Hanging mesh filter for noiling kettle

[MrBJones]

Has anyone used anything like THIS? Looks like it could go a long way toward keeping crud out of the fermenter. Assuming it does do that, does it impact hop flavor when using pellets?

 

[jpakstis]

I have it and it works great but it does have some limitations. It can only hold so much hops until it becomes a very heavy sludge that does not allow wort through easily and in my 10 gallon kettle once the wort boils down to about 7 gallons or so there are only a few inches submerged. I usually rectify the second problem by unhooking it from the side and putting it right in the middle of the kettle in between my immersion chiller.

But if you want to brew beers with big bittering charges and late-stage hops I would recommend the 6" one. I'm thinking about getting the 6x14 one myself.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I made my own, but is the same style. I do find that it does impact hop flavor with pellets. Mine is 10" X 24". I brew 20 gallon batches and it hangs just above the bottom. I've moved to cone hops for my whirlpool additions. Don't get me wrong, probably the best piece of equipment I've made. It took me a while to learn how to use it. I grab it and move it up and down to make sure the hops are loose when I whirlpool. It is so easy to clean and it is nice to pull out and dump. Very little hops make it into the fermenter.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471184536.125521.jpg

 

[Dog House Brew]

Hops after filling the fermenters. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471184638.733605.jpg

 

[IslandLizard]

If you brew 5-6 gallon batches get the 6" diameter one. Around 1/3 the size of your kettle seems to be optimal.

 

[MrBJones]

Thanks for the responses; I think I'm going to get one. After much research here and elsewhere, I have some follow-up questions

1. What size mesh - 300 or 400? The 400 mesh would give better flow, but 300 might filter better...
   
   
2. A 6"x14" for my 10 gallon brew pot? That would put the bottom of the filter a few inches above the bottom of the pot, with about 6½" below the 5¼ gallon mark (so far I only do 5 gallon batches).
   
   
3. Where's the best place to buy one, in terms of cost and construction?

Thanks!

 

[MX1]

There is a thread, about 200 pages long, on the Arborfab Hop filter, should not be to hard to find if you search for it.

Lots of reviews and dedicated research with different configurations of the hop filter.

T

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for the responses; I think I'm going to get one. After much research here and elsewhere, I have some follow-up questions

1. What size mesh - 300 or 400? The 400 mesh would give better flow, but 300 might filter better...
   
   
2. A 6"x14" for my 10 gallon brew pot? That would put the bottom of the filter a few inches above the bottom of the pot, with about 6½" below the 5¼ gallon mark (so far I only do 5 gallon batches).
   
   
3. Where's the best place to buy one, in terms of cost and construction?

Thanks!

300 micron is the most used, and found to be the best compromise. But I see your point on using a little coarser, 400 micron. You still need to stir and agitate the basket to get good flow in and out. Maybe someone here can chime in with hands-on experience.

Arborfab.com fabricates them, and will customize to your demands/system. If you do mostly 5 gallon batches, get a longer one, say an inch above the bottom, so you get most use out of it.
It will be automatically future proof for larger batches too. Not sure how far the drop of the handle should be for your keggle. Double check with the specs of his 14" keggle model.

He also offers free shipping

 

[Yesfan]

I would have to agree with getting the 6x14 instead of the smaller 4x10. This is especially if you're doing full volume 5 gallon boils in a 10 gallon kettle.


I have both sizes. The small one is from Arborfab, while the larger one I got from Stainless Brewing. The small one is great to use to catch grain when vorlaufing as well as for smaller batches.


They do clog a bit easy with big hopped beers, but I just sit mine in a stainless colander and let it drain while chilling. Before getting these, the old method was a bazooka screen and constantly scraping it with a spoon so the wort would continue to drain into the fermenter. What a pita that was.