Sight glass for hop additions with tc clamps

[Murph4231]

I recently say conversations discussing the use of a 1 1/2 tc sight glass introducing hops into a closed fermenter. I can not find that thread. If anyone has info on that thread please advise.

 

[delium55]

I recently say conversations discussing the use of a 1 1/2 tc sight glass introducing hops into a closed fermenter. I can not find that thread. If anyone has info on that thread please advise.

A search with Dry hop sight glass and you have :

Sight glass on Spike Flex

Spike Conical- observations and best practices

Another sanke fermenter gadget: floating dip tube and hop dropper

No oxygen dry hopping

Just ordered Spike Flex+

Hop Dropper for SSB Unitank

Hop dropper??

How much whole coffee bean in a coffee/vanilla porter?

 

[Golddiggie]

See threads posted (was posted while I was composing my message).

All you really need is a butterfly valve on the lid of the fermenter (1.5" TC port) then attach a 1.5" TC sight glass to that. On top of that, you'll want a gas manifold so that you can do CO2 purge cycles once you have the hops added.

One thing to keep in mind, you want the insides of the assembly dry. Otherwise the hop pellets will clump together, expand, and become a total PITA to get into the fermenter. Also, I put the butterfly valve onto the fermenter at the start. I place a cap on it to keep it safe (so nothing gets in). Normally, I'll add the rest of the assembly when it's either dry hop day, or getting close.

I used mine the other day to dry hop a pale ale. The pellets didn't want to fall in at first (1.5oz). Simply moving the handle for the valve back and forth a few times got them to drop.

 

[Murph4231]

Thanks you guys, that was exactly what I was looking for.

Stay safe everyone in the areas affected by this hurricane.

 

[micraftbeer]

Brewer's Hardware sells one, if you want all the bits rounded up in one kit for you:

The Dry Hopper - 1.5" Tri Clover Compatible from Brewers Hardware

The Dry Hopper 1.5" Tri Clover Compatible (Convert to 2" by adding the cap reducer kit below) Purge hops with CO2 for no oxygen dry hopping Dry hop under pressure Hybrid Ball Valve is an encapsulated ball valve with a pull trigger locking handle New orders shipping in May.

www.brewershardware.com

 

[Golddiggie]

Brewer's Hardware sells one, if you want all the bits rounded up in one kit for you:

The Dry Hopper - 1.5" Tri Clover Compatible from Brewers Hardware

The Dry Hopper 1.5" Tri Clover Compatible (Convert to 2" by adding the cap reducer kit below) Purge hops with CO2 for no oxygen dry hopping Dry hop under pressure Hybrid Ball Valve is an encapsulated ball valve with a pull trigger locking handle New orders shipping in May.

www.brewershardware.com

Good if you don't already have either some, most, or all of the hardware already on hand. I used an extra gas manifold from Spike on the sight glass I already had. I also already had a spare butterfly valve. Of course, this is the 1.5" TC version. IME, the 1.5" version holds enough hop pellets for my dry hopping needs. At least at the current batch sizes I'm doing (10 gallon and less).

 

[Murph4231]

I agree @Golddiggie I'm now restricted to 5 gal batches so it works for me.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

1.5 is hard to drop pellets but it can be done. Like Goldsiggie said, wiggle the handle and you can them to go. Process described above works.

Corny dry hopper

• Ki-ri-n
• Aug 29, 2021

 

[jbschuyler]

Here's what I did after losing half a batch due to a loose hop mess jammed up my keg transfer:

I got a steel mesh hop tube and 1 1/2" ball valve instead of a butterfly valve. The length of the hop tube required the use of two sight glasses (which I already had), and a gas manifold at the top to purge O2 before opening the ball valve and dropping it into the tank.

 

[micraftbeer]

@jbschuyler I don't understand how you're using this to prevent hop debris flotilla in your fermentor? Does the whole mesh tube get shot into your fermentor, filled with hops, and sight glass tubes full of positive pressure?

So you open the ball valve, hop-filled mesh tube with a cap drops into your beer, then close the ball valve?

 

[jbschuyler]

@jbschuyler I don't understand how you're using this to prevent hop debris flotilla in your fermentor? Does the whole mesh tube get shot into your fermentor, filled with hops, and sight glass tubes full of positive pressure?​

So you open the ball valve, hop-filled mesh tube with a cap drops into your beer, then close the ball valve?

Yes, sorry if my steps seemed abbreviated.

By this point in fermentation, the Flex+ tank had self-carbonated to about 15psi, and my process was:

1- Close ball valve​

2- Attach sight glass (two in this case)​

3- Insert hop tube​

4- Attach gas manifold​

5- Attach CO2 line to manifold​

6- Charge and purge closed assembly 3 or 4 times to remove (minimize) O2​

7- Charge assembly to fermentor pressure (15psi in this case)​

8- Open ball valve to drop hop-filled tube into tank​

9- Close ball valve ---> return to step 3 to add another hop tube, or​

10- Remove sight glass assembly, and connect gas manifold directly to ball valve TC port​

11- Open ball valve​

​

Hope this helps!

 

[shoengine]

In haven't priced out the BH setup, but it doesn't seem too far off what it would cost to piece it together.

 

[micraftbeer]

@jbschuyler - Have a link to the go dinner tubes you're using? And about how much hops you're able to fit in a tube (assuming pellets swell up after soaking in beer)?

 

[jbschuyler]

@micraftbeer - Here is the link to the hop tube:

Carboy Dry Hopper, Stainless Steel - 300 Micron

The clean and easy way to dry hop! This carboy dry hopper is a stainless steel tube with a 300 micron stainless steel mesh measuring roughly 1 in diameter by 15.75 long (from the ends of the rubber stoppers - the mesh tube itself is 14 inches long) that can fit easily into the neck of a standard...

shop.greatfermentations.com

I am able to get approx 3oz of pellets into the tube, but I am thinking of getting another one so that I can pack them less tightly.

 

[apache_brew]

A search with Dry hop sight glass and you have :

Sight glass on Spike Flex

Spike Conical- observations and best practices

Another sanke fermenter gadget: floating dip tube and hop dropper

No oxygen dry hopping

Just ordered Spike Flex+

Hop Dropper for SSB Unitank

Hop dropper??

How much whole coffee bean in a coffee/vanilla porter?

Hey I’m famous! Lol
FWIW I used 2” TC fittings that minimize the hops from hanging up when the butterfly valve opens.

 

[JasperAK]

1.5 is hard to drop pellets but it can be done. Like Goldsiggie said, wiggle the handle and you can them to go. Process described above works.

Corny dry hopper

• Ki-ri-n
• Aug 29, 2021

What size ferrule did you weld to that corny lid? I’m about to make one of these.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

1.5 TC
Forget what the diameter is