DIY Hop Filter Video

[Bobby_M]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypBIcRE2cV8]YouTube - DIY Kettle Hop Filter - Brewing with Bobby M[/ame]

 

[eschatz]

Nice Job Bobby. I should look into something like this. It's pretty simple and would be very effective I think.

 

[slimer]

Wicked. Could you use that as a false bottom as well?

 

[Bobby_M]

I don't think it would take the weight of any reasonable amount of grain. I need to work a larger hop bill into my next batch though. I want to see how it deals with pellets.

Whatever you do, don't think this is a good solution for those that chill in place with an IC. Cold break is one nasty clogging bitch.

 

[JMSetzler]

I don't think it would take the weight of any reasonable amount of grain.

I bet it would make an excellent 'wrap' for a copper tubing manifold.

 

[Jif]

Bobby,

What was your total cost on this project, including a dip tube?

I just built a keggle and still haven't *quite* finished it. I'm deciding between building something like this (sewing looks tedious!), getting a bazooka T with a siphon, or just breaking down and buying a hopstopper. Or just building a filter bag and getting a siphon tube? I'm trying to weigh out all of my options.

 

[Bobby_M]

I went through all the same thoughts on my way here. If you're asking my opinion;

1. Bazooka tee doesn't quite reach low enough into a keg to get all the wort out.
2. Hopstopper. $$$$$
3. Hop bags cut down utilization and it has really been pissing me off for flavor/hop additions.

I think the mesh I got was 85385T857
(Same as 85385T79)
Corrosion-Resistant Type 304 SS Wire Cloth 30 X 30 Mesh, .012" Wire Diameter, 12" X 12" Sheet
In stock at $9.31 Each

I'm not 100% sure on what kind of lockwire I have but.....

8860K11
Type 302/304 Stainless Steel Safety Lock Wire .015" Diameter, 1/4-lb Spool, 414' Spool
In stock at $7.41 Each

The copper tube and fittings can't be more than $15 but I got most of it at a scrap yard by the pound.

You can use a brass compression fitting instead of stainless.

 

[avaserfi]

Have you found the hop strainer style bags to cut down on your utilization as well?

 

[bendavanza]

Great idea folding in 3 corners.... I used 2 sheets and made a circular pillow, it worked well with 1oz pellet and 1oz leaf but I don't have a good seal on my dip tube so I think I could have pulled more wort out before I lost siphon. I do use a IC and the combo of hops helps to filter it out. I will give it another try soon, and see how it does with a better seal.
Your solution provides about as much surface area with only one sheet. If I remeber these sheets are about $9 each. another great video, thanks for taking the time.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yeah, I was using a 5 gallon bag but the hops never quite "swim" enough in those late additions.

Here's a pic of 2oz of leaf and hot break:

 

[Jif]

By my somewhat brief calculations, your system is about half the cost, dependent of course upon how cheap I can get those fittings. Now I just have to muster up the diligence to spend two hours sewing...

 

[babalu87]

Have you found the hop strainer style bags to cut down on your utilization as well?

I use something very similar to that and have been getting excellent extraction
For late additions I just stir the hop bag up with a spoon.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm glad the bags work for you (and conceivably a lot of others) but it hasn't been good for me. Trust me, I wish I was happy with the bag because it cheaper and easier. Hops just cost too darn much to get less than optimal extraction. I guess it's a personal thing.

 

[gmarcek]

For 2 dollars more, I'm considering buying some MMC p/n 9241T422 to try. With 12"X24" you can fold it over and get more surface area, as well as only having to sew together 3 sides.

 

[Bobby_M]

Yeah, the more surface area the better but you need to do something to keep the two layers apart. As the mess gets more and more clogged, it will have a tendency to suction together like a foodsaver bag. My last design was like that. I tried to fold it into a 3d shape to help keep it separate.

 

[bendavanza]

I see you've put that thing through 2 batches now. Nice. I really think the 3d shape must be helping.
Do you know a mcmaster part # for the stainless compression fittings? I can;t find them at my local hardware stores.

 

[kal]

Any electric BK guys using something like this? What did you do? Install the hot water heater element extra high?

Kal

 

[ReverbbqBrew]

Thanks Bobby M. Buying the materials today. I was also getting fed up with hop bags for my homegrown hops. I can almost guarantee my hop filter is going to look more ghetto though. Everything I build tends to be slightly wonky. Thanks for posting the video.

 

[Bobby_M]

I see you've put that thing through 2 batches now. Nice. I really think the 3d shape must be helping.
Do you know a mcmaster part # for the stainless compression fittings? I can;t find them at my local hardware stores.

Stainless compression fittings are ridiculously expensive retail. The cheapest I've seen so far is Stainless Steel Fittings but the one for 5/8" tube like rigid 1/2" copper pipe is $25.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Bobby-

Nice job, man! It looks like you might be on to something. PLEASE update this thread with a brew you've done with LOTS of pellet hops. That'll be the true test.

I think your triangle shape will provide a nice "roof" for the hops to slide off of. If the screen were level, the hops would settle on top and clog it right up.

Ahh...the things we do for a half gallon of wort!

BTW, when did you switch from the cfc to the plate? And why?

 

[Bobby_M]

The switch from CFC to plate was for pure entertainment purposes. When I found a huge one for $100, I just had to have it. If I had to say there is any advantage, it is mostly that of size. It fits on my stand on the bottom shelf with no fear of melting from the burners above.

I'll try to make my next batch hoppy.

 

[NJTomatoguy]

Thanks for taking the time to make all these videos. I am learning a lot from watching them.

 

[beerthirty]

I've gotten tired of poor late addition utilization and have decide to give this a go. Since I use pellet almost exclusively, this thought has been running through my head. With 10 minutes left of the boil toss in a double hand full of pre-rinsed rice hull. Being inert to the brew it wont change the profile but should provide a filter bed base on the screen. Adding at the end of the boil would prevent the hulls from breaking down and making clogging worse. Any one have any thoughts on this?

 

[Coastarine]

I'm making one of these (mostly done) except that since I don't have a ported kettle and I use a copper "wand" to suck up the wort, I'm making mine from a 24"x24" sheet, and the smallest face will sit flat on the bottom of the kettle with the pointy end sticking up out of the pot. Tons of area, and it eliminates the need for the hose clamp.

 

[bendavanza]

Beerthirty
sounds like a great experiment

 

[Bobby_M]

Another shape you can play with using a 12" x 12" piece is to bring all four corner together to make a pyramid shape. It would be more horizontally compact.

 

[Coastarine]

I'm making one of these (mostly done) except that since I don't have a ported kettle and I use a copper "wand" to suck up the wort, I'm making mine from a 24"x24" sheet, and the smallest face will sit flat on the bottom of the kettle with the pointy end sticking up out of the pot. Tons of area, and it eliminates the need for the hose clamp.

It has occurred to me that with this setup air will be able to enter the screen if the flow through the screen got slowed down that much. In that case I'd need something to keep the thing from trying to float and I'd just rely on gravity to push the wort through the screen. We shall see. Hopefully with this much area of mesh it won't be a problem, but I might want to consider switching from pellet to plug or whole.

 

[Bobby_M]

You might just want to use a hose clamp to reduce the flow towards the end so that the inside of your screened "basin" has a chance to fill with the lesser pressure.

 

[Coastarine]

I can just run the pump slower.

 

[Ewalk02]

Bobby - now that you have used the hop filter what do you think of the size of the mesh i.e. if you could start over would you use the same mesh size or go bigger or smaller?