Trub/Hop Filter from BrewersHardware

[Larsen]

Hi

I've used it for moe that a year now. I'm doing 55 gal batches and only a few times it have clogged.

If you do a good whirl pool, and run of from the side, then it works like a dream.

For the most hoopy double IPA's i use a hopblocker first, as i run of from the bottom.

I'm very happy with and can't live without..

Lars

 

[TrickyDick]

Yeah, I do run off from side, but had crappy whirlpool. That was the issue for me. No cone, just a thick carpet of break and hops


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[TrickyDick]

When you say "side" are you talking pickup tube is elevated off the bottom of the kettle, or just that the pickup tube is at the perimeter of the kettle?

I can reorient my pickup tube so it's not right on the bottom of the kettle.

TD


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[ZVNJ]

I have brew hardwares 20 gal with tangential inlet. Pickup is on side on bottom. There was a lot of trub and hops left in the kettle however the strainer didnt block, and it was jammed full .. I am gravity feeding through it pre pump.




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[TrickyDick]

I have brew hardwares 20 gal with tangential inlet. Pickup is on side on bottom. There was a lot of trub and hops left in the kettle however the strainer didnt block, and it was jammed full .. I am gravity feeding through it pre pump.




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I've been looking for a new 20 gallon kettle. I have a 15 gal now, and not big enough to prevent boilovers for doing 10 gallon batches, even when using Ferm Cap. I'm sort of torn between the brewershardware kettle, and the blichmann kettle. Leaning towards the Blichmann kettle, but certainly BH model is less expensive. Would like to hear about how well you like your kettle but so as not to thread hijack please post any comment here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-brew-pot-recommendations-473649/

So how were you running the filter? the design suggests that the large TC clamp should be oriented vertically and above the small TC clamp, but is recommended to run the opposite direction to help avoid clogging. I had been running mine backwards. I imagine that I would have clogged mine no matter what I did. I had about 20 oz hops in the kettle per recipe, but I think it might have been 22 oz. I had to open and empty the trub filter about 7 times during the transfer to the fermenter. I did not use a hopblocker in the kettle, no hop bags, and the REAL problem was a crappy whirlpool that ended up creating a thick layer of hop/break material more like carpet than a cone. I'm going to try installing a whirlpool port at the bottom of the kettle and see if I have better luck. The last time I used a port in the lid connected to a rigid copper pipe that did swirl the wort, but the return arm was about at the half-full level of my kettle and probably did very little whirlpooling at the bottom of the kettle. Since I chill in the kettle, the intention is to leave behind the cold break since its going to be mixed in with the hot break and hops. If I cannot generate an effective whirlpool, my next best option is to dump the break material from the fermenter before I oxygenate and pitch, or else use hop bags and then use the trub filter to remove the break material only. I would like to get away from using hop bags becuase I think that I'm leaving some good stuff in the hops inside, all constrained in those bags.

TD

 

[ZVNJ]

I agree and dont use any bags. The strainer is directional. I mounted mine horizontal, and have to slow my pump way down to run that amount of hops. I imagine it would work better on the pressure side of the pump. It works well for me, The slow flow allows the chiller more time to be effective





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[kcbeersnob]

How does this filter perform with high protein wort (significant percentage wheat, rye, etc. in the grain bill) and with recirculation into the kettle during chilling (i.e., does it clog from cold break)?

I have tried several techniques for filtering hops: muslin bag, hop spider, the stainless basket (#40 and #30 mesh), and the Hop Stopper. So far the Hop Stopper is the best of the bunch, but cold break causes problems for it. High protein wort causes problems for all mesh in-kettle filters I've tried.

FYI: I use a plate chiller and during warmer months recirculate back into the kettle for a while before diverting into a carboy.

 

[calebstringer]

How does this filter perform with high protein wort (significant percentage wheat, rye, etc. in the grain bill) and with recirculation into the kettle during chilling (i.e., does it clog from cold break)?



I have tried several techniques for filtering hops: muslin bag, hop spider, the stainless basket (#40 and #30 mesh), and the Hop Stopper. So far the Hop Stopper is the best of the bunch, but cold break causes problems for it. High protein wort causes problems for all mesh in-kettle filters I've tried.



FYI: I use a plate chiller and during warmer months recirculate back into the kettle for a while before diverting into a carboy.

Mine clogs INSTANTLY with any cold break. I've stopped using mine altogether.

 

[kickflip_mj]

I use a basket now, whirlpool and the inline filter on the way out


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[kcbeersnob]

I use a basket now, whirlpool and the inline filter on the way out

Funny...my baskets got the boot several batches ago. I guess there is no perfect, universal solution.

I normally use whole hops. I just brewed a batch last weekend using 3 oz. of pellet hops and the Hopstopper. Worked great, but (a) I used an all barley grain bill and (b) I only recirculated into the kettle during chilling until the kettle temp seemed to stabilize.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Funny...my baskets got the boot several batches ago. I guess there is no perfect, universal solution.



I normally use whole hops. I just brewed a batch last weekend using 3 oz. of pellet hops and the Hopstopper. Worked great, but (a) I used an all barley grain bill and (b) I only recirculated into the kettle during chilling until the kettle temp seemed to stabilize.

Why did you ditch the basket?


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[kcbeersnob]

Why did you ditch the basket?

With a 400 micron mesh basket, the basket would clog with proteins, dance in the wort and splash wort overboard. Messy and dangerous.

I tried 300 micron in the form of a spider that lifted the basket off the bottom of the kettle. Dancing stopped, but the basket would clog with proteins which would prevent the wort from boiling inside the basket.

As soon as I switched to the Hopstopper, my hop utilization increased noticeably (bitterness, but more importantly flavor).

 

[razzman]

Mine clogs INSTANTLY with any cold break. I've stopped using mine altogether.

Hi Calebstringer.
The first time I used mine it blocked also. After that I used an immersion chiller to cool the wort to 70 degrees celcius, whirlpool and then run off through a plate chiller. I think the higher temp of the wort passing through the filter did the trick.

 

[calebstringer]

Hi Calebstringer.
The first time I used mine it blocked also. After that I used an immersion chiller to cool the wort to 70 degrees celcius, whirlpool and then run off through a plate chiller. I think the higher temp of the wort passing through the filter did the trick.

I use a plate chiller. At first, I had the filter in-between the kettle, then pump, then chiller. But it would starve my pump, so I moved it post pump, pre chiller. Even with whirl pooling, more often than not, it would still clog.

Maybe I need to mess with it some more, but overall, it has just slowed my brew day down.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Maybe it would be a better filter for force transfering? Im kind of in the same boat as you guys with it. I love the toy but it clogs ever 5 gallons I run through it.

 

[calebstringer]

Maybe it would be a better filter for force transfering? Im kind of in the same boat as you guys with it. I love the toy but it clogs ever 5 gallons I run through it.

I have tried that. I moved it post pump, pre chiller, and same thing. Clogs almost instantly

 

[dunz]

Question for those who are getting clogs. Are you using the optional sock screens also? Is the screen getting clogged or is it the permanent filter with 0.5mm pores of the strainer that are clogging?

Just a thought if it is the permanent filter pores then would the larger pores of the Glacier unit work better? Would the socks that Brewers Hardware has also fit the Glacier units?

 

[kickflip_mj]

Question for those who are getting clogs. Are you using the optional sock screens also? Is the screen getting clogged or is it the permanent filter with 0.5mm pores of the strainer that are clogging?

Just a thought if it is the permanent filter pores then would the larger pores of the Glacier unit work better? Would the socks that Brewers Hardware has also fit the Glacier units?

I havnt used the sock yet, im assuming it will make it worse. im only using the filter when I pump out into the fermenter.

 

[dunz]

I havnt used the sock yet, im assuming it will make it worse. im only using the filter when I pump out into the fermenter.

I am thinking the opposite and that the sock would prevent the small holes in the strainer from getting clogged.

 

[calebstringer]

Question for those who are getting clogs. Are you using the optional sock screens also? Is the screen getting clogged or is it the permanent filter with 0.5mm pores of the strainer that are clogging?

Just a thought if it is the permanent filter pores then would the larger pores of the Glacier unit work better? Would the socks that Brewers Hardware has also fit the Glacier units?

No sock, just the screen

 

[Bassman2003]

Since this thread is still sort of alive, I would like to ask a question to the owners of the BH trub filter:

Does anybody use this filter pre-boil to clean up your wort in BIAB brewing? I boil in a keggle with heating elements and my first BIAB shocked me with the amount of stuff in my kettle after I raised the bag. I like to brew hefe & dunkleweizen and this amount of trub is not healthy for the heating elements.

So I was thinking to use the trub filter as the bag is draining to recirculate the wort through and catch a lot of this stuff before I fire the elements?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[jimyson]

Figured I would add here. Since I ferment in a Sanke, I mocked up a filter/oxygenation then straight into the fermenter. Still waiting on my oxygenation wand to show and hoping to get it working by next weeks brew day. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1416540566.683007.jpg

 

[atoughram]

Thats interesting, after running half a dozen 11 gallon batches through mine, it hasnt clogged yet!

I whirlpool without it first, then let it sit for 20 minutes and settle, then pump it out of the BK, through the strainer, into my plate chiller, and into the fermenter. I'd say it catches 80% of the trub and I do have a sock on it.

 

[kickflip_mj]

Thats interesting, after running half a dozen 11 gallon batches through mine, it hasnt clogged yet!

I whirlpool without it first, then let it sit for 20 minutes and settle, then pump it out of the BK, through the strainer, into my plate chiller, and into the fermenter. I'd say it catches 80% of the trub and I do have a sock on it.

I do the same thing now. I have a large hop basket in my kettle, whirlpool and use the filter on my way out



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[mredge73]

I clogged the crap out of mine on its first use; flow rate went to nothing in both applications that i used it.
I have it installed on the output side of the pump; I thought that it would be better than starving the input side of the pump.
I wan't nice to it on the first outing; use 4oz of pellet hops in a 5 gallon boil.
Anyway; I first used it as a secondary filter for my recirculating mash but had to bypass it due to low flow rate through the HERMS coil would not allow it to keep the temp up.
I cleaned it out pretty good and tried it again after the boil as a hop filter before the plate chiller (as pictured).
After just a few minutes the whirlpool stopped; flow rate dropped to nothing.

So I am curious on what techniques you guys are using to keep the flow rate up? Do you have it plumbed in differently or are using additional filtration like hop spiders in addition to this?





Disclaimer: I haven't read all 24 pages of this thread yet

 

[microbusbrewery]

I ended up getting a hop spider because I wanted to be able to whirlpool. The only times I really had problems with clogging was when I tried whirlpooling. So my current setup is hops into the hop spider then the whirlpool circuit is kettle > pump > trub/hop filter > plate chiller > kettle.

Before I got the hop spider, I'd chill while going straight into the fermenter. One key part that worked best for me was let it rest for about 10 minutes after flameout. This allowed a lot of the hop debris to drop out before I pumped it through my plate chiller. It would still pick stuff up, but not enough to clog it.

If you're whirlpooling and using anything but a very small amount of hops, IME you have to have some kind of filter like a hop spider, hop back, etc.

 

[mredge73]

I was under the impression looking at the pictures that the filter could handle the hops without reducing flow to nothing.
I choose this over a hop spider because I wanted 100% hop utilization. I recirculate/wirlpool while cooling but do not let it rest; I don't want my aroma hops to burn off.

Sounds like I need to change things around a bit. I may make use of my fancy new herms coil and wirlpool through it until a cone forms an then finish through my plate chiller.
Or buy a SS hop spider to add to my collection of expensive brewing gadgets.

 

[Bowtiebrewery]

I understand that its marketed as a hop and trub filter, however I think for most brewers who have pumps and push through a plate chiller this might not be its best use. I personally think this is more useful as a trub/break filter, and that is what I would use it as. I was thinking about purchasing it, but have not yet determined if its worth the asking price.

 

[General_Jah]

I've read this whole thread and thought I would add my experience with the filter. I brewed with it a couple weeks ago and it was a total nightmare. I had good flow for a bit then it clogged. Had to clean it around three times before finally I just had to bypass it.

my first setup was:
BK->pump->filter->platechiller->BK all with the standard filter

I was brewing a vienna lager so didn't have a ton of hops. Used 1.5 oz pellet hops and .5 oz whole hops which I had put in the larger part of the filter.

From reading this thread I'm hoping what happened is the cold break clogged it because when I pulled the filter out to clean it the 2nd and 3rd times it stopped the flow, there was very little hop debris in it.

I'm going to brew this coming weekend and my plan is to run it like this.

BK->pump->filter->platechiller->primary

Then recirculate the wort in the primary to get it to lagering pitch temps without the filter hooked up. Hopefully without the cold break it will be fine.

I plan to brew this weekend and will update this thread with what happens

 

[oakbarn]

We have two filters. We do not use any thing but the filter itself without any mesh covering

we run
MLT => Pump => Filter => Herms => MLT

We do vorloft the before starting the Herms. This seems to help a lot.

BK => Pump => Filter => Duda Diesel Plate Chiller => Out

We do cycle back into the BK but just until we reach pitch temp (right ofter plate chiller) then we switch to Fermenter.

Over the years we have had a couple of filter issues, but a good method to unplug in place is to run some hot water from our HLT backwards through the filter, Not much, just to unclog. The Water in the HLT is 190 degrees.

We only had one issue with a Pump and that was when Fresh Hops were added directly to the Wort. Not a Good idea as it clogged and destoyed the Pump Head. We now use a Hop Rocket for Fresh Hops and we do use Hop Sacks for our pellets.

If we use the Hop Rocket it is

BK => Pump => Hop Rocket => Filter => Plate Chiller => Wort Out