Hop Filter for IPAs

[KarmaCitra]

So I have seen the hop filters from ArborFab and they seem to have good reviews based on what I've read on this forum. Has anyone had experience using one of these in a 15 gallon kettle? I have a 15 gallon AMCYL boil kettle, and I am wondering if I need to get the 6" or 8" version. I do make IPAs quite a bit with 6+ oz of hops in the boil. Any advice/insight?

 

[KarmaCitra]

Bump

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I use a 6"d x 18" ss spider in a 20g kettle. The spider was originally for my 10g kettles but it works ok with the 20g.
If I ever replace it I'll likely go with an 8" for the significantly larger mesh area as a 10g batch of uber hoppy neipa challenges the spider during whirlpooling...

Cheers!

 

[KarmaCitra]

So given that, I think I may be OK going with the 6". The 8" is significantly more expensive, so trying to cut cost where I can.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Plus I'm mainly doing 5 gallon batches in the 15 gallon pot, but will likely do a 10 gallon batches from time to time.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I would go with the largest you can afford. It does make a difference when the boil comes through the screen. I made my own and it is 10” in a 25gal kettle and I wish it were the id of the kettle.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Do you have pics? Just curious to see!

 

[Dog House Brew]

The mesh is 30x30 and was easy to make. What I don’t like is how the bubbles in the boil work around the filter. I’ll try to find a pic from my ipa.

 

[Dog House Brew]

What I do like is being able to pull it out and dump all the Hop debris. I’ve never had hops clog the dip-tube in the kettle since making it. It would work really well for anyone that doesn’t have a valve on their kettle and have to syphon.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Awesome! Do you try to whirlpool once you remove it to get the remaining hop trub? What micron level?

 

[Dog House Brew]

I leave it in the entire time. I chill through my CFC in the kettle to leave as much break as possible. The kettle has a sloped bottom and my dip tube is on the side. Because of the slope it never made a nice trub cone from whirlpool. Whatever trub and break there is goes with the slope. I usually get a pretty clean transfer. It is 30x30 mesh and used thin stainless wire to “sew” it together. Bought it from McMaster. I think some that I have seen have mesh that is too fine. You have to be able to have boil that can actively make it through the mesh IMO. It was a pretty simple DIY project. Not as nice as the ones I’ve seen from SB or Arbor, but considerably cheaper. One of the best Brewing investment I’ve made.

 

[KarmaCitra]

I'm considering the 8" one from Arbor, and my pot is about 15.5" wide. Do you think I'll have boil issues that I've seen in other people's experiences, or is there still enough free space to have a strong boil?

 

[Dog House Brew]

It will work fine. What I like about the Arbor is the the top has limited material. When I first built mine I cut off the top of a cheap, thin stock pot. I worm clamped it to it. The solid material at boil level really inhibited its function. The boil movement at the top of the filter is where you get a lot of movement through the filter. That is one thing I like about the Stainless Brewing design. It rests on top of the kettle. There is no limiting metal material in the kettle. What I don’t like about that design is not being able to lid the kettle when chilling. I guess if you use an immersion chiller it isn’t an issue.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I brew mostly 5 gallon NEIPAs with a boatload of late boil, FO and WP additions. 8-10 oz of pellets in the kettle is pretty typical. I don't use any filter at all, just dump 'em in. I whirlpool and it leaves a lot of hop matter in the center cone but a lot still finds its way into the fermenter. I think it's better this way because that has some hops in for the entire fermentation process, while adding more towards the end of primary fermentation (usually at about 20-24 hours for me). This yields fantastic hop flavor and aroma.

I guess I can see using a filter if you're using a plate chiller, but honestly, after seeing what happens to a hose that was cleaned with near boiling water and flushed with sanitizer, but not completely dried out (really nice mold colony), I have zero interest in a PC or CFC. My Hydra works great with zero concerns about moldy interior and no worries about getting plugged.

As usual YMMV...

 

[KarmaCitra]

The exact reason why I'm getting a filter is bc I just got a PC and don't want it to get mucked up with hop material.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I brew mostly 5 gallon NEIPAs with a boatload of late boil, FO and WP additions. 8-10 oz of pellets in the kettle is pretty typical. I don't use any filter at all, just dump 'em in. I whirlpool and it leaves a lot of hop matter in the center cone but a lot still finds its way into the fermenter. I think it's better this way because that has some hops in for the entire fermentation process, while adding more towards the end of primary fermentation (usually at about 20-24 hours for me). This yields fantastic hop flavor and aroma.

I guess I can see using a filter if you're using a plate chiller, but honestly, after seeing what happens to a hose that was cleaned with near boiling water and flushed with sanitizer, but not completely dried out (really nice mold colony), I have zero interest in a PC or CFC. My Hydra works great with zero concerns about moldy interior and no worries about getting plugged.

As usual YMMV...

I get it, you have what you like. I’ve brewed over a 100 12.5-20gal batches with the same hoses. Never a clog or an infection. My hoses are thermoplastic. I have a new stainless CFC, so we will see how I like it. The Hydra looks awesome. I used to use IM chillers. I went CFC so I could just hook to my pump and run it through in a single pass to the fermenter. I’m really not sure if the filter is necessary for me or not. It makes cleanup pretty easy, even though I have an 1 1/2” drain valve on the kettle. If I had a PC, filter for me would be necessity.

 

[TLaffey]

View attachment 553360View attachment 553361

What I do like is being able to pull it out and dump all the Hop debris. I’ve never had hops clog the dip-tube in the kettle since making it. It would work really well for anyone that doesn’t have a valve on their kettle and have to syphon.

I like the look of the mesh you are using!

I have a couple of the Arbor hops filters (300um) that I tried on my 10G BK (9G or so in the pot at start of boil) and found that they restrict the flow of wort too much for me. I use a lot of hops so these tended to be quite full. When I use them at all now, I use them with recirculation later in the boil to capture debris before flameout/whirlpool (pump output into the top of the filter, dump when filled, repeat.)

Nice to see someone else using Santoprene hose, too.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I like the look of the mesh you are using!

I have a couple of the Arbor hops filters (300um) that I tried on my 10G BK (9G or so in the pot at start of boil) and found that they restrict the flow of wort too much for me. I use a lot of hops so these tended to be quite full. When I use them at all now, I use them with recirculation later in the boil to capture debris before flameout/whirlpool (pump output into the top of the filter, dump when filled, repeat.)

Nice to see someone else using Santoprene hose, too.

Too fine is a problem IMO. The mesh size has to allow flow. I made this long before Arbor and SB were out there. I made it after reading about the Hop Stopper.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I get it, you have what you like. I’ve brewed over a 100 12.5-20gal batches with the same hoses. Never a clog or an infection. My hoses are thermoplastic. I have a new stainless CFC, so we will see how I like it. The Hydra looks awesome. I used to use IM chillers. I went CFC so I could just hook to my pump and run it through in a single pass to the fermenter. I’m really not sure if the filter is necessary for me or not. It makes cleanup pretty easy, even though I have an 1 1/2” drain valve on the kettle. If I had a PC, filter for me would be necessity.

The bigger the batch, the less an IC stays viable IMO. I like to whirlpool at 170, so I'd need to WP through a PC back to the kettle to get there anyway.

I'm not saying everyone should use the same gear or even what I use is best. When I first came here, there seemed to be a general implication that PCs and CFCs were sort of the "next step" in getting better gear, when it reality it's just a different option. I read quite a few posts about "moving up to a PC" or the equivalent that made it sound like an IC was basically a kludge approach.

Based on that, I was fully prepared to make that a future upgrade. Then I read an article comparing them and came to the conclusion that there was very little reason to go that route vs IC for 5 gallon batches. I'm all for people doing what works best for them and I'll leave it at that since I don't want to derail this thread into a chiller debate.

 

[Dog House Brew]

The bigger the batch, the less an IC stays viable IMO. I like to whirlpool at 170, so I'd need to WP through a PC back to the kettle to get there anyway.

I'm not saying everyone should use the same gear or even what I use is best. When I first came here, there seemed to be a general implication that PCs and CFCs were sort of the "next step" in getting better gear, when it reality it's just a different option. I read quite a few posts about "moving up to a PC" or the equivalent that made it sound like an IC was basically a kludge approach.

Based on that, I was fully prepared to make that a future upgrade. Then I read an article comparing them and came to the conclusion that there was very little reason to go that route vs IC for 5 gallon batches. I'm all for people doing what works best for them and I'll leave it at that since I don't want to derail this thread into a chiller debate.

Not a debate from me. I agree with what you have said 100%. If I did 5 gal batches I’d be using a stainless IM. My current CFC would be useless if I didn’t pump ice water through it.

 

[SanPancho]

Anyone else using an old BIAB bag for this problem?

Its the size of the entire kettle, i marked it so i know where to clip it to kettle so it doesnt burn on the bottom. It basically acts like a kettle liner, and after im done chilling and ready to transfer i lift the bag and give it a squeeze to get some super green hop juice right into the carboy.

No rust, cleaning is a breeze, and keeps all but the tiniest particles inside. Folds into practically nothing for storage. Theres a guy here i got the idea from, he even puts the bag in the freezer and saves the WP hops to use again for bittering

 

[KarmaCitra]

I think having a filter just a tad smaller than the boil kettle would affect boiling, as there would be a bubble barrier right under the filter (from what I've read).

 

[davetheprinter]

I would go with the largest you can afford. It does make a difference when the boil comes through the screen. I made my own and it is 10” in a 25gal kettle and I wish it were the id of the kettle.

Where did you get your mesh? Any recollection of cost?

 

[Dog House Brew]

Where did you get your mesh? Any recollection of cost?

I bought it and the stainless wire/thread from McMaster-Carr. I think it was around $70. I bought enough to make a few filters for my different kettles.

 

[Azura]

I recommend two 6 inch filters. It's important to get the right length. You want the filter to hang about 1-2 inch off the bottom. The maximizes the volume contacting the wort. I have two 300 micron 6x11 in a 10gal kettle for 5.5 gallon batches. 12oz of pellets is no problem and the utilization is good. My plate chiller does not even come close to clogging. Your 15 gallon kettle will need longer than 11 especially for 5 gal batches.