hop blocker with whirlpool?

[strat_thru_marshall]

Anyone have any experience using the Blichmann hop blocker with a whirlpooler? Im concerned that such a large piece of metal in the brew kettle might disrupt the whirlpool action enough to stop the collection of hop/trub in the middle.

Anyone try this?

 

[k1200rsvt]

After about 5 batches with my HopBlocker I personally have yet to get a nice cone from whirlpooling, but as long as I am not using un-bagged leaf hops I haven't had any problems with clogging. Letting it rest 10 minutes after whirlpool and draining somewhat slowly at the end seem to leave quite a bit of the junk on the bottom of the kettle.

 

[yodalegomaster]

The hop blocker is designed for the Blichmann kettle which has a flat bottom so it can stay out of the center and allow for whirlpool in the center. Keggle's don't have flat bottoms so They need to have the hop blocker, added to the center, right under\over the whirlpool vortex cone. I have yet to try it but I have not found a good solution yet, I have made 3 attempts at designing something myself. I hope it works, it's going to be great if it does.

 

[Ender]

I just tried to do my first whirlpool. Used pellet hops with no sock. Used my homemade hop taco with pickup tube right in the center of the keg. Got an ok whirlpool until the pickup tube and screen got so blocked with hop crap it would only pump a trickle. If I do that again, I will say screw the hop toco/blocker and just put a pick up tube angled towards the side.

 

[yodalegomaster]

I just bought a new Blichmann HopBlocker, I use a keggle and set it up with a 1/4 copper line, and placed it in the center of keg it's the only spot that it will rest flat on the bottom, Just got done brewing a IPA with about 8oz of hops for a 10 gallon batch.
It was completely unusable, the blocker didn't block anything but the flow from the outlet and got caught on my immersion chiller, I had to remove it, to get any flow at all. What a mess.I don't dought that this works really well in the blichmann kettle with the flat bottom. But it's never going to work in a keggle. Just to let you know this is my 100 batch, I have designed 3 other hop separators for my keggles this is the 4th one I have tried. It's very expensive solution,but was willing to do anything to try to reduce the trub going into the fermentor. But nothing has worked to my satisfaction.
I just meet John blichman and I wanted this to work so badly, But I have to say this and the beer gun just worthless.

 

[1234contact]

I just purchased the Blichman Hopblocker, but did not use yet. Any updated info on this product (reviews or experiences)? I sense there are mixed feelings on this product and some deeming it useless?

I have a 15 Gallon Boilmaker. Your thoughts?

 

[brewtime]

But I have to say this and the beer gun just worthless.

I just used my beer gun for the first time yesterday and I have to disagree with you on this.

 

[bullywee]

I had issues with the Hop Blocker the first few times that I used it, then I decided to follow the instructional video and wow! it worked as advertised. I use it in a Blichmann Kettle, If I use leaf hops I bag them, if I use above the recommended hop limit I bag them, I whirlpool and let it settle and throttle my pump just as instructed. So far it works.

 

[craigevo]

I use a hop blocker with a flat based kettle. Have tried with it then without it. My conclusion is it affects the whirlpool a bit by just getting in the way. But overall it's better for me with it because most of the hops still end up in the centre and the 'drag' of those hops to the pickup tube is largely prevented by the blocker.

 

[JonathanS]

I just used my beer gun for the first time yesterday and I have to disagree with you on this.

I've had my beer gun for a few months now and find it a very useful tool. Tried the DIY route first.

Regarding whirlpooling, I gave up on any kind of pickup tube filters - just run through counterflow chiller 2 min to sanitize, whirlpool 5 minutes, let settle 3 minutes, then run off into fermenters (again through couterflow chiller). your methods and procedures may vary.