Trub/Hop Filter from BrewersHardware

[pola0502ds]

no problem.

 

[pola0502ds]

What do you think of how he welded the filter to the tri-clamp? Mine is only tack welded in 4 spots. I don't know much about welding so i'm just hoping it holds up over time. It seems to me if I dropped it by accident that it would snap one of the welds.

 

[bull8042]

Mine is the same, but you have to consider the screen material. Being perforated, it is fairly thin. And having done a bit of welding myself years ago, I can tell you that running a bead around the filter would have been a nightmare and the potential to burn-through pretty high. Not to mention, if you drop it, you could very well damage the filter itself. If the tack-weld snaps, that would absorb a lot of the impact reducing the damage to the screen. Just my opinion of course.

 

[pola0502ds]

Makes sense to me, thanks.

 

[amsped180]

I thought I would use the filter last weekend, but alas it was delayed until today. I brewed a 10 gallon AG batch of APA with four ounces of pellet hops put loose into the wort. When there were fifteen minutes left in the boil I began to circulate boiling wort from BK>Trub Filter>March Pump>40 Plate Chiller back into the BK. As stated in previous posts, when I first opened the kettle ball valve to allow the wort to move through the filter, there was a little resistance as the air bubbled back into the kettle (watch out for this, could be potentially dangerous if you have an undersized kettle, once the chamber had filled with wort it flowed very easily. I was nervous that too much hop material would make it through the primary filter, but when I flushed/back flushed my plate chiller it only turned my PBW solution a tinge of green, very few chunks actually came out, unlike previous runs where several flushes were necessary. I did do a quick whirlpool at the end of the boil and a sizable trub/hop cone was left behind. I absolutely recommend this equipment to anyone who wants this level of trub filtration/bling for their rig.

 

[pola0502ds]

Lookin good. I think it's nice. I'm going to rack to a secondary this coming weekend and I should get a good idea of how much hop and trub material made it into the fermentor. In my opinion, the jury is still out there for this item until I or someone else racks it.

 

[TrickyDick]

This looks like a great piece of equipment.

I used to own a hopstopper, but many times couldn't keep the siphon on my sanke BK. This would eliminate that potential pitfall, though I've since moved to a Blichmann kettle and use the hop blocker as well, that really doesn't filter out the break. Ive never been good at the whirlpool technique. I think I'm going to try this out and see how it works for me.

I need to come up with a way to mount it and incorporate into my existing modified "Brutus" type brew rig. Any advantage to mounting vertically, as opposed to horizontally?

Thanks for the testing and reviews!

TD

 

[amsped180]

The main reason I mounted mine horizontally is to reduce the turbulance involved with the boiling wort enterting the vessel. I was a little worried about hot side airation, and until I taste the final product I won't be able to tell, but I didn't see much in the way of air bubbles coming out of the unit.

 

[TrickyDick]

Thanks!

I'm toying with getting one of these, but thinking strongly about the Blichmann HopRocket as well. Don't think I'd need both. This seems like it would probably do better at filtering, unless I filled the HopRocket with some hops - though that wouldn't be appropriate for most styles I don't think. I'd bet you could probably stuff the HopRocket with Copper of SS pot scrubber as an alternative to hops though...

TD

 

[bull8042]

........
I need to come up with a way to mount it and incorporate into my existing modified "Brutus" type brew rig. Any advantage to mounting vertically, as opposed to horizontally?

Thanks for the testing and reviews!

TD

Mounted vertically, it is much easier to vent the trapped air to prevent "vapor-locking" your pump if you plumb it before the pump.
On the other side of the coin, if you refer to the previous pictures, you can see how the filtered material drops and collects in the bottom if the flow starts and stops or slows a time or two. Mounting it horizontally, more of the filtered material could drop away from the filter opening more area to continue filtering.

The main reason I mounted mine horizontally is to reduce the turbulance involved with the boiling wort enterting the vessel. I was a little worried about hot side airation, and until I taste the final product I won't be able to tell, but I didn't see much in the way of air bubbles coming out of the unit.

HSA is a myth. It really doesn't exist for all practical intents and purposes, so don't let that worry you.

 

[amsped180]

Thanks!

I'm toying with getting one of these, but thinking strongly about the Blichmann HopRocket as well. Don't think I'd need both. This seems like it would probably do better at filtering, unless I filled the HopRocket with some hops - though that wouldn't be appropriate for most styles I don't think. I'd bet you could probably stuff the HopRocket with Copper of SS pot scrubber as an alternative to hops though...

TD

I was looking at the hop rocket very seriously when I found this, and I had the same thought process when it comes to style. I bet your SS scrubbie idea would work, but at the end of the day you either have to clean them, or replace them next time. It was a toss up as the price for each unit was somewhat similar and at the end of the day I feel like I prefer brewing less hoppy darker styles.

 

[bull8042]

Just to update, I brewed again this past weekend and everything went very well. I started the mash recirculation slow instead of wide open and it seemed to make all the difference in the world. However, I also had a totally different grain bill.
This brew used 5 oz of pellet hops vs 1.5 oz in the previous one. I did use a bag for them this time though, keeping the majority of them out of the filter. It still trapped a ton of crap and prevented it from entering the fermenter.
So, my conclusion at the moment: Perhaps slight changes in my brewing methods are netting optimum results and I think this was a great addition to my system. Regardless, I have had nothing to flush out of my plate hex since I started using it, which was the original intent in the first place. So, Derrin get my 100% approval rating for an excellent piece (FWIW).

 

[milldoggy]

Does this remove the amount of trub in your primary? Is it noticeable? Any pics of the primary?

 

[bull8042]

It removes nearly all of the solid material from the wort. The cold break is a gelatinous mass that I would imagine requires very fine filtration to remove. So I still had that in the fermenter, but it settles out within an hour or two.
I will be transferring my first brew that I did with the filter into secondary next week, so I will try to remember and get a picture for you. It is about 35 °L, so pretty hard to see the bottom with the beer in there right now.

 

[milldoggy]

Cool, this might be on the xmas list. Wish he made a camlock version

 

[bull8042]

Cool, this might be on the xmas list. Wish he made a camlock version

Shoot him an email. He does custom work and could very well hook you up.
Tell him Bull sent you.

 

[pola0502ds]

Just to update, I brewed again this past weekend and everything went very well. I started the mash recirculation slow instead of wide open and it seemed to make all the difference in the world. However, I also had a totally different grain bill.
This brew used 5 oz of pellet hops vs 1.5 oz in the previous one. I did use a bag for them this time though, keeping the majority of them out of the filter. It still trapped a ton of crap and prevented it from entering the fermenter.
So, my conclusion at the moment: Perhaps slight changes in my brewing methods are netting optimum results and I think this was a great addition to my system. Regardless, I have had nothing to flush out of my plate hex since I started using it, which was the original intent in the first place. So, Derrin get my 100% approval rating for an excellent piece (FWIW).

I'm doing a cream ale and a APA. The cream ale only has 2 ounces of hops in a 10 gallon batch but the APA has 12 ounces in a 10 gallon batch. All hops start to be added at the 20minute boil mark. Should be interesting to see how the filter holds up to 12 ounces. I will report. I am brewing both on the 4th of july.

I too will making the transfer to my secondary next week, i will also post the results. My beer was a Chocolate oatmeal stout so it's pretty darn dark right now.

 

[pola0502ds]

Cool, this might be on the xmas list. Wish he made a camlock version

For the inlet get a 90 degree triclamp elbow, attach that to the filter. Then get a tri-clamp female adapter, screw the cam lock into the female adapter and clamp the adapter to the eblow. Do the same for the outlet but you wouldn't need a elbow. You have just converted it to a quick disconnect. Easier said than done i guess, it would cost about $20 bucks for 2 female tc adapters, $14 bucks for 2 tc clamps, $15 for the elbow, plus the cost of the QD's. Prices are based on my sources.

 

[bull8042]

For the inlet get a 90 degree triclamp elbow, attach that to the filter. Then get a tri-clamp female adapter, screw the cam lock into the female adapter and clamp the adapter to the eblow. Do the same for the outlet but you wouldn't need a elbow. You have just converted it to a quick disconnect. Easier said than done i guess, it would cost about $20 bucks for 2 female tc adapters, $14 bucks for 2 tc clamps, $15 for the elbow, plus the cost of the QD's. Prices are based on my sources.

Yeah, and Derrin sells all of the components that you would need to accomplish this as well. Well, not you pola0502ds....the previous poster.

 

[pola0502ds]

Female TC adapters are $10 bucks at www.weldessfittings.com. I would buy elbows, tees, clamps etc. from brewershardware or www.glaciertanks.com. That place has amazing deals on tc products.

 

[bull8042]

Female TC adapters are $10 bucks at www.weldessfittings.com. I would buy elbows, tees, clamps etc. from brewershardware or www.glaciertanks.com. That place has amazing deals on tc products.

Good information, thanks.

 

[pola0502ds]

No problem man. My whole system is tri-clamps but it's not a sanitary setup. I still have threads everywhere too.

 

[TrickyDick]

Thanks for the links!

When it comes to Tri Clamp fittings, I think that its a bit over-rated. I understand why the big guys use them, because they lose a lot of $$ when a batch is bad. On the Pre-Boil plumbing I think it is totally unnecessary.

On the post chill fittings it makes sense. I think if you are using a good cleaning and disinfecting practice on your gear, whether you disassemble the threaded fittings or not ( though depending how how heavily you use the equipment might be a good idea to disassemble once a year to clean and soak to prevent beer stone buildup). They way I see it, if the sanitizer can get to the surface metal, then so can the beer and if the sanitizer cannot get to the surface metal, then neither can the beer.... I understand that microorganisms can MOVE, but doubt significantly that enough would be present to cause a contaminated batch with appropriate pitch rates.. but that's just my 2 cents.
seems the biggest reason to get the fittings is that they're cool, and some equipment its the only way they're sold! (hope this doesn't start a flame war...)

TD

 

[bull8042]

Thanks for the links!

When it comes to Tri Clamp fittings, I think that its a bit over-rated. I understand why the big guys use them, because they lose a lot of $$ when a batch is bad. On the Pre-Boil plumbing I think it is totally unnecessary.

On the post chill fittings it makes sense. I think if you are using a good cleaning and disinfecting practice on your gear, whether you disassemble the threaded fittings or not ( though depending how how heavily you use the equipment might be a good idea to disassemble once a year to clean and soak to prevent beer stone buildup). They way I see it, if the sanitizer can get to the surface metal, then so can the beer and if the sanitizer cannot get to the surface metal, then neither can the beer.... I understand that microorganisms can MOVE, but doubt significantly that enough would be present to cause a contaminated batch with appropriate pitch rates.. but that's just my 2 cents.
seems the biggest reason to get the fittings is that they're cool, and some equipment its the only way they're sold! (hope this doesn't start a flame war...)

TD

You're a moron and don't know what you are talking about. (how's that for flaming?)
You are exactly right in your reasoning, but I use them less for a sanitary connection and more for a solid, leak-free one. I am not sure if you can see them in the pic I posted earlier in this thread, but I also use them to connect my plate hex, making it very convenient to disconnect and back-flush every once in a while.
So, while they may technically be unnecessary in a small scale setup, I do get a little satisfaction knowing everything that touches my wort is stainless. I do admit though that copper served me pretty well for years before re-plumbing my system. It just requires more care to prevent oxidation between brews.

 

[pola0502ds]

You're a moron and don't know what you are talking about. (how's that for flaming?)
You are exactly right in your reasoning, but I use them less for a sanitary connection and more for a solid, leak-free one. I am not sure if you can see them in the pic I posted earlier in this thread, but I also use them to connect my plate hex, making it very convenient to disconnect and back-flush every once in a while.
So, while they may technically be unnecessary in a small scale setup, I do get a little satisfaction knowing everything that touches my wort is stainless. I do admit though that copper served me pretty well for years before re-plumbing my system. It just requires more care to prevent oxidation between brews.

I agree with your moron quote and everything else you said. I picked tri-clamps for my connection methods because i like how they connect to one another, how easy they are to clean, they do create a absolutely leak free seal, the only part that goes bad on them is a $1.00 gaskets, and the list goes on. I didn't use these at all for trying to make my system sanitary.

I also went they way because quick disconnects are not really that much cheaper. SS QD'S are up there in price.

 

[bull8042]

I agree with your moron quote and everything else you said. I picked tri-clamps for my connection methods because i like how they connect to one another, how easy they are to clean, they do create a absolutely leak free seal, the only part that goes bad on them is a $1.00 gaskets, and the list goes on. I didn't use these at all for trying to make my system sanitary.

I also went they way because quick disconnects are not really that much cheaper. SS QD'S are up there in price.

I just want to clarify that the moron comment was a joke, and only because he mentioned flaming. I wouldn't want this thread to go to crap because we pissed TrickyDick off inadvertently.
Now, carry on.

 

[microbusbrewery]

I just want to clarify that the moron comment was a joke, and only because he mentioned flaming. I wouldn't want this thread to go to crap because we pissed TrickyDick off inadvertently.
Now, carry on.

Billy Idol gets it...

 

[pola0502ds]

FYI, I am brewing on Monday, I am going to apply one of the smaller filter screens to the main filter, I wanna see if it will catch the hot break. I will report back.

 

[Douglefish]

pola0502ds, please let everyone know what you find. If it works with hot break I think I'm going to pull the trigger.

 

[bull8042]

pola0502ds, please let everyone know what you find. If it works with hot break I think I'm going to pull the trigger.

You won't be disappointed, I am quite confident of that. You might want to get on the waiting list for the next batch though. It doesn't seem as if can keep those things in stock right now.