how do you use your hop spider?

[luismatalon]

I got a bad clog on my system yesterday. I typically just throw my pellets in free to the boiling wort...but I don't want to deal with a clog again. It got me thinking about building a hop spider. I have a question for those that use em.
-Do you pull the hop spider out of your kettle while cooling? I typically put the lid on my kettle once my temps fall to 120. I would not be able to properly put the lid on the kettle with a hop spider in place....so do I pull it out? If you pull it out, are you really making an effect on your hop utilization? What are your process points?

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

I started using a hops spider a couple of years ago, when my pumps got clogged by hops debris.

I leave it in while chilling, as I often have late addition and/or flame out hops that I keep in and whirlpool and recirculate. I recirculate until the wort reaches 120, and then send it to the fermenter on the last pass.

I don't use a lid, ever, so that's not an issue for me. My utilization seems to be about the same, but when I use a LOT of hops like I did last week, I use a second spider or a big hops bag for some additions. But that's only in my 6 ounce + beers.

 

[BrewThruYou]

I do the same as yooper except I use an immersion chiller.

I don't use a lid at all and I leave the spider in there while chilling. When putting in the immersion chiller, I have to pick up the hop spider briefly and then I relocate the spider's "bag" to the middle of the chiller.