Hopback

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Henrythe9th

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Joined
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Location
Redmond OR
So I toured a few breweries this past weekend and notice and thought about the multi uses of a hopback,, chime in please
#1 filtering bed
#2 flame out hop additions
#3 allowing the pump inlet a large volume and cooling the wort from boil so not to flash off the wort in a low pressure environment.

what I've experienced is that when I start the pump to whirl pool I get cavitation from the hot wort interning a low pressure zone at the pump suction inlet (my MD5 inlet is 1" reduced to 3/4") it was much worse with 1/2" hose.
So I noticed that all the brew houses that use a hopback have there pump mounted close to the hopback with a short straight inlet to the pump using the hopback as sort of a supply reservoir for the pump and heat sink.

my plans, find a 16 to 20 quart SS pressure Cooker and make a hopback with large 1" inlet and outlets, raised false bottom with the outlet even with the pump inlet, short and straight. hard plumbed 1" SS tube
My 20gal pot has a 1 1/4 coupler in it now with a 3/4 ball valve, so I don't have to open it up, just buy a 1" ball valve.and reducer,nipple

do you guys think I'm on to something, besides just wanting to rebuild my rig(again)
 
so here it is, DIY hop back made from a 8qt pressure cooker and tri clamps
upping my pump inlet made the world of difference in flow more than double even threw the plate chillers crazy whirl pool..
breaking it in as of now with Bells two hearted clone 12 gals and 230grams of whole leaf we see if it works
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welding 200 series SS is a pitta had to silver braze the inside joints
 
Using this for the first time learned a couple of things needs to be bigger should had used a 12qt Pressure cooker, can't handle 300 gr hop whole hops, plugged up the inlet to the hop back and compacted the false bottom like making paper, next time less hop and throttle back the pump. also whirl pool first. more pics
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Hops left in Kettle
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pump inlet and return
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hop back parts
 
Wow, nice build! I am thinking of a hopback, but utilizing my grant. I really like your FB screen. I plan on a couple of FB screens stacked and decreasing in sieve size. I recirculate back into the kettle so I would use a manually applied funnel screen with a tight sieve at the end for catching most of the cold break. Absolutely love your application of a pressure cooker though.
 
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