strainer (clean and sanitize after each use) or are you replacing the strainer every brew day?

LuiInIdaho

Recipes 

I use one of these for my hop additions.

I always clean it up -- wash it in the clothes washer.
When I use it in the boil for hop additions, I don't bother with sanitizing it. I figure that it will be sanitized because of the boil.

If I were to use it for straining when moving the beer to the fermenter, then I would sanitize it.

It works great for a hop sock.

Mark

thirstyutahn

Recipes 

Is it strange to anyone else that you've got people saying they have done tons of batches and never experienced any loss in utilization and then others that say it couldn't have been worse??

Now I can understand people have different setups but come on, we are talking about something with not a whole lots of variables here. Most everyone is using keggles, mostly 5-10 gallon batches, same hop spider more or less. Could a vigorous boil have anything to do with it? Or maybe some are using different kinds of bags...I'm stumped here.

I have bought everything to make one and will be doing my own tests on a simple pale ale here soon. I went with the kiss method and am gonna rock a copper pipe straight through a reducer. Cost me all of 9 bucks.

Anyone have any ideas on how one guy can say he gets perfect utilization and another saying he gets almost nothing? This makes zero sense to me.

BigJay13

Recipes 

I would like to know the results. I stopped using it because I thought utilization, especially with aroma additions went down because the wort isn't moving through that like it is when the hops are floating freely. What's the recipe you are going to use?