The whole leaf hops debacle...hop spider?

[cmoore2]

Looking for some feedback on the use of a hop spider...do they work...do they affect hopping rates? Build or buy? Had a fiasco brewing yesterday with whole leaf hops, If you want the whole story..read on. If not, I'd appreciate any input on these gizmos.

I generally use whole leaf hops. I grow a couple of varieties that I use and I purchase them whole as well (cuz Im cheap, and I can find them cheaper then pellets in bulk). I've always used a nylon mesh bag in the boil kettle for my hop additions. Never had any issues...until yesterday. The bag ripped and drop about 9 oz of hops into the boil kettle. It was mid-boil. I use a side-pickup tube in the boil kettle so I figured, I'd whirlpool for longer than usual and maybe I'd be ok. Dead wrong. I clogged everything but the toilet. I wound up having to bale out of the boil kettle and into my mash tun and finally, very slowly was able to run it through the chiller into the fermenters...hope it didnt get infected cuz it smelled awesome

 

[eastoak]

i use a false bottom in my keggle with a 5/8 inch diptube and it's never clogged, even when i use my pump. i also have a stainless steel hop spider that i use for pellets and it also works great, never had a clog but it does let a little bit of the finer hop material through.