Best Hop Strainer ever!

For those of you that ferment in buckets... I found a hop strainer that is cheap and works very well. It is a 600 micron plastic strainer that fits in the top of the bucket. Cost is about $4.80! No more muslin sacks. This thing works so slick and is very easy to clean. It is about 3" deep and sits well down inside the bucket.
I will attach the link bellow:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=37442&catid=685

 

Interesting.
It says the average height is 4 inches, is that deep enough?

Insert Specifications
MATERIAL USED
High Density Polyethylene
INSERT DIMENSIONS
Inner diameter: 10.675" (+0.25"/-0")
Outer diameter: 11.75" (+0.25"/-0")
Height/depth: 4" (+/-0.125")
Average thickness: 28 mil (+/-10%)
WEIGHT
2 oz. (+/-10%)
BOTTOM MESH
Coarse/600 micron mesh (Polyester)
TEMPERATURE PARAMETERS
High (momentary): 180˚(240˚F
Low: -20°F

 

Cool find! Looks like they also have 200 and 400 micron mesh available. i wonder how fine you can go without ending up with a clogged mess?

 

That's currently being discussed in another hopstopper thread; seems 200 is a bit too fine, and a few people are testing out 300 vs 400

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-way-control-pellet-hop-gunk-352293/index7.html

 

The price is certainly right, but not a good choice for use with a plate chiller.

 

How can you use it to dry hop if its only 3 inches from the top of the bucket. It wont be in contact with the wort, Or if it is, just barely.

 

No..No. I use this strainer when I pour my wort into my fermenter. I have used screened funnels, hand strainers, and collanders, none have worked. With it's large surface area this strainer separates all particles from the wort. My last batch had over 3 ounces of hops in it and this caught all of it and still let the wort pass thru quickly and easily.

 

if you looking for a real good strainer google Chinois or china caps. these are what we use in restaurants. china caps are larger, have different hole sizes and would be good for removing hop leaf. chinois are super fine mesh and would remove any fine particles from what ever you run through it

 

I thought this was going to be a thread on using paint strainers. When I first started all-grain I found a recommendation here to use paint strainers from lowes to strain out the wort when going into the fermenter. I picked a pack up at lowes and 15 batches later they are still going strong. easy to wash out and do a good job of catching the hops and cold/hot break. Locally available, for most people, and cheap at $2.98 for two. I use the 1 gallon size for dry hopping.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

 

I have used the paint strainer bags for years also. I always rested the bag in a collader when I removed it from the wort. That meant cleaning the collander and cleaning and washing the bag. I like this piece because it snapps into the top of the bucket so there is no mess and I have only one piece to clean and wash.

 

Do you think 3 ounces is near the limit for this strainer? If you had 6 ounces do you think you would have to stop and clean midway? Did you ever try the 400 micron?

 

Actually... I bought both the 600 and the 400. The 600 does a fine job. It is actually finer than a muslin sack.

 

I purchased a bulk of muslin sacks from Northern Brewer and the mesh looks very similar.

 

How are these working for you? Still getting good performance? Would you recommend 600?