the holy grail of hop filtering - whole and pellet

[dbrewski]

Take a look at my homemade hop stopper. The large surface area really holds a ton of hops. I start with gravity which is fine, because it matches the flow I need with my CFC. Once it slows, I turn the pump on. Works great. At the end you have to slow to a trickle. I watch the hose and when I see the wort dripping through it, I slow the output of the pump.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hop-quesadilla-305073/

Yeah, I used 30x30 mesh on mine, I didn't want to sew anything so I made it a different shape w/rivets. But that is a nice build. in the comments someone says it works great if you run the pump slow. I think that is my problem. in attempting to create a whirlpool, I am trying to run the pump too high. I think I need to whirlpool manually as spokaniac suggested. Then maybe I can just use a stainless scrubby on a short side pickup tube (which by the way also clogs when you don't whirlpool and use a pump too fast).

I'll keep working at it and post any progress.

 

[kpr121]

I have just used a SS scrubbie over my diptube for the past year or two and have not had a problem with pellets or leaf hops clogging. I do not use a pump though. I'll hopefully be using a pump on National Homebrew day on teh 5th for the first time.

I'm in basically the same boat. I've used paint strainer bags, muslin bags, etc etc, but for the last 5 or so brews I've just used a stainless scrubby wedged under my diptube. It's worked great. I also have not used a pump with it, but I would imagine it should work fine for a single transfer to the fermenter. My biggest concern is that I want to use that pump for a whirlpool to recirculate/agitate the wort while my IC is chilling, then it may get clogged up with the continued flow.

 

[milldoggy]

Yeah, I used 30x30 mesh on mine, I didn't want to sew anything so I made it a different shape w/rivets. But that is a nice build. in the comments someone says it works great if you run the pump slow. I think that is my problem. in attempting to create a whirlpool, I am trying to run the pump too high. I think I need to whirlpool manually as spokaniac suggested. Then maybe I can just use a stainless scrubby on a short side pickup tube (which by the way also clogs when you don't whirlpool and use a pump too fast).

I'll keep working at it and post any progress.

I run the pump at full blast for whirlpooling. Works good. Only have to slow the pump when you start to expose the stopper.

 

[dbrewski]

I run the pump at full blast for whirlpooling. Works good. Only have to slow the pump when you start to expose the stopper.

OK, is this with mixed pellet and whole hops? Starting right after flameout? I cannot do that, it runs for about 7-10 seconds then slows to a crawl as pellet hops are sucked into a clingy mossy mess on the surface. Maybe it is a surface area thing, yours has a larger area. I am not using crazy amounts of hops here either, maybe 4 oz total.

 

[milldoggy]

OK, is this with mixed pellet and whole hops? Starting right after flameout? I cannot do that, it runs for about 7-10 seconds then slows to a crawl as pellet hops are sucked into a clingy mossy mess on the surface. Maybe it is a surface area thing, yours has a larger area. I am not using crazy amounts of hops here either, maybe 4 oz total.

Did 9 oz of pellets last weekend, ran it 5 minutes while boiling and a few after. It did stop after that. With 6 ozs it ran for 15 no problem. I think surface area has a lot to do with it.