Trub/Hop Filter from BrewersHardware

[bull8042]

Your connection sounds like the right way to go, but I am not so sure the filter, even with 0.2mm screen will remove any break material. That stuff is slimy and stringy and will probably cruise right on through.

 

[LeftTurnOnly]

It seems like most people are doing 5-10 gallon batches with this filter. Anybody doing larger batches with it at all? 20 to 40 maybe?

From reading the posts, it's roughly sounding like 10 gallons of a decently hopped batch might be about the limit per filter maybe?... that's an assumption on my part... Glacier Tanks has a similar filter, but with slightly larger holes.. 1/16" or about 1.6mm vs the .5mm of Brewers Hardware.

Anybody think that if you ran those inline with the 1.6mm hole filter before the .5mm hole filter, that you may catch some of the thicker stuff first to help with flow (and maybe filter bigger batches), or do you think it might just all flow right through the first one and still all end up in the smaller filter anyway?

My other thought was to perhaps put a "Y" or two in the line to the filter, and just run 2 or more filters in parallel and then bring them back to one line again before the plate chiller.

Anyway, just wondering if anybody has ever tried anything like that or if they seemed like they might work or not.... Thanks....

Kyle..

 

[canyonbrewer]

Here is an update on some changes I made recently and the results.
I wanted to re-plumb my system in order to place the filter on the output side of the pump and orient both pumps vertically to make them easier to prime. The wort pump on the bottom is mounted in rubber feet so when the tri-clovers are tightened, it pulls the pump upward slightly so it is not supporting the weight of the filter. My major concerns were pumping upwards into the filter and whether that would pose a problem or not. Well, it did. Apparently after I stopped recirculating the mash and sparging, the flow was flawless by the way, everything that was captured in the filter settled back into the bottom at the pump. So after the boil was complete and recirculation started, the filter nearly plugged completely. I had a very long and painful experience of trying to get the wort into the fermenter, taking nearly an hour to drain the BK.
Examining the filter, I found what couldn't have amounted to much more than a couple of tablespoons of grain and hop residue on the filter. WTF?!?! Apparently, after everything settled when the sparge finished, restarting the flow stirred it all up and gave it the perfect opportunity to find every single opening in the filter to plug.
So, it seems to be quite important to flow into the top of the filter. I believe when the flow stops in this configuration, the particulate settles to the bottom. Then when flow starts again, it would sort of rinse what is already in there off the screen to some degree freeing up more surface area to handle any newly introduced particles.
Fortunately, the plumbing is just temporary and I haven't cut and bent any more stainless yet. So I am going to move the wort pump to just above the water pump and dump the wort into the top of the filter, then exit the filter into the bottom of the HEX instead of the top. That will make draining the system completely easier as well.
I may try mounting the filter horizontally as well if I can get it to fit just to see if there are any benefits.
Don't be too critical on some of the tubing bends. I cobbled this together with what I already had on hand and had to re-bend some tubing to get everything to fit. Besides, I find that wort doesn't really care it tubing has a little ripple in the tubing wall.

Bull, sweet setup. I also live in fort mill. Got a e-herms setup with this trub filter too. We should brew together man. I'm in Baxter.

 

[BDB]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this finally.

My goal is to run in the following order: BK > Pump > Filter > PL Chiller > BK (Whirlpool).

I will run this till my temp in BK is close to pitching. Then let rest. Sanitize fermenter, and then drain BK > Pump > Filter > Primary. I think this should reduce the most trub/break material possible before it reaches my primary.

My only question is... Will a heating element interfere with the whirlpool?

Never mind I found this. Looks like it will work too.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/whirlpool-electric-kettle-202947/index3.html

 

[microbusbrewery]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this finally.

My goal is to run in the following order: BK > Pump > Filter > PL Chiller > BK (Whirlpool).

I will run this till my temp in BK is close to pitching. Then let rest. Sanitize fermenter, and then drain BK > Pump > Filter > Primary. I think this should reduce the most trub/break material possible before it reaches my primary.

My only question is... Will a heating element interfere with the whirlpool?

Never mind I found this. Looks like it will work too.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/whirlpool-electric-kettle-202947/index3.html

I tried this on my last batch and I clogged it twice. Normally I just do BK > pump > filter > plate chiller > fermenter. It's the only time I've ever managed to clog and I think it was probably my own fault - didn't let it sit long enough to things settle out. Also I just held my return line in place and I think it was stirring up the cone. It should work if you design it right, but my impromptu method obviously wasn't the best way to do it.

 

[akthor]

My plan involves one of these hooked right to the outlet of the BK, so it will go BK, filter, pump, HERMS (chiller), fermenter.

 

[mors]

Yeah you can't put the wort through it twice because then all the cold break will clog the filter (unless maybe you cleaned the filter out between the runs)

 

[pjj2ba]

I use a "grant" to recirculate my wort while chilling it. Immediately after flameout, I transfer the hot wort to a modified corny. I have a hop filter in the kettle. It takes about 5 min. to do this. I then hook the modified corny up to my chiller and pump and let it rip. Chilled wort goes back into the corny. Cold break is no problem for the plate chiller. It is the combo of hop debris plus HOT and cold break that cause plate chillers problems - that is why I get rid of them first.

 

[BDB]

Yeah you can't put the wort through it twice because then all the cold break will clog the filter (unless maybe you cleaned the filter out between the runs)

Are you saying that this continuous cycle wont work?

BK > Pump > Filter > PL Chiller > BK (Whirlpool)

I would only plan to run this way till my temp is at pitching. I could then let settle and go

BK > Pump > Fermenter.

 

[mors]

I don't actually own one of these, but as microbusbrewery stated when he did this he clogged his. I would think you could go:

BK > Pump > Filter > PL Chiller > BK (Whirlpool)

just fine. It would probably work out ok as long as most the cold break was left behind in the whirlpool. Cold Break is what always clogs things up for me...

 

[JayberQue]

So i am about to pull the trigger on this trub filter... as i read more and more through the thread i was holding on to the thought that it could be used in a bk-pump-filter-plate chiller-bk recirc cycle until i got to this last page... Am i right in saying that no one here besides MicroBus has attemped to recirc for a full volume chill? and of course from his post it ended up in a clogged filter. I was really leaning towards this solution until now. I have a keggle with a false bottom and centered dip tube... is there any hope of this filter working with the bk-pump-filter-plate chiller-bk recirc setup?

 

[ryan0914]

I've tried a couple times to recirculate with the my filter and it ended terribly. I clogged it 3 times. What I have found to work really well for me it start a whirlpool and it wait about 5-10 min and then start cooling and right to fermenter. Start the flow very slow. And finally the best way that I found it to work for me is BK-filter-pump-plate chiller. It doesn't seem to clog as easy when it's pulling the wort instead of pushing, also it seems to filter more trub that way. I really like mine hope it works well for you also.

 

[JayberQue]

thanks for the reply... a few questions, when you recirculated did you chill during the recirc or did you simply just recirc the hot wort? What filter are you using, the built in or the one of the fine filter socks. I decided to purchase on of these and give it a shot either way. I was thinking about setting up an manifold/splitter where I could recirc the hot wort a time or two with the filter then, by way of the manifold/splitter reroute it to recirc through the plate chiller with the pumper after bother filter and chiller. From your experience do you think that might be a possibility? Like i said i already purchased the filter so i am gonna do some experimenting with it. I have a false bottom in my boil keggle for use of whole/leaf hops and know from experince with that that it does not do much for filtering pellet debris. This should be fun...

 

[ryan0914]

I have the fine sock I always run with mine. Without it just about everything can get through. You might be able to recirculate by just going from the pump to the pot. But if it wet me I would always go through the filter anytime I'm using the plate chiller. Just to help prevent something clogging the chiller.
Why exactly do you want to recirculate. You can run straight through and chill to temp in probably less time than recirculate to temp. This time of year my water temps are pretty low so I can run straight through and get down to around 65 or so. It does have to run pretty slow but it gets it done.

 

[JayberQue]

i brewed a batch today (APA 5 gal extract w/ steeping grains) and was testing the recirc times of my plate chiller, i was hoping to use less water reciulating. I guess once you calculate in the factor of cooling down the equipment, the boil kettle and burner stand, a single pass through the plate chiller into the fermenter is much faster and more aqua economic. i was doing single passes in july with more than satisfactory results using ground temp water. i dont know why i was thinking recirc would be faster. It did seem that recirculating created alot more cold break, atleast what i could see, compared to a sinlge pass into the fermenter. I also used pellets and hop socks for this brew (3oz). If i can get this much clarity(no hops in the fermenter) from using the trub filter, with or without the .3 mm screen, and better hop utilization i would be more than pleased. I am brewing again tomorrow, witbier 5 gal extract w/steeping grains 1oz of hops, and going to do a comparison on chill time and visible cold break with todays brew using single pass. I measured my water through the plate chiller by volume using an old ale pail and it took 35 gallons of water to do the recirc chill. I have a feeling the water will be much less in volume and less visable cold break (even thou that doesnt really amount to anything seeing that all the protiens are still in there). I think i am going to love this filter.

 

[Reelale]

I am brewing again tomorrow, witbier 5 gal extract w/steeping grains 1oz of hops, and going to do a comparison on chill time and visible cold break with todays brew using single pass. I measured my water through the plate chiller by volume using an old ale pail and it took 35 gallons of water to do the recirc chill. I have a feeling the water will be much less in volume and less visable cold break (even thou that doesnt really amount to anything seeing that all the protiens are still in there). I think i am going to love this filter.

How did this go? Was your chilling time/water use better or the same?

 

[JayberQue]

i used a bit less water, only about 25 gallons going single pass. I even chilled it a bit lower than i wanted for pitch temp. Which was the reason i wanted to use recirc to dial in on the pitch temp... its all up in the air for me still... and my trub filter is on the way, cant wait to get it

 

[RGingerelli]

So I brewed up a batch of IIIPA this weekend and it had about 10oz of hops and it clogged up big time, my question is what is the proper mounting technique? I have seen brewers with it mounted 2 ways, so I'm wondering if I just had it hooked up wrong since the smaller of the 2 pieces clogged up big time with all the hop sediment almost instantly. Any help is great! Cheers!!

 

[JayberQue]

Im pretty sure you are supposed to hook up the larger out shell as the input and the insert is actually the output, atleast that's how the demonstration on the web sight was

 

[LeftTurnOnly]

Hey there guys.... I just used the filter this weekend for my first time... After immersion chilling, it was set up like this. BK>Pump>(small clamp end)Filter(big clamp end)>Fermenter. The filter was being held by hand roughly horizontally over a funnel for our first test. It seemed to clog very quickly to where no liquid was coming out even with the ball valve after the pump being wide open. We eventually took the filter off and just flowed into the funnel to finish the fermenter fill. After finishing and taking the filter apart, it had very little hop matter inside but just enough where pretty much every hole had a tiny amount of hop matter in it.

Granted, this was our first use of it, but not our last....

It kinda sounds like more people are putting the filter before the pump, so i think we'll try that next, and perhaps try and have it be vertical as well. It looks like it'll be great... Just gotta get it dialed in...

 

[Reelale]

Hey there guys.... I just used the filter this weekend for my first time... After immersion chilling, it was set up like this. BK>Pump>(small clamp end)Filter(big clamp end)>Fermenter. The filter was being held by hand roughly horizontally over a funnel for our first test. It seemed to clog very quickly to where no liquid was coming out even with the ball valve after the pump being wide open. We eventually took the filter off and just flowed into the funnel to finish the fermenter fill. After finishing and taking the filter apart, it had very little hop matter inside but just enough where pretty much every hole had a tiny amount of hop matter in it.

Granted, this was our first use of it, but not our last....

It kinda sounds like more people are putting the filter before the pump, so i think we'll try that next, and perhaps try and have it be vertical as well. It looks like it'll be great... Just gotta get it dialed in...

You need the large end of the canister as the inlet, the small end (the filter) is the outlet. Otherwise you're just filling the filter tube with hop debris and the pressure forces it into the screen and plugs it up. When you hook it up correctly and remove the filter assembly, it will be coated on the outside with hop debris. There will be nearly nothing on the inside of the filter.

 

[LeftTurnOnly]

Hey there Reelale... hmmm i wonder if i messed up my description since really there are 3 clamps. What I was calling the small clamp end would be the main housing, and the big clamp end would be the end with the 2 clamps, where the filter piece inserts at requiring the bigger clamp. So i was going in on the main housing, and out of the filter insert, which i think means i was going in the right end... i think... heh.... though not 100% sure...

 

[Reelale]

Hey there Reelale... hmmm i wonder if i messed up my description since really there are 3 clamps. What I was calling the small clamp end would be the main housing, and the big clamp end would be the end with the 2 clamps, where the filter piece inserts at requiring the bigger clamp. So i was going in on the main housing, and out of the filter insert, which i think means i was going in the right end... i think... heh.... though not 100% sure...

I see now. It sounds like you have it correct. I have yet to brew on mine, but I did a test run with 4 oz of pellet hops in 6 gallons of water. Mine is plumbed after the pump. I did notice that running it with the valve wide open would eventually cause flow reduction from clogging. I just slowed the flow down for a bit, or even stopped it momentarily, and it would eventually flow fine. I had a ton of hop debris in the cannister, and the effluent was very, very clear. I hope it works as well with a real wort.

 

[Reelale]

Anybody find any more tricks to using this filter?

 

[akthor]

I have but haven't used it yet, I hope by the weekend I will.

 

[razzman]

Hi all. I just thought I'd share a few tips on using the trub filter.
I've made two batches with it to date and the batch I made today was by far a better process than the first.
The filter performs a lot better with hot wort running through it compared to chilled wort, I'm assuming this is because there is a lot more break in the chilled wort.
I used an IC chiller to get the wort down to 70 degrees celsius, then added aroma hops, whirlpooled and allowed to stand for 90 mins. The wort was still at 60 degrees when I cast out. Doing this had nothing to do with the equipment, it is something I wanted to try for hop aroma, after reading about it here.
I used a very slow flow rate out of the kettle, this also sits well with using a plate chiller. I think this is an important step in using the filter. It took 75 minutes to pass 42 lts into the fermenter. I managed to leave 2.5 lts of hop pellets and hot break in the kettle.
There has been some discussion about where to place the filter in relation to the pump, I placed it between the kettle and pump.
The wort into the kettle was the clearest I have seen, even when I started to get some trub/break going into the filter it managed to hold it in.
And this is one of the best parts, back flushing the PC produced very little sediment. Not even a hint of green.
The contents of the filter looked like more like green slime than what I saw with the last batch, which was mostly chunky looking hops.
Anyway, it has been one of my most satisfying brew days in 22 years. If you have any doubts about buying one of these filters, please persist, I think it is worth the money.
Now I just have to wait a few weeks to sample the beer!
John
:rockin:

 

[JLo]

I really like using this product with the .2 mm screen. Sometimes with larger batches, I found myself needing to disconnect and clean half way through the chilling, especially on 13 gallon batches with 10+ oz of hops. I would rather not whirlpool or rest and basically want to run into the fermenter right after I cut the boil.

I was wondering if it would be better to run 2 of these in parallel each with the .2 mm screen, or would it be better to run these in series, perhaps one without the screen and a second with the .2 mm screen. Thoughts?

 

[TrickyDick]

I bought one but haven't used it yet.

I think running two in series is not going to help your issues because all the debris is going to wind up in the first filter, and the second filter is not going to filter anything because all the particles larger than the filter hole diameter have already been stopped by the first filter.

What you could do is run two .2mm filters in parallel and that should help the clogging. Another idea might be to run two in series, but the first filter with a larger hole diameter or no filter screen at all, then second with a smaller hole diameter of the filter screen.

I suspect that the parallel configuration would provide better flow however might be more complicated to plumb and support.

let us know how it turns out. I usually brew 10 gallon batches so I'm hoping on is fine for my needs.

TD

 

[JLo]

I've ordered a second filter and some fittings to allow them to run in parallel or series. I'm going to run in parallel first and see how it goes.

My next brew day is before I'll get the second trub filter. I'm also going to try and brew a 13 gallon lots-o-hops batch this weekend, but this time I'm going to use the .2mm screen and pull the old hop sock out of retirement.

Basically I'm trying to continually shorten my brew day and am trying to get my all grain session under 3 hours. I'm almost there. My stretch goal is 2.5 hours, but I've already gotten from 6 to 3.25, but we'll see.... I do a lot of prep the day before, but dough-in to cleaned and drying I would love to have under 3 hours.

 

[JLo]

I ordered on Friday AM and it arrived in the mail today. I've hooked up the second filter in parallel, both of them have the .2 mm screen. I am going to try and go as fast as the Therminator can chill. I have a feeling that if I go wide open from the start with the high flow pump I'm probably asking for trouble.

I'm going to need more stainless....