My question is about hop utilization. First to frame my question.
My current process is to toss pellet hops, up to 2 ounces so far, directly into my Keggle during the boil or hop stand....I'm calling this free-range (not sure of the correct terminology); the pellets are in the wort completely so this is the best-case hop utilization possible. At the end of the boil or hop stand I recirculate and at the return port at the top of my Keggle I "catch" the hop trub with a 400 micron basket as shown in the picture. This basket I'm holding is a temporary one until I decide if and what to buy for long term use, something I would not have to hold in place. After I remove the hop trub with the 400 micron filter I can cool the wort through my plate chiller for the hop stand or down to fermentation temperature. I catch hop trub like this for about 5 minutes, which has been enough to not clog the plate chiller. So far this has worked well but I think eventually I am going to clog that chiller. I plan to do hop stands with large quantities of hop pellets, possibly up to 10 ounces, which might clog my pump and plumbing as well, which is 3/8" ID. My question is - If I use a hop filter in the Keggle, during the boil and during the hop stand, to contain my hops so that the hop material is always inside the hop filter and never in the plumbing or pump, how much will that detract from hop utilization? I plan on a large diameter SS hop filter (10 inches) with a 400 micron mesh. This diameter is selected on a hunch that "the bigger the better". Has anyone done this and what was your experience with hop utilization? What diameter and mesh size was your hop filter? Thanks for your patience if you read all this, and any experience you have had with this would be of interest to me. Cheers!
My current process is to toss pellet hops, up to 2 ounces so far, directly into my Keggle during the boil or hop stand....I'm calling this free-range (not sure of the correct terminology); the pellets are in the wort completely so this is the best-case hop utilization possible. At the end of the boil or hop stand I recirculate and at the return port at the top of my Keggle I "catch" the hop trub with a 400 micron basket as shown in the picture. This basket I'm holding is a temporary one until I decide if and what to buy for long term use, something I would not have to hold in place. After I remove the hop trub with the 400 micron filter I can cool the wort through my plate chiller for the hop stand or down to fermentation temperature. I catch hop trub like this for about 5 minutes, which has been enough to not clog the plate chiller. So far this has worked well but I think eventually I am going to clog that chiller. I plan to do hop stands with large quantities of hop pellets, possibly up to 10 ounces, which might clog my pump and plumbing as well, which is 3/8" ID. My question is - If I use a hop filter in the Keggle, during the boil and during the hop stand, to contain my hops so that the hop material is always inside the hop filter and never in the plumbing or pump, how much will that detract from hop utilization? I plan on a large diameter SS hop filter (10 inches) with a 400 micron mesh. This diameter is selected on a hunch that "the bigger the better". Has anyone done this and what was your experience with hop utilization? What diameter and mesh size was your hop filter? Thanks for your patience if you read all this, and any experience you have had with this would be of interest to me. Cheers!
