Blichmann Boilermaker G2 question

[rcornell]

So I got a new brew kettle for Christmas. I did my first batch on it yesterday a DIPA. Everything works great up until the end. I chilled using immersion and go to drain into fermenter and the valve won't drain. It has that linear control valve. I pick the pot up and drain myself, and upon disassembling I discover the dip tube is clogged with hops. I used 4oz of pellet hops during the boil. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks

 

[brick_haus]

I use a hop blocker or some sort of screen/filter to prevent this

 

[rcornell]

Is the hop blocker worth the $$. I've heard mixed reviews on it. Would a bazooka screen or tea ball work if I fit it to the dip tube?

 

[drksky]

Whirlpool and drain slower. I don't use a hopblocker and have used up to 4oz of pellets with no problems. You might have to open it up a lot right at first, but once the wort starts flowing, slow he flow down so you're not sucking up the hops settled in the middle.

 

[edgewoodbrewery]

Having the same problem. Its a shame I drop that kind of $$$ on a fancy kettle only to find out I need to spend more for it to work correctly. I tried whirlpooling, but unless you start whirlpooling from the very start of the first hop addition, it will still clog. Hopblocker seems to be the only solution for now (I dont like putting my hops in bags/balls).

I used a total of 3oz. Pellet hops.

 

[drksky]

I've done several batches in my G2 with up to 6 oz of hops and have yet to have a problem. Boil, chill, stir to whirlpool and let it sit for 30 minutes. Open the valve enough to get it flowing, then back it off to drain slowly into the fermenter.

 

[edgewoodbrewery]

I've done several batches in my G2 with up to 6 oz of hops and have yet to have a problem. Boil, chill, stir to whirlpool and let it sit for 30 minutes. Open the valve enough to get it flowing, then back it off to drain slowly into the fermenter.

After chilling, I want to get it into the ferm vessel as fast as possible, no? If I leave it for 30min open to air, isn't that an opportunity to introduce an infection? Also, if after I chill, I leave it for 30 min in ambient outside air temp of 40 degrees, I think it would drop the temp below my target pitch temp, and I don't want to leave it in the danger zone for a half hour in order to hit target pitch temp. I picked up a "Mix-Stir" wine degassing tool to put on my drill and hopefully get a better whirlpool going, we'll see if that helps. Most of the reviews I have been reading on the hopblocker are that you have to whirlpool anyways for it to work, so I'm going to forgo it for now.

 

[drksky]

In order for a whirlpool to be effective at settling the hops into a cone in the center of the kettle, it needs to sit and let the wort still so the sediments precipitate.

Chill, stir, put the lid on and let it sit while you clean something and get the fermenter ready. In probably 20 batches doing this, I have never had an infection. Yeah, it's an anecdote, I know. Just make sure you sanitize the lid. I usually spritz it with Starsan.