Hopster Hopscreen

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I don't understand how you got a 24" wide stainless mesh sheet around a 10" diameter stainless pipe that has a circumference of about 31"? :confused:

This confuses me also. Although, I have been out of highschool for a long time! :)

Please...soemone help me with my math. If I wanted to do a 10" diameter hop strainer with ~1" overlap, would a 24" x 24" sheet suffice?

Here is what I am thinking. Check this out: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3F7CM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


I was thinking of buying 2 of those...one for the top and one for the bottom. The mesh would be secured to both via SS hose clamps and riveted up the overlap. I would cut the mesh out of the top sifter.

Thoughts?

John
 
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This confuses me also. Although, I have been out of highschool for a long time! :)

Please...soemone help me with my math. If I wanted to do a 10" diameter hop strainer with ~1" overlap, would a 24" x 24" sheet suffice?

Here is what I am thinking. Check this out: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3F7CM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


I was thinking of buying 2 of those...one for the top and one for the bottom. The mesh would be secured to both via SS hose clamps and riveted up the overlap. I would cut the mesh out of the top sifter.

Thoughts?

John


No, the circumference of a 10" circle is 31.4".
 
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Johnodon,

For mine I bought the 20x20 mesh from Mcmaster. It was 36" x 36" and I used the off fall for the bottom of my "Pig". The part # is 9226T001 and it works great. A bit on the higher price side, but the frustration it has saved me is worth every penny.
 
Johnodon,

For mine I bought the 20x20 mesh from Mcmaster. It was 36" x 36" and I used the off fall for the bottom of my "Pig". The part # is 9226T001 and it works great. A bit on the higher price side, but the frustration it has saved me is worth every penny.

Hey Dog,

Are you happy with the 20 x 20? I was really leaning toward the 30 x 30 since I use pellet hops exclusively but was worried it may be a little too fine. Do you ever wish you would have went a little finer?

Thanks!

John
 
Hey Dog,

Are you happy with the 20 x 20? I was really leaning toward the 30 x 30 since I use pellet hops exclusively but was worried it may be a little too fine. Do you ever wish you would have went a little finer?

Thanks!

John

I feel like it works fine for me. I use both cones and pellets. There isn't enough that gets through to cause me any issues. I whirlpool with my pump and have my dip tube to the side of my BK. I can't say I've wished it were finer, but finer wouldn't be a problem. I think the main part of this build is making the bottom close to the bottom of the kettle so the boil comes up through the mesh. If it is too far off the bottom it tends to not move the hops as well. I've done batches up to 14 oz of pellets so far w/o any problems. I'm doing a 16 gallon batch of IPA Sat and it has 28 oz of hops in it. Most are pellets, so I will know for sure after Sat. Best thing I've built for my rig for sure.
 
OK...my riveting skills leave a lot to be desired, however, the abomination I created holds the material in just fine. :)

The top is nothing more that an old teflon coated pot with the bottom and handle chopped off. 30 x 30 SS mesh, SS 1/8" rivets, 5/16"eyebolts/nuts/washers (6" length).

The overall diameter is about 8 1/2" and it sits about 1/2" from the bottom of the kettle. It sits perfectly inside of my immersion chiller.

IMG_2261.jpg


IMG_2258.jpg


IMG_2257.jpg


John
 
I think it looks great man. I need to find me a pot that fits the top of mine. I made a stainless spider for bags and it is just hanging from it. Best thing I've copied yet. :) Didn't get to really test it this weekend. Thursday I'm doing my IPA, and if it can handle the 28 oz, I'm going to look back at why didn't I do this sooner. Nice build! Let us know how you like the 30 x 30.
 
For those of you who use IC's.... what do you do? Pull it out when you place the IC in to sterilize and fit it inside for the remainder of the boil?
 
Why 3 pegs?

These things are SO much easier if you just drill 2 holes on opposite sides, then run a rod through. Remove the rod when done. MUCH smaller footprint for storage, and hangs just fine.

I haven't made a SS one, but that's the way my plastic one is and it's worked fine for quite a while.
 
Mine has the three legs so the interior is all open. When I did my IPA this weekend it worked awesome. It had 30 oz of hops! 16 oz of those were pellets and had zero problem with all the hops. I also like having an opening of 9". Easy to dump into and out of. No question this is the best piece of equipment I have ever add to the rig. Thanks to the OP for it. Backed it up ith an all pellet Cream Ale yesterday that worked just as well. It had 8oz of pellets in an 18 gallon batch.
 
... so I made a hopster. Total cost about $50.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jeffre...hkey=Gv1sRgCPGBt9yxuK3lNg#5629827018517275794

https://picasaweb.google.com/jeffre...hkey=Gv1sRgCPGBt9yxuK3lNg#5629827022152190226

I used the Fat Daddio's Pastry Ring, 6" x 2" (found on Amazon). $13.50

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001331MX2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I got the stainless mesh from McMaster Carr. $23.15. Part # 9238T291 20x20, 0.014 wire diameter. Cut a cylinder about 14" long and 7" in diameter (sits about 1" off the bottom of my BK), and a circle 9" in diameter for the domed bottom. I folded over the cylinder bottom about 1/4" so i wouldn't scratch anything. The top of the mesh cylinder sits about 1/8" from the top of the pastry ring.

I got 20 stainless rivets from homeboy Jason for $3 on this forum, he got them from McMC. 18-8 SS Blind Rivet with 18-8 SS Mandrel Domed, 1/8" Dia, .032"-.062" Material Thickness. Got some 1/8" aluminum rivet washers from Lowe's. Note, these rivets are perfect to connect mesh-to-mesh using a washer. When I connected the mesh-over-mesh to the aluminum support, I didn't need a washer. When I tried using these rivets just for mesh-on-mesh, they didn't hold without the washer. They are too short to connect anything larger than these two options.

I got a 3/4" x 1/16" x 3 ft bar of aluminum from Lowe's. $4. I created a handle, a side support, and a hanger from this. Very easy to bend with your hands and a table corner. Easy to cut with a good pair of metal snips.

Got some short size #6 stainless screws & nuts ($6) to attach the hanger and handle to the mesh and stainless ring. Note the three screws hold the mesh in place on the SS pastry ring. No rivets needed. Keeps it pretty :)

Only tools required were metal snips, a drill and some bits, a rivet gun, screwdriver, and pure muscle. A ruler helps. Muscle optional.

Just used it tonight for an IPA boil using 3 oz of pellet hops in a 5 gallon boil. I use a 7 gallon boil kettle, so both my immersion chiller and my hopster fit in side-by-side perfectly.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jeffre...hkey=Gv1sRgCPGBt9yxuK3lNg#5629827008387815490

I was skpetical as soon as I added hops, as it looked like the hops found themselves out of the hopster and into the greater part of the kettle. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was done and lifted out the hopster - over 1.5" x 6" of hops remained in the hopster.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jeffre...hkey=Gv1sRgCPGBt9yxuK3lNg#5629827005823467666

There was a significant amout of cold break in the BK, but it definitely helped me auto-siphon from my BK -> strainer -> fermenter much easier, no clogs with the help of whirlpool. I would guesstimate about 1/4 to 1/3 of the hops escaped the hopster.

Couple notes. If you build one, make sure your hopster sits away from the sides of your kettle if your liquid volume is close to the brim. I run about a 6.75 gal boil in a 7 gal BK and the hopster (because metal conducts heat) caused a little boil over when it sat directly over the burner. I moved it to the back of the BK, and all was fine with the expense of less agitation of the hops inside. I might bend the hanger so that it sits off the side by about an inch. Also, there is less 'agitation' of the hops in my hopster compared to the boil rate of the rest of the BK, but I took care in stirring up the contents of the hopster every 5-10 minutes. I highly doubt there was any loss in IBU efficiency there, the good roll of the boil was adjacent to the hopster.

If I had to do it all over again, I might use slightly thicker wire or more wires per inch, just to prevent more of the hops to leaking out of the hopster, to the expense of less agitation. I use pellet hops 75% of the time, so this is a necessary evil. I will also order a stainless steel support bar for the handle and hanger and such instead of using aluminum, but I was in a hurry and Lowe's didn't carry stainless bars. Will also get stainless rivet washers, too.

All in all, this thing is super easy to build, and was fun to make. The benefits outweigh the cons, so I'll keep using it. Once I step up to a 10-15 gallon batch size, I'll do it all over again and I'll sell this one to one of you guys. :)

I'm two 90-Minute IPA's and one Lagunitas Little Somethin' Somethin' IPA's deep, and I just wanna relax now. Man, this Little Somethin' Somethin' is some gooood beer.
 
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Has anyone noticed any decreased hop aroma or utilization when using one of these as opposed to letting the hops float free? It looks like an amazing build. Lots of filtration area. Anyone think this would be a problem with an e-kettle?
 
I have to say I'm completely impressed on how well this worked. I have a Blichmann 20 gal kettle that I just used this in and it was the cleanest wort into a fermenter I've ever seen. I used McMasterCarr part# 9226T254 for the screen and a 10"X3" pastry ring. I used 4oz of pellets and 1 oz of whole hops and the screen size was perfect. I also used a stainless steel scrubbing pad around the dip tube for cold break. No need to whirlpool or anything. Finally my cold break and hops going into my fermenter has been resolved!
 
Great thread and great builds.

I'm not sure how handy I would be with the stainless mesh and rivets...I'll have to give that some thought. But in the meantime, I got some good ideas from the parts lists, so I came up with the following no-build solution:

photo_hopsock.JPG


I used two 4"x2" stainless pastry rings, two all-stainless worm clamps, a stainless s-hook, and a 5 gallon paint strainer.

Paint strainers work well for me in general, but they tend to get twisted, float around, etc. Hopefully this stainless skeleton will help alleviate those problems.

One advantage to this build is that it can be disassembled after each brew, and the strainers are disposable. For those who used the stainless mesh: Are you having any trouble keeping it clean? I'm trying to decide if I should still shoot for the full build, or if I should stick with the paint strainers.
 
I tend to brew ridiculously hopped IPAs, this is a necessity for me! Can any of you using the finer mesh comment on utilization?

Also what about using brazed solder instead of rivets? Mesh should take the solder quite well.
 
So I have to retract my last statement. It works great for whole or leaf hops, but not so well for pellets. The scrubbing pad on the dip tube actually blocks more than the hop screen. I went with the screen size below.


Mesh Size
24 x 24

Square/Rectangle Size
.028"

Wire Diameter
.014"

Percentage of Open Area
44.2
 
Thanks for this! I plan to make this also. I'm so sick of the bag. My bag always fills up with hops and cold break and wont strain. I recirculate back into the bag while I'm chilling and the bag just expands, it fills with break and hop materiel and it wont drain fast enough and then I lose my prime to my pump. Im so sick of this. I hope that the 20X20 screen will end all my hop and break material issues.
I plan on using rivets, I think these rivets will be fine but if there is any objection let me know.
http://www.smallparts.com/blind-riv...=1303094698&filterBy.material_browse=16414661

Another solution is to ditch the IC and use a counterflow chiller, or plate chiller, I guess. Just a thought. :D
 
Dgonza9 said:
Another solution is to ditch the IC and use a counterflow chiller, or plate chiller, I guess. Just a thought. :D

I use a plate chiller currently, I want minimize the hop particles that go into the chiller to keep it clean and not to clog it. that's my reason for looking at this option.
 
Has anyone compared a beer using a hop screen like these vs. using the reusable hop bags? We generally bag the hops unless there is only a small amount (>1 ounce). The bags stop almost all the hop material and are easy to hose out after the brew.

These screens look cool but are they worth the effort to build and money?
 
I am looking at this for my electric keggle. I tried the nylon bags and they worked great for gas, but I am really concerned with the nylon coming in contact with the elements. I figure I can forego the rivets and just use wire to stitch it together. Not sure of what mesh size to get, I use mostly pellets these days.

Anyone using this for mostly pellet hops seems to have said they might go a bit finer on the mesh---any suggestions?
 
I used bags with a spider in the beginning. I do larger batches and the hops packed together. Moved to this and will always include this if I change my BK. I stitched it together with stainless wire, worked just fine. I listed my mesh size in this thread somewhere. I can't off hand think of it, thinking 20 x 20. When I use pellets it does have some particles that make it through, but not a lot. Go with a finer mesh and it would be perfect. It does take a little time and is more expensive to begin with. One of the best equipment additions I've ever made.
 
Dog House Brew said:
I used bags with a spider in the beginning. I do larger batches and the hops packed together. Moved to this and will always include this if I change my BK. I stitched it together with stainless wire, worked just fine. I listed my mesh size in this thread somewhere. I can't off hand think of it, thinking 20 x 20. When I use pellets it does have some particles that make it through, but not a lot. Go with a finer mesh and it would be perfect. It does take a little time and is more expensive to begin with. One of the best equipment additions I've ever made.

Would you say a 22 X 22 woul be good or even finer? I am sick of fishing bags and losing my hop flavor to bags. I've been looking at this for quite a while.
 
Like I said before, I got the stainless mesh from McMaster Carr. $23.15. Part # 9238T291 20x20, 0.014 wire diameter.

I have used my Hopster about 10 times now, using only pellet hops. If I had to guesstimate, the Hopster keeps about 3/4 of the pellets while about 1/4 get into my boil kettle. If I had to do it all over again, I would get something like 18x18 mesh or a very slightly thicker wire diameter.

As far as hops utilization, you have to realize it's not completely necessary for the hops to be tumbling around the kettle. The boiling wort will do enough damage to the hops that the bitterness will come out. I usually stir up the hops in the Hopster a couple times during the kettle, just in case. I did a 90-Minute DFH IPA Clone with this, and it turned out awesome. Likewise, a lot of the hops "cling" to the mesh, therefore maximizing the exposure to the boiling wort.
 
I have used my Hopster about 10 times now, using only pellet hops. If I had to guesstimate, the Hopster keeps about 3/4 of the pellets while about 1/4 get into my boil kettle.

I have the same mesh and this is an accurate observation. Everyone asks about utilization. I've entered 3 different competitions, with the same beers, and all came back as "too hoppy for the style". I feel my utilization has increased over using the bag set-up. I'm trying to get an accurate reduction in the IBU department. I have used this for 10-12 batches. I think 30x30 would work really well if you are not wanting "any" particles out in your brew, especially if you use a plate chiller. I use a CFC and I have no problem with some hops making it into the fermenter.
 
Would you say a 22 X 22 woul be good or even finer? I am sick of fishing bags and losing my hop flavor to bags. I've been looking at this for quite a while.

Depending on your chilling set-up, hop type-pellets more than cones, would be what determines mesh size. I have the 20 x 20 and it's fine for me. I probably would have gone a bit smaller. Like in my last post, I don't mind some hop matter making it to the fermenter.
 
Dog House Brew said:
Depending on your chilling set-up, hop type-pellets more than cones, would be what determines mesh size. I have the 20 x 20 and it's fine for me. I probably would have gone a bit smaller. Like in my last post, I don't mind some hop matter making it to the fermenter.

I use a plate chiller and I'm trying to keep less material in it as possible. I have a spider but feel the bag (I've tried many) are just too fine. I'm thinking that a good screen size will give good flow and movement but not let too much material into the chiller.

I try and do a single pass through my chiller and into the carboy.

I want to recirculate back into the basket while chilling to get a filter type process going.

I would like to know if someone has bought a screen size between the 20 X 20 and the 30 X 30 to give me an idea of the best screen mesh. I use a mix of pellet and whole hop.

Thanks guys.
 
I'm in the process of making one with 30x30 mesh simply because it was available to me and free.

Has anyone actually used a 30x30 mesh hopster?

What were your results?
 
Curious what yall think of making this the shape of a funnel style coffee filter? Might be a pain stictching it up though. I made a paper mockup for kicks. My initial measurements are that I could make a suitable design for my purposes out of a single 36" sheet. This would save a few bucks, just get the SS wire and I could probably do this for around $75


image-2207709758.jpg



image-3477983756.jpg
 
Curious what yall think of making this the shape of a funnel style coffee filter? Might be a pain stictching it up though. I made a paper mockup for kicks. My initial measurements are that I could make a suitable design for my purposes out of a single 36" sheet. This would save a few bucks, just get the SS wire and I could probably do this for around $75

I think the straight sides are advantageous. I think the angled sides would restrict the flow. Just my $.02
 
I use a plate chiller and I'm trying to keep less material in it as possible. I have a spider but feel the bag (I've tried many) are just too fine. I'm thinking that a good screen size will give good flow and movement but not let too much material into the chiller.

I try and do a single pass through my chiller and into the carboy.

I want to recirculate back into the basket while chilling to get a filter type process going.

I would like to know if someone has bought a screen size between the 20 X 20 and the 30 X 30 to give me an idea of the best screen mesh. I use a mix of pellet and whole hop.

Thanks guys.

McMaster part # 85385T408

Something like this would do what you want. I think there is a fine line of wire size getting too small to be durable enough. when you lift this and dump it it can get quite heavy. I do 16.5 gallon batches and mine is really heavy on my IPA recipies. I do think this would work for you IMO.
 
I'm in the process of making one with 30x30 mesh simply because it was available to me and free.

Has anyone actually used a 30x30 mesh hopster?

What were your results?

Yeah. I just got my 30 X 30 in the mail today. I am a plate chiller, so need more of an absolute filter.

I have some 20 x 20 with .023" wire diameter and it's almost to hard to bend. I got some 40 x 40 'strainer grade' (which is .0065") which I sent back cause it was so flimsy it would crease during cleaning.

I now have 30 x 30 with .013" wire and I think it's a sweet spot. I wouldn't want it any lighter gauge than this and this is the heaviest gauge 30 x 30 (or near it) from McMaster.

I think it's really important to be talking about wire diameter and mesh size since they both influence the hole diameter which is what we are all after in the end. Mesh size alone tells you not much. Wire diameter will tell you whether your hop spider will last after you put forth all the effort to make one.
 
Yeah. I just got my 30 X 30 in the mail today. I am a plate chiller, so need more of an absolute filter.

I have some 20 x 20 with .023" wire diameter and it's almost to hard to bend. I got some 40 x 40 'strainer grade' (which is .0065") which I sent back cause it was so flimsy it would crease during cleaning.

I now have 30 x 30 with .013" wire and I think it's a sweet spot. I wouldn't want it any lighter gauge than this and this is the heaviest gauge 30 x 30 (or near it) from McMaster.

I think it's really important to be talking about wire diameter and mesh size since they both influence the hole diameter which is what we are all after in the end. Mesh size alone tells you not much. Wire diameter will tell you whether your hop spider will last after you put forth all the effort to make one.

Be sure to let us know how this works. I use mostly pellets in 10G batches and really want to know how well this will work for pellets. Whole leaf hops are easy to size for the screen - the challenge is the pellets.

I am considering making one that my IC would fit in, if the cost isn't insane. I like the free boil.
 
I really like this Hopster. I was just thinking the other day about making one of those Hopspiders out of stainless mesh, nice to see someone beat me to it, it will save me some coin.

I will be using a bottom drain, no dip tube at all, so whirlpooling and hopscreens won't work. The Hopster looks like it would work great to keep most hops in when boiling, then when I recirc for chilling, I'll place the return line back into the top of the Hopster to coolect more of the break/trub/etc.

Thanks!
 
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