Boil Kettle Filtration

[wuttheheeck]

I am looking to upgrade my hop filtration system. Right now I use a piece of mesh woven around the pick up tube. The surface area is very small. I vary between whole and pellet hops as availability differs. While chilling my wort i pump it through the HERMS coil in the HLT to cool it.

My question to you is should i invest in stainless hop spider or a larger pick up screen that covers the majority of the bottom of the kettle.

What works best for those who must recirculate?

I have used a nylon hop sock before, but was a little concerned about hop utilization.

 

[vince805]

I just got a Jaybird false bottom with level 3 filter for my boil kettle and love it!

I used it for 2 brews on saturday, both pellet hops. I use a plate chiller and the level 3 filter worked great.

 

[The542]

I just got a Jaybird false bottom with level 3 filter for my boil kettle and love it!

I used it for 2 brews on saturday, both pellet hops. I use a plate chiller and the level 3 filter worked great.

What is the level 3 filter?

 

[corychamplin]

I use a couple big tea strainers.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FCMCMO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[wuttheheeck]

What is the level 3 filter?

This is the level 3.
http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Level-3_15-Inch_FB_Stand.html

I have one of his 15" FB for the mash tun that works great, unfortunately it doesn't fit under my 4500w heating element.

 

[wuttheheeck]

What is the level 3 filter?

This is the level 3.
http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Level-3_15-Inch_FB_Stand.html

I have one of his 15" FB for the mash tun that works great, unfortunately it doesn't fit under my 4500w heating element.

 

[sudbuster]

I am looking to upgrade my hop filtration system. Right now I use a piece of mesh woven around the pick up tube. The surface area is very small. I vary between whole and pellet hops as availability differs. While chilling my wort i pump it through the HERMS coil in the HLT to cool it.

My question to you is should i invest in stainless hop spider or a larger pick up screen that covers the majority of the bottom of the kettle.

What works best for those who must recirculate?

I have used a nylon hop sock before, but was a little concerned about hop utilization.

Several years ago, I was in the same place. I tried all of the latest ideas at the time. Spent untold hours making the latest "breakthrough" strainers etc. Finally, I gave up on kettle filtration and moved over to wort settlement prior to pitching. Transfer ALL the kettle wort to settlement vessel. Place in cooler or fridge overnight. Next day sometime, transfer your ultra clear wort to the fermenter. Have your yeast in the cooler also and then pitch. Move the fermenter into the appropriate fermentation temperature environment and forget it. No trub, no hops. When I brew I dump my hops, flowers or pellets directly into the boil. No worry about hop utilization using all the filters etc.
I"ve been doing this for years with good results. But, there are always the ignorant detractors who have no experience with the procedure but have untold amounts of unsubstantiated objections. You choose.

 

[redshift76]

I dump EVERYTHING into my fermenters & this is what I end up with:

 

[Stovetop535]

I have a hop spider from stsinless brewing and I love it. I tried paint strainers for hops and didn't like the mess. Yes the spider is expensive but I can tell you this, it is very well made. I like how I can just hang it over the kettle and not worry about anything.

Only cons I can think of is its one more thing to clean and if you do 5 gallons batches and do a lot of first wort hops you will have to take the supports off the sides and drop it down into your first runnings. On most my 5 gallon batches my first runnings stop about 2 inches below the spider.

I recirculate through my plate chiller, after almost clogging it with hops and paint strainer bags I switched.

 

[snowtires]

I'm with redshift. All my trub and hops goes into the fermenter and all that comes out is clear tasty beer

 

[aspiffymofo]

I just use a SS braid like this one:

Seems to work okay, but is one more thing to clean.
Honestly I should have just stuck with the paint strainer clipped to the side of the pot. It worked just fine.

 

[redshift76]

I'm with redshift. All my trub and hops goes into the fermenter and all that comes out is clear tasty beer

I do use whirlfloc at the end of the boil & cold crash before kegging/bottling but that seems to be a lot easier than building/buying/cleaning all these filtration devices. Gravity & time are free, whirlfloc & cold are cheap & easy.

I guess I've never understood the need for clear WORT.

 

[poptarts]

If im making really hoppy beers I use a bio diesel filter and just drain onto that before it goes into the fermenter.

If I'm under say 4oz of hops I just do a whirlpool.

 

[wuttheheeck]

Thanks everyone for their responses. I am still considering using an all stainless hop spider, whirlpooling with one of Jaybirds drill-bit compatible paddles and side pick up tube.

Lastly I am considering not filtering and adding everything to the ferm and using cold + time to settle out.

Has anyone had any problems with pellet hops clogging a chugger pump and 1/2" CFC? It would be very easy to put a paint strainer around my fermenting bucket and pump through it.