ULTIMATE post boil PELLET hop filter from Jaybird.

Ok you guys many of you know we have been working on a "HOP BACK" and it has been quite cool to see it come together. I was asked if it would filter PELLET hops and until now the answer was absolutely not! I had a blow up in our test room when trying to use the hop back with whole hops and slugging it will pellet hops from the kettle. WELL THAT ALL JUST CHANGED!

OK here is what we just came up with and after about 100 gallons of liquid at full flow I am convinced it is a full on GO!

Here is how we combated the plugging problem. THIS IS AWESOME!

I started with 3 oz of pellet hops in the bottom of the filter. I added 3 stainless steel scrubbies to the 1/2 gallon jar, screwed on the lid and added HOT HOT water to dissolve the pellets and turn them into MUSH. Then once dissolved I started my flow. as you can see in the picture the pellet hops basically stayed in the bottom of the filter and allowed full flow with minimal (BUT SOME) hop debris to pass. COOL RIGHT?
WELL JUST WAIT IT GETS BETTER!

See the next POST

Cheers
Jay

 

After that test...

I removed the lid and added a couple OZ of whole hops to the top of the unit and screwed the lid back on. What happen next will BLOW YOU AWAY!

The last picture is HOT water that has been flowed through the hop back filtering the pellet hops!

HOLY SMOKES! OK I may be a bit overly excited but this TAKES THE CAKE and does absolutely everything I set out to accomplish!

Can you imagine nearly 100% of your hop debris NOT transferred to the fermentor AND being able to add hop aroma at the same time while NEVER clogging your plate chiller?

SUPER STOKED!

Cheers
Jay

 

This is the basic set up. I am adding this to the site WITH 1/2" Male threaded nipples so you can use your CamLock and QD parts as well! That should be on the site by Monday afternoon...

Cheers
Jay

 

Wow Jay!!!! I really am going to have to get me one of these Mason Jar Thingamabobdohicky contraptions from you. I have spent hours and days designing my filter and collecting the parts $till a long ways to go too. Then WHAM you hit me with this thing!! Only problem I can see for me is the glass. Me and breakable stuff dont get along too good. But I already have a bunch of 1/2 gallon jars so at this price point I am good to go.

How much pellet hop material do you think this thing will catch? I have used a hop spyder so far but would rather just toss em all in.

I am excited too!!!!! A COOL new tool (toy) and its cheap too!!

 

How do you hold the hoses on while pumping?

 

On the one I tested hose clamps will work. I just used ty wraps. But we have one that has 1/2" NPT Male threads welded to the connection tubes so you can use your camlock barbed and QD connections if you like.

Cheers
Jay

 

How much is that version Jay?

 

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Hop-Filter-NPT-Male.html

We just got it posted a few hours ago.

$49.99 for the filter with the threaded fittings.

Cheers
Jay

 

It's official....you suck. I need to stop reading your threads.

 

$49.95?? Yikes...my budget might let me get the hose clamp version...lol

 

HA HA HA HA... I totally almost spit out my coffee...

Yeah its all labor. We have to drill those bushings out and then weld em on there and clean em up. Not cheap I agree. Depending on how well they sell we will look to get the bushings made with the proper hole size and then it will just be the welding.

Cheers
Jay

 

I'd just throw it all in the dishwasher afterwards too.

 

Really cool looking product. I've been looking for something to place on the outlet of my pump upstream from my plate chiller.

Like this


I could do away with a hop spider in my BK if it's as effective as it seems.

What sort of flow rate restrictions (if any) are you seeing with this device filter?

Have you tested the filter in this sort of application during whirlpooling with recirculation through a plate chiller? That's my typical approach to cooling and post-boil, pre-fermentation hop additions.

Once again, thanks for the post and product.

I'll be snapping one up I reckon.

Cheers.

 

+1 to Gavin's question... this could be really great if the flow stays strong.

 

Yeah same plan and pretty much exactly the same set up as mine.

I sure would like to see a video of this running 3-4 oz. of pellet hops through it. What do you think Jay?

 

I've always used a SS scrubby crammed up against my BK dip tube...never thought to take it the next step...congrats Jay!

 

Hey guys. Thanks for all the questions! Victor and I will plan a full on brew session and video very soon. I will post up some pictures of it in my system in the next few days. so far test show me full flow of my pump with the scrubbies and 2 oz of whole hops. Further testing to come very soon. As always I will report what we find and if any issues arise we will be sure to disclose. So far I am VERY happy with what we are seeing

Cheers
Jay

 

can these jars handle 200plus degrees of hot wort hitting it straight out of the kettle?

 

I hadn't considered that.

My guess is that it shouldn't be an issue. These mason jars are designed to stand up to pressure canning tempeartures.

I boil mine when I want to sanitize them for yeast harvesting.

 

That's great Jay. I'm really looking forward to seeing it in action on brewday.

Will you be brewing something with plenty of hops?

I use ~1lb in my IPA recipes. That's where I'd really need this type of kit to perform.

 

Agree with the glass being the only cause for concern and it would be cool to see this version be put out in a SS option (even if it costs a bit more for a SS canister option) but I am guessing as long as the wort is cool when filtering/hopping back, the glass dealio should be fine (I would still put the hopback in a bucket while x-ferring regardless)..

I would not run boiling hot wort through it..no way no how..to me, thats a glass bomb waiting to happen if the pressure from the heat has no where to go in that glass jar. Its not the heat that would worry me about breaking the glass, its the pressure building up in that container from the heat.

Might have to pick one up just to see how it works on my cold side regardless..

 

I would want it for running boiling wort through. You're probably right, the heat and pressure could well be more than the design could hold up to.

Sorry if I've derailed the thread Jay away from your initial design intent.

I'll shut up now.

 

I wonder if combining this with some sort of dam in the kettle to stop a large portion of the hop material might be the answer to those batches with heavy hop bills?

 

I think SS Kettles have a "trub/hop" dam of some sort..

 

I do think this would work very well for cold side hop back/randle functionality for the money..I am just very leery of anything glass in my brewery (I have been hurt badly by glass breakage in my earlier brewing days).

I have been on the hunt for a quality commercial style SS hop back that I can use in my brew shed both hot and cold side that is not the HopRocket..I had one and hated the design..damn thing leaked all the time and was such a pain to clean.

Might be time to call my buddy who is a master welder and chat over options.

 

Hmm... what about something like this to go with Jay's lid... stainless steel mason jar!

https://www.discountmugs.com/produc...t=59982267501&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=[ADL]+[PLA]+[Shopping]+-+Categories&utm_device=t&kshid=p.459.4754ef25-929f-4754-9b99-70c964d4df9f.68336&mm_keyword=TM287-Sample-1&mm_campaign=5240BD079F071097F942AE10B4D031E2&mm_replace=TRUE&gclid=CObvyrmcttECFdgMgQodYKIF4w&kwid=productads-adid%5E59982267501-device%5Et-plaid%5E144726418581-sku%[email protected]@ADL41-adType%5EPLA

 

Yeah, I looked several times, biggest I found was 28 oz, that one is 22 oz. We need to find one that is 1/2 gallon/64 oz or bigger.

 

Jay, how many stainless steel scrubbies does it take to fill the 1/2 gallon Masson jar, and anyone have any good ideas on cleaning and sanitizing those scrubbies after use to get the gunk outa them? Anyone try baking in the oven after use?

 

Subd...

 

I actually have 1 of those 22 oz Stainless jars on the way to me to test. I should get it on the 19th and will report back on what I think of it and its size.

As for how many scrubbies I used in my testing jar. I used 3 I think you can get away with using 2.

Cleaning? Just soaked mine in PBW and the rinsed really well and was able to get out just about everything I can see in them. I amusing mine post boil but PRE chilling so I am not to worried about sanitizing them with anything but boiling hot wort.

Cheers
Jay

 

Great news on the SS jar testing w/this Jay!
If this becomes an option with your lid setup, I will gladly buy one ASAP as then it becomes 100% safe to use on both the hot and cold sides which is what I am really looking for.

Will keep an eye on this thread for updates on that SS option.
:fro:

 

You know what might work instead of using a glass mason jar? How many are us home brewers have a stainless steel Hydroflask growler, or any of the other knockoff stainless 1/2 gallon containers, it's a different lid size, but it might be viable design option to make an all stainless version?

 

Any update on this? Videos? Stainless would be nice but I just want to make sure it will filter pellet hops + cold break. The tests seemed to use hops and water. When I recirculate through a false bottom with pellet hops everything is great before the cold break. Then it starts compacting and pulling a vacuum under the false bottom. It gets very dense.
This is with an immersion chiller

 

I hear ya. Yeah We are working on a full brewday demo. It is just so hard to plan these days. We will get on it though....

As for the stainless mason jar that was shipped unfortunately the only thing they have is small mouth.

Cheers
Jay

 

I've had some difficulty getting this to work. Seems I was unable to get a good seal on the jar and wort leaked out as I ran it. Also 4oz pellet hops in the kettle and leaf hops in the mason jar with 3 scrubbies may have been too much. I ran it for about 5 min but the leak got steadily worse and I lost about half a gallon of wort.

Planning to try again this coming weekend any suggestions appreciated.

 

Are you using a dab of keg lube on the gasket?

Cheers
Jay

 

no i missed that idea if it was posted before
Will try that

Also I reuse old rings and maybe just need to look for one that fits better

 

I had a small leak as well on mine but I just added a little keg lube and was able to get it to not only stop the leak but hold about 8-10 PSI in the Randall. NOW I am not suggesting you pressurize your systems I just needed to test it myself.

You do need to tighten it tight, tight!

Cheers
Jay

 

Keg lube did the trick. Also added a bit to the threads on the jar which made it a bit easier to get the ring off. No leaking.

But... 2oz leaf hops and 3 ss scrubbies in the jar were not able to prevent 4oz kettle pellet hops in the kettle from plugging it up pretty fast. After looking at your pics it seems your ss scrubbies must be much larger than the ones I bought at ACE. Also it seems maybe scrubbies alone would do the trick for me without any leaf hops being necessary? I'm really just trying to reduce the amount of pellet hop that makes it into the fermenter to make yeast harvesting easier.

 

Yeah. I used 3 big scrubbies in my system and I did pull them apart a little before I stuck em in the jar. I just add the hops for a tad of added aroma in the batch is all.

Cheers
Jay