Hop stopper, hop spider, some other device, or drop them loose

[Rob2010SS]

What do you guys use in your hoppy brews to keep hops out of your pump and fermenter? I bought a hop spider to use but then started reading about how it affects your hop utilization.

I started reading about hop stopper and I saw some complaints about that too.

Everything I read was a bit dated. Granted I didn't look EXTREMELY hard before posting this. What are the current thoughts on these pieces of hardware? Do you use them or is there something else you use for this purpose?

 

[Snuffy]

I use a large adjustable height spider in a Mash and Boil unit and I have been happy with the results. I stir a bit inside the spider after each hop add. I‘m not a hop fanatic so good enough is fine for me. Late adds and flameouts for aroma may be limited a bit more than the bittering by the containment. Sux to drain the spider when it’s hot and contains lots of sludge, but keeping that out of the kettle is awesome. I’ve had to adjust my boil volume down some because there is so much more usable wort at the bottom of the kettle that used to get flushed with the trub.
I am about to try out a false bottom that was donated to me by a user here. I just need to adjust the height a bit to test it out. I would rather toss hops into the boil loose and if this works well, I’ll box up the spider and possibly pay that generosity forward.

 

[SuckingStones]

Feel like I spend far too much of my free time thinking about this question! But I'm currently using a large hop bag (well, basically a small BIAB mesh bag) clipped to the side of the kettle, or a metal ruler across the top. And I make sure to get good flow inside and around the bag. The size helps with increasing wort contact, and I definitely get more out of my hops than with the smaller bags I used to use. I'm not so much bothered about utilization, in terms of the numbers - mainly concerned about flavor.

All that said, I'd prefer to be throwing the hops straight in. So maybe its time to try a different approach and see how it goes...

 

[Rob2010SS]

I use a large adjustable height spider in a Mash and Boil unit and I have been happy with the results. I stir a bit inside the spider after each hop add. I‘m not a hop fanatic so good enough is fine for me. Late adds and flameouts for aroma may be limited a bit more than the bittering by the containment. Sux to drain the spider when it’s hot and contains lots of sludge, but keeping that out of the kettle is awesome. I’ve had to adjust my boil volume down some because there is so much more usable wort at the bottom of the kettle that used to get flushed with the trub.
I am about to try out a false bottom that was donated to me by a user here. I just need to adjust the height a bit to test it out. I would rather toss hops into the boil loose and if this works well, I’ll box up the spider and possibly pay that generosity forward.

I like the idea of a false bottom in the boil kettle. Definitely would need one a bit higher to clear the element in the bottom. Does anyone know if there is such a product already produced out there - a false bottom tall enough to clear an electric element?

Feel like I spend far too much of my free time thinking about this question! But I'm currently using a large hop bag (well, basically a small BIAB mesh bag) clipped to the side of the kettle, or a metal ruler across the top. And I make sure to get good flow inside and around the bag. The size helps with increasing wort contact, and I definitely get more out of my hops than with the smaller bags I used to use. I'm not so much bothered about utilization, in terms of the numbers - mainly concerned about flavor.

All that said, I'd prefer to be throwing the hops straight in. So maybe its time to try a different approach and see how it goes...

I could do this too, actually. I have an old BIAB bag that I don't use anymore that I could use for this. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I could just get a custom bag from WilserBrewer that would fit the outside of the kettle but be a bit short as to not come in contact with the element. This would allow one to just throw the hops in the kettle and let them roam free.

Anyone do this?

 

[TheMadKing]

I'm personally a big fan of dropping them in loose and using a good whirlpool to keep them in the kettle. This was actually one of my main drivers for switching to a counterflow chiller because it allowed me to just pump my loose hops through the pump and chiller with no issue. I always felt as though my hop flavors and bitterness were inconsistent when using a hop spider.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Actually, I think i just found my solution...

Big enough to let the hops roam "free" in the kettle but will still contain them and keep them out of the fermenter. Using this next time for sure!

 

[tele_dirtbag]

I love my hop spider. My most recent beer is 10 gallons of hazy IPA with 16 ounces of hops in the boil. It just about maxed out my hop spider, but flavor, aroma and bitterness are exactly what I was going for. No idea if throwing them in loose would have increased utilization at all, but after reading this, Kettle Hops: Stainless Hop Spider vs. Loose Additions | exBEERiment Results!, I am less worried about it.