Hops in Boil

What solutions are there to hops clogging everything up when trying to transfer from the BK to fermenters? I often make highly hopped beers and the whole hops that I often use form a mat across anything that I have tried to use to filter them out. I'd like to stay with stainless if possible, but I'm open to suggestions.

Paint strainer bags... Put the hops in them, add to the boil, cool the wort and remove the bags and most of the hop residue.

I'd like some opinions on this as well. In my Blichmann nothing clogs when I transfer but all the hop material ends up in the fermenter.

False bottom....

kh54s10 said:

Paint strainer bags... Put the hops in them, add to the boil, cool the wort and remove the bags and most of the hop residue.

Click to expand...

Cheap and easy to use. I made a hop spider for 10 bucks and it works great for my IPAs with huge hop additions

I use paint bag and a stainless steel mesh ball slipped over inside drain pick up. It works as a secondary filter. Wash after use and sanitize. Dollar store. Make sure it is stainless and not steel. 3 for a buck!! I also use these for filling any gaps beside pipes in fifth wheel.

So it's nylon or nothing?

It seems like a FB would just clog. I have a SS kitchen strainer over my pickup tube and that even clogs right away.

Spring_Chicken said:

So it's nylon or nothing?

It seems like a FB would just clog. I have a SS kitchen strainer over my pickup tube and that even clogs right away.

Click to expand...

No there are stainless options. Google hop taco. You can make them out of mesh.

What kind of kettle? I use a 15" false bottom in a keg and often stop 1# of whole hops in the boil without slowing or a clogging or anything getting through to the fermenter.
Cheers
Jay

Here is what I have been using, but unless I have only .25 oz in the boil, it clogs fast. Usually I have mixed pellet and whole hops.

- P

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/product496.html

This thing will stop a boatload of hops in a boil kettle.





Cheers
Jay

Yeah, I have one in my MT from you. I think I may pump the wort back over to it after I clean out the MT and do my boil there to try it out.

You should have seen my screen the first time I ran my pump - it flattened it. Lols.

Are you whirlpooling as well?

My BK only has a 3/8 pickup so I can't get one going. That and my intake to the pump clogs so it's not possible except by manual way. Also, that just makes the hops land in the center so it is useless.

If you're using whole leaf hops you can buy cheese cloth for a few dollars at the grocery store and cut sections out to wrap hops in. This method doesn't work that well for pellets, but the little hop bags you can buy at your home brew supply or online work for both.

My kettle will not drain at all if I don't use bags.

this is what i'm using, i got one at ace hardware, but they're now at the dollar store (stainless steel there too) it's just one of the sink strainer thingies so nothing falls down the drain.



haven't had a clog yet... well, i take that back, i did when i tightened the weldless fitting, spun the dip tube without realizing it... then stuck the pump lol. but other then that, no problems. it's also 1/2" copper tubing too, so i haven't had one issue with keeping a siphon.

KuntzBrewing said:

Cheap and easy to use. I made a hop spider for 10 bucks and it works great for my IPAs with huge hop additions

Click to expand...

when do you take your hop spider out of the boil? after it's cooled or right when the boil is done thx