Blichmann boil screen for pellet hops

[Layne]

indybeer, just placed my order for the filter, a 15g kettle, and some other small stuff. Make sure mine goes out first

 

[Julohan]

do you still have them in stock?

 

[Julohan]

Ordered one. Make sure I am after Layne then.

 

[Layne]

Get to work Brian, looks like you're gonna get busy right about now

 

[indybeer]

Get to work Brian, looks like you're gonna get busy right about now

Thanks guys! I am going to drop both of your orders off at UPS on my way home tonight. I will email tracking numbers when I have them.

Brian

 

[Yambor44]

Just finished ordering mine as well. Paid for 2 day UPS so if my stand gets ready I will try it out this weekend and report back.

 

[Layne]

Thanks Brian!

 

[Yambor44]

Thanks Brian!! What a guy. Saw I posted on here about brewing the weekend and said 2 day wasn't necessary as he was dropping it in tonight! Saved me a few bucks. I wasn't aware of your site but I am now!

 

[Yambor44]

OK - sorry for the suspense. It is really quite unique yet very simple. The finger pull is to lift the solid shield to expose a fine perf filter. End of the boil you whirlpool, let things settle for 15-20 min as usual and begin draining. The shield covers the fine perf at the bottom 2" and all the flow is diverted through the large perf at the top which is intended to block whole hops. This keeps the settled hops undisturbed and lets 90% of the wort travel straight through instead of ramming all the wort through a fine filter. Since all the pellet material is at the bottom very little transfers to the fermentor. When the wort level gets close to the top of the shield you use the finger pull to lift it and expose the fine perf. At that time slow the flow rate to allow the wort to permeate through the settled hops and work its way to the fine screen. We have measured up to a 95% filtration efficiency using a full pound of pellet hops in a 20 gal batch. We'll have our web updated in a couple days with more pics.

Thanks for the info John. Much appreciated!

 

[Julohan]

Thanks guys! I am going to drop both of your orders off at UPS on my way home tonight. I will email tracking numbers when I have them.

Brian

Thanks I will have to check your website out now. I have never heard of it.

May need to get rid of my tea balls. Does it work perfect with all pellet hops?

 

[SpaceCoastBrew]

Is there a catch or latch for the shield once you lift it or do you have to hold it while your kettle drains the last 2"?

 

[HBHoss]

Thanks Brian and John for all the information. My order has been placed.

 

[Yambor44]

Is there a catch or latch for the shield once you lift it or do you have to hold it while your kettle drains the last 2"?

I would ASSume that it is a tight enough fit that it would hold itself in place.

 

[bbrodka]

Also found Blichmann HopBlocker on homebrew4less.com web site

http://www.store.homebrew4less.com/Blichmann-HopBlocker/productinfo/BEHOPBLOCKER/

 

[indybeer]

Is there a catch or latch for the shield once you lift it or do you have to hold it while your kettle drains the last 2"?

the shield comes off of the hopblocker and is able to be pinched a bit to tighten the fit around it.

 

[Augie]

If I get this I may have to make a hook to pull it up. I don't want to reach in my hot brew pot and pull up in a piece of metal that is sitting in boiling wort

 

[indybeer]

If I get this I may have to make a hook to pull it up. I don't want to reach in my hot brew pot and pull up in a piece of metal that is sitting in boiling wort

A s/s racking cane would be perfect...or a clothes hanger. The important thing is to use your paddle/spoon to hold the HopBlocker in place.

 

[BlichmannEngineering]

Hey guys - no need for anything fancy to lift the shield. I just use a racking cane to lift it and a stir paddle to hold the main body in place. Friction holds the shield up. Key factor to get the last 2 inches out is a slow drain. The filter plugging isn't the issue - it's getting the wort to flow through all the sediment. For whole hops I still recommend a big muslin grain bag...mostly to save a TON or wort loss from absorbtion. And I hate cleaning all those loose whole hops up.

Man, I am really in the mood for brewing a malty beer. I've had hop overload doing "HopBlocker" research this part year. Thank God my wife is a hop-head.

 

[Augie]

I have seen the basic pictures on the few sites that have them. Would you have any additional? I would like to see it mounted in a pot, both opened and closed. I have the original hop screen in my boilermaker and just wanted to see the new system mounted.

 

[willynilly]

Bummer, I cant even use it... wont fit with my electric elements and integrated SS chiller. Looks nice though John...

Oh well...

 

[Irrenarzt]

Thanks for posting up John. I'm sure everyone here appreciates it. I appreciate your push to innovate and have almost all of your products in my arsenal.

I'm concerned about not being able to cool the wort as rapidly as possible with a plate chiller as you will have to whirlpool for 15-20 minutes before starting to pump the wort through my chiller and back into the kettle. I currently employ a Brutus 10 like frame with two March pumps and I do not use an IC. To retain as much hop aroma as possible, you want to cool the wort ASAP. Also, should you want to employ a hopback, you are still having to wait before you can start pumping through a plate chiller? I use a Therminator and I have found it's preferable not to allow any hop trub into the unit as it takes forever to get it all out, no matter how much I recirculate PBW through it. Perhaps I'm fanatical about hop matter in my beer but I suspect no more than the next guy.

Not criticizing, just bringing up an initial concern. I'm sure you have addressed this in your testing. Perhaps I'm mistaken in the 15-20 minute whirlpool limitation.

 

[willynilly]

With a plate chiller, arent you leaving your wort hotter, longer, than with an IC? Since it doenst get chilled until it reaches the plate chiller? With an IC, ALL of the wort is below utilization temps in about 1-2 minutes.

I see what you are saying though, with a plate chiller, it seems youd have to wait until it was whirlpooled, and left to sit, before you started chilling, that is a problem unless I am missing something too. Whereas with an IC you can do both at the same time.

I cant even use this darn thing, looks like hop sacks for me!

 

[Irrenarzt]

Perhaps there is a lag as the wort has to travel to the chiller (which is close in my case). I'm already pumping wort for the last ten minutes of the boil to sanitize my plate chiller so that delay is very slight. Turn off the flame and the chiller is already working by default. But that's negligible IMO as I can knockdown my temps below 140 in less than 3 minutes with my plate chiller and 60F cooling water (assume 6 gallon batch, a bit longer for 11). So at that temp, SMM no longer volatilizes to DMS and I imagine hop compounds become less volatile as well. It takes longer to get to pitch temps but usually on the order of less than the time it takes to do the whirlpool itself. This is my concern. I wouldn't want to wait 15-20 minutes even before I pumped. Now I guess one could replumb their kettle somewhat to allow for the pump to create the whirlpool for you but still you have to wait to chill. Unless you hit it with an IC while whirlpooing. This Hopblocker doesn't seem ideal for use with a plate chiller.

I'd say based on my experience (I have an IC as well) that the Therminator may take a bit longer than an IC to get below utilization temp, but it get to pitching temps a bit quicker with the same temp cooling water.

 

[Yambor44]

......I use a Therminator and I have found it's preferable not to allow any hop trub into the unit as it takes forever to get it all out, no matter how much I recirculate PBW through it. Perhaps I'm fanatical about hop matter in my beer but I suspect no more than the next guy.......

I recently found out the same thing. Threw my pellet hops straight into the boil. 1 oz at 60, 1/2 oz at 30, 1/2 oz at 5 for a 5 gallon batch and I spent 2 hours running boiling water, then hot Oxi, then hot water, then Star San thru it and still didn't get every bit out. I wouldn't expect to get it ALL out but it took a while before it was just a tiny bit.

With a plate chiller, arent you leaving your wort hotter, longer, than with an IC?

Yes. However, from some of the more experienced brewers on the board (some of which brewed professionally at one time or now) it does not hurt to let the wort sit that long to do the whirpool and then settle. To me personally seems to contradict what others say about bringing the wort down below a certain temp as soon as possible after flameout.

I did order one as I want to try one out because I have a plate chiller. However, I have my doubts about it (just sayin). I may just end up going back to an IC and chalk this up to $260.00 worth of experience (plate chiller + hop strainer).

The chiller works great, but time wise and work wise and money wise not so much. One pass and your wort is at (or below) pitching temps (I use ice water). BUT then you spend a lot of time flushing it out. When I used a Jamils type WP immersion chiller, I had my wort to 60 degrees in 20 minutes many times. Then I pulled it out of the brew pot, rinsed it with a strong spray of clean water and set it aside. Done.

I do like the fact that once my stand is built I can bolt the plate chiller onto the stand and leave it there. Thats the reason I ended up with it in the first place. I HOPE that I can actually get my new Blichmann pots to whirlpool properly and I will be singing the praises of this setup!!!

I guess, like a lot of other things it boils down to personal preference. I do this to relax and have good beer on hand, not to win any time race. However, I want to make the process as simple and as easy as I can.

 

[pickles]

Microbreweries whirlpool for much longer than 15 minutes with no I'll effects. It also gives the flame out hops longer contact time. I don't see it as a problem.

 

[Irrenarzt]

Fair enough, it's not a problem then. It only goes against what others have preached.

The bottom line is your process is OK if you make good beer. That's the whole point of this in the first place.

 

[Yambor44]

fair enough, it's not a problem then. It only goes against what others have preached.

the bottom line is your process is ok if you make good beer. That's the whole point of this in the first place.

amen! 7890

 

[Julohan]

Just got mine in. Doesn't look like much. Hopefully it works well.

 

[Moby]

Just got mine in. Doesn't look like much. Hopefully it works well.

Some pics of the setup would be nice....let me know how it works out!

 

[chemman14]

I'm kinda surprised at the price for such a small device, but if it actually does what its supposed to do it is worth every penny.