Hop Pellet Particle Size

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uberg33k

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Does anyone know the average particle size for pelletized hops? Better yet, a distribution curve for particle size? The only literature I can find regarding the pelletization process just generally describes hops being tossed into a hammer mill, reduced down to dust, then extruded into pellets. I can't find anything that defines what size the dust would be.

Thanks!
 
I know the Weibull distribution is popular for modeling particle size, but Weibull distributions are pretty flexible depending on the parameters used, so without some actual data points to fit it probably won't tell you much.

edit: I'm curious what you want to know the distribution for.
 
this might be of some use to you: this thread discusses the use of fine-mesh hop filters. a 300 micron filter seems to retain all the hop gunk (i can say this based on my own experience with one), while the 400 micron seems to be letting some stuff through although that hasn't been proven yet. tests will be carried out soon to compare the hop filtration properties of both sizes.
 
this might be of some use to you: this thread discusses the use of fine-mesh hop filters. a 300 micron filter seems to retain all the hop gunk (i can say this based on my own experience with one), while the 400 micron seems to be letting some stuff through although that hasn't been proven yet. tests will be carried out soon to compare the hop filtration properties of both sizes.

Lol, this is exactly why I wanted to know. That thread is a mess. So much confusion and contrary information there. I figured if you knew the particle size you're trying to filter and the viscosity of the media (wort), you could calculate the porousness of the filtering media and the media area needed for effective separation. That would more accurately account for what size filter mesh you should build with and how big a filter you need for a given amount of hops rather than some haphazard "we tried this and it worked/didn't" methodology.
 
That would more accurately account for what size filter mesh you should build with and how big a filter you need for a given amount of hops rather than some haphazard "we tried this and it worked/didn't" methodology.
i have no problem with the "this did/didn't work" approach in this situation. the overhead associated with fine-tuning filter size isn't worth it to me. it's not like you're gaining a new level of control over the finished product. "for this blind taste test, identify which beer was made with a 300 micron filter and which one is made with the 400"...

300 micron retains all, or practically all, of my hop gunk. great. off to brew :mug:

(and the viscosity of wort is variable depending on thickness/gravity of the beer being made, and it will further change during the boil so not sure what value you would use in your calculations)
 
(and the viscosity of wort is variable depending on thickness/gravity of the beer being made, and it will further change during the boil so not sure what value you would use in your calculations)
I realize this. However, since calculating the viscosity of wort is fairly trivial, you could make up a table that would tell you "effectively filters ___ oz of hops at ____ OG before clogging" for given filter size using a modified Darcy's equation. Then you just pick the filter that best meets your typical brew style and off you go ordering whatever model you need from Chad. It might even warrant buying several filters for various styles / hop bills or tell you "given your hop bill and kettle size, you aren't going to buy a filter big enough to work, so don't bother".
 
A quick google search reveals that 300 mesh is more Coarse than 400 mesh. As Mesh is rated in holes/openings/perforations per Inch, thus 400 Holes per inch of mesh are going to be smaller than 300 holes per inch of mesh.
 
A quick google search reveals that 300 mesh is more Coarse than 400 mesh. As Mesh is rated in holes/openings/perforations per Inch, thus 400 Holes per inch of mesh are going to be smaller than 300 holes per inch of mesh.

It seems mesh can be rated in either holes per whatever or by the diameter of said holes, specifically when the mesh is being used as a filter. In the thread posted by the user mentioning the numbers 300 and 400, they are talking about the diameter of the openings as measured in microns. In-fact, they posted multiple links on how to convert between the diameter rating and sundry others in that thread.
 
I've always used "microns" because the mesh products (a spider and two generations of hopstopper) were all sold with that spec...

Cheers!
 

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