DIY HopBack

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paulthenurse

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So I wanted a hopback and didn't feel like dropping $90 to buy one. Solution... Make one.

I bought a cheap $18 water filter at Home Depot and a few parts. The best part is that if the unit deforms after a dozen batches because of the heat it is only $18 to replace the unit, the plumbing is interchangeable.

Pahhts... Cost me $40 in total cause Home Depot has run every decent hardware store out of business and now you can only get half as much for twice as much.
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Finally found a use for a tea strainer...
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Pack that Bad Larry up...
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Still used the ol' tried and true "Late Hop Addition" to my 60 Minute Clone
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"The Money Shot."
Out of the Brew Kettle, thru the Hop Back into the Counterflow Chiller, straight into the fermenter.
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Schweeet!

Here's a parts list

2 x 3/4" male threaded to 1/2" sweat couplings
2 x 1/2" sweat to 1/2" female threaded couplings
2 x 1" stubs of 1/2" copper tubing
one water filter housing
teflon tape
solder/flux soldering gun

I have triclover fittings on my rig so I needed to have the female coupling so my 1/2" triclover could screw into that. If you don't you would want to use hose fittings.
 
Sweet Jesus...Your Momma raised a genius....I have been throwing some ideas around, but this looks the easiest. Great job, Thanks
 
Thanks for the nice comments guys. It was really pretty easy and the beer smelled incredible coming out of the CFC. I'm trying my hardest to keep the ferment cold in a swamp cooler but it's almost 100 here today. I've already added 4 bags of ice to it yesterday. At this rate a walk in cool is the next project, it will be cheaper!

PTN
 
Here is a pic of the fermenter sitting on top of the HLT. I fill up the HLT with hot Starsan solution and pump it thru everything as it gets towards cleanup time. I'm just draining the Starsan back into the HLT in this pic. You can also see the tub in the fifth pic. It's a 20 gallon plastic tub with a sealable lid. Fits nicely inside a trash barel filled with water as a swamp cooler.

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PTN
 
Man, I can't believe I hadn't read this post before now. Do you know if the clear filter housings will hold up to boiling wort? I am working on an idea and would love to use the filter housing for hot side late addition hopping, as well as later on as a dry hopper and filter. This is the first evidence that hotside isn't a issue with the housing. Great build!
 
Man, I can't believe I hadn't read this post before now. Do you know if the clear filter housings will hold up to boiling wort? I am working on an idea and would love to use the filter housing for hot side late addition hopping, as well as later on as a dry hopper and filter. This is the first evidence that hotside isn't a issue with the housing. Great build!

Thanks. I've used it on three brews since I built it and it's held up well, no issues with deforming because of the heat. Long term is going to be a wait and see situation but at $17 for the housing itself if I only get 5-6 brews out of it I won't feel too bad about that.

PTN
 
Is that thing running on gravity only? Or does it need to be pumped through?

I have it set up so that I attach it directly to the out valve on the BK by way of the triclover. It's gravity fed into the hopback itself, then the outflow hose hose goes to the march pump and from there to the counterflow chiller. You can follow the hoses in the picture. I like that it gets the boiling wort directly onto the hops, incredible hop aroma addition. The hops themselves also act like the grain bed in the mash and filter out all the hot break so what goes into the fermenter is perfectly clear except got the cold break that is formed downstream from the hopback.

PTN
 
It's still going strong after a dozen brews. I was sort of expecting that the housing might deform from the boiling wort but since the housing itself only cost $17 if wouldn't bother me too much if I had to replace it after a dozen brews. But so far so good. It's a short money solution and works like a champ. My IPA's are Hopaliscious.

PTN
 
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