I used "found materials" - I didn't have to buy anything, so, yeah, frugal. The PVC pipe is 1-1/2" interior diameter, and the clothes rod is nearly that, but not quite. There is in fact a fairly significant gap between the edge of the dowel and the inside of the pipe, which is good, I think. I also took a 1-1/2" hole saw and cut a circle out of 3/4" plywood to act as a "plunger" at the end of the dowel. The pipe is perhaps 2-1/2' long, the dowel maybe a foot longer. I don't line the pipe at all - it's clean enough. I fill the pipe with hops (1 oz requires that I press them down a bit about halfway through, but just enough to give clearance for the rest), then I put the plywood "plunger" in the top, insert the dowel, and press down. I just put my weight into it, and press down and twist a bit, I don't pound or hammer. Before I begin, I lay out a piece of plastic wrap that's big enough. There's no cap on the other end of the pipe, it's just pressed against a plastic table. Then I pick it up carefully, hold it over the plastic wrap, and slowly press it out while holding one finger over it to keep it together. As the plywood plunger comes out, I can grab it with the same hand, so the plug stays together while I lay the pipe/dowel down, then I can use both hands to wrap the plug in plastic wrap. Once that's done, I've then been wrapping them in tinfoil before freezing them in Ziploc bags. That's about it!
