hungry4hops
Hop to it!
Looks awesome! I would love one of those, how's the clean up looks like it would be pretty ruff!
hungry4hops said:Looks awesome! I would love one of those, how's the clean up looks like it would be pretty ruff!
BTW, I've been thinking there may be some value in buying 2 small baskets vs. 1 large. I think there's a point of "critical mass" you reach once you put too many pellets in the basket. The sludge restricts flow....and it blunts the diffusion of later hop additions....especially those 5 and 0 minute additions. Think about it....do you really think that there's any worthwhile diffusion of alpha acids past the screen when you throw new hops into an already very thick hop sludge? Maybe...but certainly not as much as there needs to be.
So maybe it's worthwhile to have a bittering basket and an aroma basket? Or, get rid of the bittering hops, wash it out, around T-10 mins and then add the aroma hops?
I've all but given up on hop spiders/bags at this point for my really hoppy IPAs. I find that I lose way too much hop flavor and aroma. I just filter the outgoing chilled wort into the fermenter. It's just so much easier and my beer has improved as a result.
I'm sorry if I missed this, but when using one of these do you not do any other filtering in the kettle? I'd guess you would recirculate back into the spider to get the break material too and just have a pick up tube a little off center maybe?
I'm planning on cooling with it all in there, once cool, I will move the filter, whirlpool to settle any particulate that was fine enough to get through, and for the hot and cold break to settle out to empty the kettle.
Ok, thanks.
I was planning on using a CFC. Currently I'm using a hopstopper and CFC, but I lose siphon if I'm not really careful to slow way down during the last couple of gallons with the hopstopper because of it's design.
I sent an autocad file - print to Belleville Wire Cloth in Jersey, and they made me a strainer with their wire mesh next day. Dont get me wrong, I paid for it, but it was fast and its been working great, so why not?
http://www.bwire.com/index.html
BTW, I've been thinking there may be some value in buying 2 small baskets vs. 1 large. I think there's a point of "critical mass" you reach once you put too many pellets in the basket. The sludge restricts flow....and it blunts the diffusion of later hop additions....especially those 5 and 0 minute additions. Think about it....do you really think that there's any worthwhile diffusion of alpha acids past the screen when you throw new hops into an already very thick hop sludge? Maybe...but certainly not as much as there needs to be.
So maybe it's worthwhile to have a bittering basket and an aroma basket? Or, get rid of the bittering hops, wash it out, around T-10 mins and then add the aroma hops?
You know.. I had that same thought.. I really did.. Grab two of the 4in baskets, and put on each side. If you don't pack them, then you will have no issues what so ever.
Once you start tossing tons of hops in, then you get issues I think.
I ordered the 14 on since I needed the extra space, and it's 6in opening.
I generally use whole leaf. I've got a ton of it around here of various kinds, but I do use pellets in stuff that I don't have on hand.
I'm thinking for the FWH, I can put the tube from the tun into the strainer with my hops and let it run over them easily as well.
I might end up getting another tube. I will see how much whole leaf I can cram in there.. Might need two of them for the big DIPA's I do. I think I'll be okay for MOST beers doing this. Worse case, I toss the whole whole leaf right in.. I just need to cut down on the crap in the kettle.
I also thought, hey, for the flame out additions, since they are generally the bigger ones, I could just pull the strainer if it's full, or I could use a hop bag I keep around for the last addition. Since it's not boiling any more I have no issues "floating it" in the kettle. I'll have to play around with it. Hopefully this strainer will work for what I want to do. I was pretty irritated with that mess I had in the kettle. I don't want a bazooka tube in the kettle though.
I am also having him make me a smaller version, about 2 3/4" diam. x 8" to drop into the opening of my corny kegs. .
You mean like this?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cant-wait-use-366093/
Yambor44 said:Yes, just not as long....story of my life....
Here's one I put together the other day.
It's just a prototype. Thoughts?
marcb said:Hi, anyone still interested in data comparing the 300 to the 400 micron?
Silentnoiz said:Yes please.
bovineblitz said:Interesting. I'm considering ordering one, though I'm not sure if I'd want the 300 or 400 micron.
I'm perfectly happy with my 300, there does still seem to be a fair amount of separation from the wort. I will likely try out the 400 but based on the reports I have seen I do not think you'll have any issues with either. I had a lot of fun brewing a big 2BBL batch of Pliny clone yesterday with over 10lbs of hops on the bill.... Forgot what a pain in the a$$ bags were especially with a monster DIPA like Pliny. We eventually said screw it and Tossed in the flameout addition directly in the kettle, even with whirlpool it was a sludge fest!
Silentnoiz said:Just had a thought about splitting the filter into 2 sides (could also just have 2 filters, but it would be nice to have just one piece of equipment to put in the kettle). Simply a vertical piece of SS (non mesh) that divides the cylinder lengthwise into two sides. Could use side A for early hop additions, and side B for late hop additions. I was thinking it would give more room so that side B wouldn't have to compete with the sludge already there in side A. Another thing that could be done is have different mesh sizes for each side, one for pellets and one for whole. Some cons might be added cost, and possible decreased hop interaction with the wort.
Thoughts / opinions on doing something like that?
What's the keg filter for?
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