New way to control Pellet Hop gunk!

[marcb]

Amazing work by Chad from Arbor once again! This design will allow me to ditch the hop bags in my 145g electric boil kettle and still keep all the funk out of my chiller and off of my elements!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421963545.229184.jpg

 

[zentropy]

Wondering if anyone has had a filter basket made for a 10 gal electric BoilerMaker.

 

[dave99ag]

Wondering if anyone has had a filter basket made for a 10 gal electric BoilerMaker.

I'm considering something very similar with a BoilCoil installed. Potential issues I see is the diameter of the basket would be about 11" and you'd need to raise the basket up above the dip tube. Would that be enough volume for grains?

 

[brewguyver]

I used mine for the first time on Sunday. Awesome purchase. The only interesting thing i found is that after chilling the rest of the wort down to 55, the wort in the filter was still about 85. No issues - just kinda cool.

I'm now wondering how large i could get away with and still filter fruit pulp. I've been thinking about using a smaller one to rack off pulp heavy meads, but i want to get a mesh wide enough that i can get good liquid flow (i use a vacuum pump to rack).

 

[philipCT]

Heady topper clone. Worked like a charm. Don't know the exact amount of hops. But I'd say around 8 ounces or so.

View attachment 225014View attachment 225015

Hey kcmobrewer - very impressive. Just so I know what I'm looking at though - that's an 8" diameter screen - but what's the height and is it 300 or 400?

I'm looking for one for exactly the same reason you do. I use a CFC so I don't need clarity - I just want good flow. I don't really care if there's some trub in the fermenter. Usually I'm fermenting in a conical and I'll dump that stuff after the first 5-7 days.

I have the option of going 6" diameter by full kettle height (19") or doing 8" diameter and staying above the electric heating element at 14". I like doing whole hops when I can get them but end up using pellets sometimes anyway.

I'm a little concerned about the 8" diameter messing with a full rolling boil. OTOH, I'm thinking that if I can hang the 8" diameter screen over the electric element, I'll get a little additional vertical circulation within the hop screen itself.

Am I over thinking things? (yes, but isn't that what we're here for???


EDIT: and while we're overthinking things:
6" dia X 19" height = volume of 2.33 gallons
8" dia X 14" height = colume of 3.05 gallons
...so if one were thinking of getting max capacity for bigly hopped beers, the 8" would be better...

 

[marcb]

Finish product hanging in my 145g kettle above the elementsView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422574111.587276.jpg

 

[philipCT]

Dude. Tell me that is NOT a 145 gallon kettle!

 

[marcb]

Dude. Tell me that is NOT a 145 gallon kettle!

Oh but it isView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422650825.581904.jpg

 

[MX1]

Hey kcmobrewer - very impressive. Just so I know what I'm looking at though - that's an 8" diameter screen - but what's the height and is it 300 or 400?

I'm looking for one for exactly the same reason you do. I use a CFC so I don't need clarity - I just want good flow. I don't really care if there's some trub in the fermenter. Usually I'm fermenting in a conical and I'll dump that stuff after the first 5-7 days.

I have the option of going 6" diameter by full kettle height (19") or doing 8" diameter and staying above the electric heating element at 14". I like doing whole hops when I can get them but end up using pellets sometimes anyway.

I'm a little concerned about the 8" diameter messing with a full rolling boil. OTOH, I'm thinking that if I can hang the 8" diameter screen over the electric element, I'll get a little additional vertical circulation within the hop screen itself.

Am I over thinking things? (yes, but isn't that what we're here for???


EDIT: and while we're overthinking things:
6" dia X 19" height = volume of 2.33 gallons
8" dia X 14" height = colume of 3.05 gallons
...so if one were thinking of getting max capacity for bigly hopped beers, the 8" would be better...

I want to see some talk about the vertical circulation and if it will keep my wort in the pot and not splashing out

 

[brewguyver]

I want to see some talk about the vertical circulation and if it will keep my wort in the pot and not splashing out

Based on my brewing i don't think you'll get much vertical circulation, but you shouldn't have a boil problem either. My boil was plenty big enough with a 6" - an 8" would have been fine, but it wouldn't fit inside my immersion chiller. With the chiller and the screen i still got a good rolling boil going. It didn't splash out around the screen at all. Bare in mind my pot has a 14" diameter, so if yours is a lot more narrow things might be different.

On vertical circulation - I've noticed (and others have posted) that the boiling wort will go up and around the filter instead of directly through. I seemed to get really good hop utilization - the oils diffuse out fine, but the liquid itself doesn't move drastically. Case in point, when i chilled my wort with the immersion chiller the wort outside the screen was about 55 but the inside was around 95-100 and still steaming.

So, 8" is probably fine, but I wouldn't go as large as full pot diameter.

 

[MX1]

So, having the screen over the element should not effect the boil then?

Right now, I push the limits of my BK, so when I boil, I loose wort up and out of the pot during the first part of the boil.
I have been toying with the idea of getting on of these and ditching the hop bags for good.

For the record, my pots are 18.5 inches across the top and 14.5 inches tall.
Thinking a 6x10 filter should work well for me.

Tim

 

[philipCT]

Awesome. Thanks for the observations. Took the suggestions posted by others here and called Chad. He was great to talk to.

My Blingman 20g is 18 inches ID, so I think I'll go for the 8 inch circumference screen for more volume.

I'll be putting my order in this week. Can't wait to brew with this bad boy and get rid of that hop stopper that always added 40 minutes to the brewday and stranded 2 gallons at the bottom of the BK.

 

[philipCT]

Oh but it isView attachment 252690

I am humbled.

It's this a commercial or a club operation?

 

[marcb]

I am humbled.



It's this a commercial or a club operation?

Check out bcbrewing.com

 

[burkesw]

Sorry to get off topic Marcb but how do you add hops to that thing mid boil? Do you have an arm length leather glove or something? Or maybe a hook?

I'm probably missing some obvious but I had to ask, you caught my curiosity.

For on topic reference, I got a 300m filter from arbor for Christmas and can't wait to try it!

 

[marcb]

Sorry to get off topic Marcb but how do you add hops to that thing mid boil? Do you have an arm length leather glove or something? Or maybe a hook?

I'm probably missing some obvious but I had to ask, you caught my curiosity.

For on topic reference, I got a 300m filter from arbor for Christmas and can't wait to try it!

Good eye, left a front hanger off of my original design. I will get that rectified tomorrow and post pics. Doing a big, hoppy pale on Saturday and will post pics.

 

[MX1]

@Marcb

Thanks for this thread and all your help and insight.

I know you had several different prototypes made, is there boneyard somewhere now...lol

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

@Marcb

Thanks for this thread and all your help and insight.

I know you had several different prototypes made, is there boneyard somewhere now...lol

I bet you could build several breweries just from Marcb's kitchen junk drawer.

 

[marcb]

@Marcb

Thanks for this thread and all your help and insight.

I know you had several different prototypes made, is there boneyard somewhere now...lol

Ah, not of these guys. The prototypes have either gone with systems I've sold over the years or ended up with friends.

 

[marcb]

I bet you could build several breweries just from Marcb's kitchen junk drawer.

It's Funny because it's true!

We're going to do a clean out sale at the brewery this spring or summer to reduce the clutter and raise some operational funds. Stainless is my favorite color.

 

[marcb]

I bet you could build several breweries just from Marcb's kitchen junk drawer.

It's funny because it's true. Bay Area home brewers will be very happy when we do our parking lot sale at the brewery in Spring or Summer this year.

 

[sabitu]

Has anyone had a dry hop filter made for their conical fermenter? I have a 7 gallon SS Brewtech conical and I'm trying to figure out how to design a filter that will work. Any ideas?

 

[MX1]

I used a paint strainer bag, and still had lots of hop crap in the kettle....this is moving up on the list of upgrades....

 

[marcb]

Has anyone had a dry hop filter made for their conical fermenter? I have a 7 gallon SS Brewtech conical and I'm trying to figure out how to design a filter that will work. Any ideas?

Do you have tri clover fittings? I would probably have a small stainless hook welded to the bottom of a removable fitting. Chad (arbor fab) also makes dry hoppers that are mesh tubes with silicone stoppers on each end that you can drop into a carboy, should probably work for you too.

 

[sabitu]

Do you have tri clover fittings? I would probably have a small stainless hook welded to the bottom of a removable fitting. Chad (arbor fab) also makes dry hoppers that are mesh tubes with silicone stoppers on each end that you can drop into a carboy, should probably work for you too.

Yeah I have one 1.5" tri clover ferrule on my conical lid. I guess I could have a hook welded onto a fitting that would be inserted into this port. It also fits a carboy bung so his carboy dry hopper would probably work as well.

I may pick up one of his keg dry hoppers and try that while I'm at it. I've never dry hopped in the keg but it seems pretty effective.

 

[MX1]

I used a paint strainer bag, and still had lots of hop crap in the kettle....this is moving up on the list of upgrades....

Talking with Chad now, what an amazing guy to work with, top notch!

 

[hezagenius]

I used a paint strainer bag, and still had lots of hop crap in the kettle....this is moving up on the list of upgrades....

No doubt. The bag just didn't seem to cut it. And it was a PITA to manage, even in a hop spider with a bunch of SS washers in it to hold it down. These filters look to be way easier to manage.

 

[MX1]

Pulling the trigger today:

6x11x300

Just in time for a American Wheat, I am sure my 2oz of hops will push it to the limit...lol

T

EDIT TO ADD: Just got my shipping notice....hellz yeah!

 

[burkesw]

Good eye, left a front hanger off of my original design. I will get that rectified tomorrow and post pics. Doing a big, hoppy pale on Saturday and will post pics.

Marcb,

How'd the new filter work out? It looks bomb-proof just curious how it all ended up working.

 

[marcb]

Marcb,



How'd the new filter work out? It looks bomb-proof just curious how it all ended up working.

Really well! Ended up welding a hanger on the front to be able to add hops during the boil. Between this and the whirlpool there was zero crap in the inline filter before the plate chiller.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424370158.319479.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424370173.386939.jpg