DIY Hop Filter Video

[Bobby_M]

For now, I'm happy with 30x30 but I haven't tried pellets yet.

 

[Ewalk02]

I just ordered some 30X30 S/S mesh from Grainger - $3.00 for a 12"X12" square. I think I'm going to try and solder the ends together, I'll fold them over like you did then heat them up and see if silver solder will hold the seams together well enough.

 

[Bobby_M]

Doh, I didn't even think to try silver solder. I had sewn one a while back before I had the correct flux and solder and just did that again.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I use a bazooka tube which it sort of the same idea. Not as much surface area as yours, but as long as I use whole hops I don't have a problem. Pellet hops? Ya forget that junk, Im stuck in the first 30 seconds of transfer.

 

[Ewalk02]

Hopefully I can give everyone an update soon on how the screen works with hop pellets, I still have about 6 oz. worth. I'm hoping it goes well, this thing is going to have a lot of surface area.

 

[Coastarine]

Hopefully I can give everyone an update soon on how the screen works with hop pellets, I still have about 6 oz. worth. I'm hoping it goes well, this thing is going to have a lot of surface area.

Looking forward to hearing this. I've never used anything but pellets, although I might be willing to switch.

 

[bendavanza]

If you use around half leaf it will help filter out the pellets. I did a batch with 1 oz pellet and 1oz leaf, it worked out well.

 

[Coastarine]

Hopefully I can give everyone an update soon on how the screen works with hop pellets, I still have about 6 oz. worth. I'm hoping it goes well, this thing is going to have a lot of surface area.

Anything to report?

 

[Coastarine]

Well fine, I'll be the first:

Mine went up against 6oz of pellet saaz today in a 5gal batch and didn't miss a beat. I have no fear of this clogging with any amount. Mine is huge though (2'x2' peice) so YMMV.

 

[beerthirty]

I used mine today with 2 oz of pellet and 2 oz of leaf. I was pleased with the results but I don't know if I would use more than 2 oz of pellet. It left a little more wort behind than just using the diptube. Maybe an extra quart. I will be using it again. maybe next time use more leaf toward the beginning of the boil to help them sink and get to the screen before the pellet.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Has anyone had problems cleaning afterward? I did BM's Centennial Blonde (first beer in a while) this weekend with a few ounces of leaf and it drained beautifully...but then....that's leaf hops. At the end, I noticed quite a bit of crap made it inside the screen. I actually had to disassemble and spray it out....crimping it back together later.....

 

[Ewalk02]

Well I'm happy to report that my screen had no problem straining out 4 oz. of hop pellets! I was able to get all but about a cup of wort out of my BK. For those of you wandering about clean up, it isn't really an issue for me, I made mine so that I can just slide it off my diptube and spay it out in the sink. A few hops got through the screen but not many. I'm very happy with this DIY project...thanks Bobby!

 

[Ewalk02]

Just another update...I brewed up an IPA with 3 oz of whole hops and 2.25 oz of pellet hops. My filter had NO problem with clogging and afterwards I was left with this...

 

[bendavanza]

Mine cleaned up fine, just sprayed it off in the sink.

 

[IrregularPulse]

this will be added to my list as well.
Bobby - your motto should be "Bobby_M - Eliminating everyone's annoying brew day processes, one video at a time"

 

[Bobby_M]

Maybe it should be "adding one more DIY project to your endless list".

 

[Bobby_M]

I was a little disappointed in the fact that I wasn't able to really test this contraption out for so long after I posted the video. I finally put it through its paces and found out what breaks it.

I just did 11 gallons of Janet's Brown from Brewing Classic styles and my hop bill was:

2oz NB pellet at 60min.
2oz NB pellet at 15min.
3oz Cascade leaf at 10min
3oz Cascade leaf at 0min

Ok, so that's 4oz pellet and 6oz leaf and the results? Pretty grim when I tried pumping out with the March at about 50% throttle. However, I may have had some kind of slight air leak in my bulkhead, ballvalve, QD setup because the if not, it should have collapsed my silicone tubing when it clogged. Instead I got air. It didn't make sense. There should be no air under 10 gallons of wort. I did get it to flow some by scraping the pellet hop sludge off the sides of the filter with my spoon, but it was a pain in the butt. I really need to figure out how the input hose was getting air though.

 

[Beerrific]

For you guys that are having success with this or a similar build, are you using an immersion chiller or some type of external cooling?


And slightly OT....

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.

Anyone have a source for copper compression fittings?

 

[Bobby_M]

If you're not using a plate chiller, there's no reason to use a fine mesh strainer like this. If I cooled with an IC, I'd run a really coarse mesh, just fine enough to stop whole hops from pouring into the fermenter.

OT: I've never seen copper compression fittings.

 

[mnadamn]

Has anyone tried silver solder yet? I have been thinking about this diy and if silver solder works, I will be buying the parts asap

 

[Bobby_M]

Do you mean trying to silver solder the mesh together? Good question, I have no idea.

 

[Ryan_PA]

I have had the hopstopper for years and used both a plate chiller, and my current setup is a counterflow. I have never had an issue with the hop strainer. I did however add a stainless tee fitting to the bottom of the pickup tube to displace the pickup from the bottom of the mesh, to the sides. I think that is what really helps my flow. I recirculate while chilling now too, which improves my process a million fold. The wort is crystal clear, and the hopstopper makes for a real nice filter bed during the recirc. It strains out all hop material and break material, which I really think is critical for reusing yeast slurry.

 

[brewjunky]

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

I use that style and love it. Its cheap and effective and easy to clean

 

[mnadamn]

Do you mean trying to silver solder the mesh together? Good question, I have no idea.

Yea, what I am thinking is instead of folding each edge individually, fold them then peel them back so you have the crease. At this point Solder and then fold while still hot so that the solder comes through the mesh while pinching it, then touch up from the outside if needed. This should then give a good deal of support and strength to keep it from crushing.

 

[kladue]

Stainless steel screen wire can be silver soldered, not easy, but do able. Here is a picture of an inlet screen made for one of the club members keggles Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Keggles for c.... The screen was soldered using one of the butane micro torches and 55% silver solder with Stay Silv flux.

 

[mnadamn]

Stainless steel screen wire can be silver soldered, not easy, but do able. Here is a picture of an inlet screen made for one of the club members keggles Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Keggles for c.... The screen was soldered using one of the butane micro torches and 55% silver solder with Stay Silv flux.

Thanx! I am thinking that with the larger surface area then what is shown in the picture it would be easier to do. If I can get some stainless mesh from either Home Depot, Menards, or Lowes near my parents place I will hopefully be trying this tomorrow, otherwise, it will have to wait for shipping!

 

[kladue]

The method used was to cut a strip that would overlap 1/4" when rolled around a rod, twisted to get curvature, and clamped next to solder joint to keep gap at overlap closed. Apply plenty of flux and apply heat gently and test with solder to start joint, be carefull with heat as the low mass of the wire means the mesh will turn orange hot and oxidize and refuse to take solder.

 

[mnadamn]

thanks for the tips!

 

[Bobby_M]

Any silver soldering I've done was only successful when I remembered to heat indirectly and never burn off the flux. It seems that it would be pretty hard to do that on a mesh. Give it a shot!

I'm really baffled that my pump inlet hose was seeing "air" when the screen started providing a lot of resistance. MAYBE there's a tiny leak that pull air under suction, but it's too small to leak liquid under ambient pressure.

 

[Ryan_PA]

Bobby, I have had the same issue. I just ensure the compression nuts are super tight when I set up on brew-day. I never had this issue until I started recirculating during chilling. I attribute it to the additional break material on the screen.