Which hop blocking technique

If cost was no concern, how would you filter your hops, cold break, etc?

ghart999 said:

If cost was no concern, how would you filter your hops, cold break, etc?

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Well, as long as cost is no option centrifuge and decant/siphon... You would need a really big centrifuge tho... http://library.gsfc.nasa.gov/flag/archives/v3n3_winter03/2.htm that one should do it.

Uh, I am a bit surprised that the Sparky hop spider isn't in there. I think a lot of us have made one of those contraptions, and I don't see ever changing. I vote OTHER.

Probably should have a "Don't" option there, also. I realize that those people shouldn't even be voting (given the topic), but they might anyway and choose other, as I did.

Yeah I guess I could've put the hop spider. Didn't think of that. I have used one before when I did 12oz of leaf hops for an IPA once. But its such a pain to have this big contraption over my kettle.

Whirlpool + aquarium filter element

I think a bag + hop stopper ought to do the trick for most cases.

what the hell is a hop spider? I googled and got nothing.

I use a hop back loaded with rice hulls as a pre-filter to my plate chiller. I load it with rice hulls and then place a steamer basket over top to keep the contained and can load the steamer basket with hops for late additions.

First I recirculate to trap the hops and break. the I turn on the chill water to bring the kettle down enough to allow a single pass at pitch temp. This traps a good deal of the cold break in the process but also allow enough into the fermenter to be a benifit as well.

Cost = $80 for hop back, $35 for 55 pounds of rice hulls.

GilaMinumBeer said:

what the hell is a hop spider? I googled and got nothing.

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It's the picture you've seen a million times of a piece of PVC suspended over a kettle with four long screws, with a nylon bag hanging from it.

GilaMinumBeer said:

what the hell is a hop spider?

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Sorry, I probably made that up a while back. I made a couple of them. Reminds me of a spider sitting over a web hole. (gawd I hate spiders).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Hop_Filter

weirdboy said:

It's the picture you've seen a million times of a piece of PVC suspended over a kettle with four long screws, with a nylon bag hanging from it.

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Yup, it's real cheap to build and works like a charm. The paint bags are even washable.

weirdboy said:

It's the picture you've seen a million times of a piece of PVC suspended over a kettle with four long screws, with a nylon bag hanging from it.

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passedpawn said:

Sorry, I probably made that up a while back. I made a couple of them. Reminds me of a spider sitting over a web hole. (gawd I hate spiders).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Hop_Filter

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Okay. I have that. retired it for the hop back. Wasn't effective enough. I called mine the hop ghost.

Hop Ghost. I like the name. I have used one too for huge hop beers but just can't stand a big bag floating in my brew and not being able to see my boil. I am lame.

I'm in the same camp! I love it, but am cautious of it under-utilizing, can't filter recirculated wort through it without it swelling and taking forever to filter, and the fact I can't see the mesmerizing boil going on while pushing down the sack with my brew spoon.

Well I ended up getting a hopstopper for my boil kettle. Yes they are expensive and bulky. But knowing I can just dump loose pellets and leaves into the boil is very intriguing to me.

The wave of the future is the BASKET, baby. See my sig for the Unibrew....

Jaybird's False Bottoms of course!!

I like the rice hulls in a filter housing thats an innovative idea.
I find that whole leaf hops act as a filter on there own;


along with a stainless steel scrubbie on an autosiphon.

Cheers;
BeerCanuck

I just place a somewhat large SS strainer inside my funnel while draining into my carboy. Unlike the tiny strainers that come with the funnels, it rarely clogs.

WortMonger said:

while pushing down the sack with my brew spoon.

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I always keep a 2" chunk of 1" OD copper pipe in the sack. No spoon necessary.

I was thinking make a 8" hoop out of 1/4" copper tube with copper dowel inside the butted ends soldered together. This to keep the sack bottom opened wide to expose the most hops.

I am happy with my Bazooka screen along the side of the kettle.

5 gallon paint strainer...