Hop spider woes solved! In stainless!

[jleiii]

Try searching similar Canadian suppliers for insinkerator stainless flange.

 

[stever1000]

Try searching similar Canadian suppliers for insinkerator stainless flange.

I tried, and it seems to be approx. $20 from amazon...2x what it is shows up in the USA.
I may go with the stainless canning fuel instead to save $10

 

[MaxStout]

I tried, and it seems to be approx. $20 from amazon...2x what it is shows up in the USA.
I may go with the stainless canning fuel instead to save $10

Do you know any plumbers? Maybe someone has an old ss sink from a replacement job that you could get a flange from. Clean it up and you're in business.

 

[stever1000]

To my surprise, I searched on amazon one last time before going the canning fuel route. On amazon I found a "used" flange for $9+tax and prime shipping... very surprised! It showed up last Friday and it appears brand new. Awesome

Now to get the rest of the stainless parts

 

[stever1000]

Is there any reason to avoid ZINC coated bolts for making the spider? I can't find stainless bolts longer than 5" in length and I need at least 6" for my kettle

A lot cheaper too

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

ok thats boss. Well done sir I need to change out my PVC spider for this one.

 

[day_trippr]

Is there any reason to avoid ZINC coated bolts for making the spider? I can't find stainless bolts longer than 5" in length and I need at least 6" for my kettle

A lot cheaper too

Two reasons: the acidic beer will dissolve the zinc into your wort (bad juju) and then will rust (doubly bad juju).
Lots of folks have found long stainless bolts and took the one-time hit without expiring...

Cheers!

[edit] If you can't find long enough bolts, buy some stainless steel all-thread rods...

 

[stever1000]

Two reasons: the acidic beer will dissolve the zinc into your wort (bad juju) and then will rust (doubly bad juju).
Lots of folks have found long stainless bolts and took the one-time hit without expiring...

Cheers!

[edit] If you can't find long enough bolts, buy some stainless steel all-thread rods...

But the spider isn't in contact with the wort?

I'll look for the SS all-thread

 

[day_trippr]

Have you ever removed anything from a boil kettle that wasn't wet?

 

[Btaz]

Is there any reason to avoid ZINC coated bolts for making the spider? I can't find stainless bolts longer than 5" in length and I need at least 6" for my kettle

A lot cheaper too

I found Home Depot and Lowes to carry SS rods. From there I took a hack saw to cut them down to the right size

 

[stever1000]

I found Home Depot and Lowes to carry SS rods. From there I took a hack saw to cut them down to the right size

Thanks I will check those places to see if they have something that will work

 

[stever1000]

Finally have all the pieces, except for a hose clamp.

I don't have a drill press or vice...here's my simple method to make a hop spider:

Vice grips and a wood dowel make it easy. Took 15 mins start to finish.

No more hop problems

 

[stever1000]

So I tested my spider out last night...
about 45mins into the boil I accumulated a lot of hop debris in the paint strainer bag (as expected) but it blocked the bag from releasing wort...
Long story short, the bagged slipped off the spider and released lots of hop pellets into the wort

Has anyone had a problem with the bag holding too much wort back? I'm wondering how much wort the hops are actually in contact with if they are suspended in the bag like this

 

[stever1000]

In action:

I am going to sew my own bag for the spider so that there is more room for the hops to move around

 

[Btaz]

In action:

I am going to sew my own bag for the spider so that there is more room for the hops to move around

Looks like you just need to make more beer

 

[stever1000]

Looks like you just need to make more beer

It's a 16gallon pot with 6gallon of wort?

 

[jeffdietzler]

Stever, try flipping the hop spider upside down - clamp the bag on the outside and hang it through the inside. Clamp sets below the lip of the flange. I've never had the bag come loose that way.

 

[stever1000]

Stever, try flipping the hop spider upside down - clamp the bag on the outside and hang it through the inside. Clamp sets below the lip of the flange. I've never had the bag come loose that way.

I don't think I can clamp it near the flange due to clearance for the nuts
But I will clamp it on the outside and hang it through the inside - that definitely makes more sense!

 

[stever1000]

So the hop spider itself works well, but the bags (paint strainer and voile bag) do not work. They get clogged and hold in the wort preventing it from draining freely...

For reference, that pot is 16" across and I have 1oz of leaf and 1 oz of pellets in the bag, the rest is junk

Does anyone else have this problem? What can I do??

 

[HopWolf]

First off I want to thank the OP as I built one from his idea and it's been great.
I leave the slip ring on the flange and this keeps the bag from slipping off when I clamp the bag on
The paint strainer bags I bought at ACE (3 pack?)and mine don't plug/ clog like that but certainly keep the hop particles out.
I was concerned that the pellet hops wouldn't get wet enough but that never seems to be an issue, to keep it from floating I throw a couple of 3/4" SS nuts in the bag, I also use these in socks for dry hopping.
I also give it a stir/scrape down during the boil, not sure why but I do

 

[D-west]

Its worth mentioning if anyone is going to make this with the sink drain fitting, if you have a local re-store (recycled building supplies) bring a magnet and dig through the pluming stuff. I just put together a hop spider for $4 total. $1 for the ss sink fitting, and $3 for 3 stainless 8" lags, washers, nuts.