What type of fermenter are you using? Just buy a hop spiders that fits in the mouth of it, then pour through it. Arbor Fabrication might also be able to make you a custom one. You can also do what I do and use Hop Torpedos in your boil kettle. They stay completely submerged and bounce around with the boil.
How big is it?
Yeah I'd just buy a hop spider then and hand it on the lip of the mouth of your fermenter, then just pour your wort through it. Easy peasy.
Not for that price!
Yes that's bigger, the diameter of the bottom of the Hop Stopper is given as 9.75" however mine is only 9.5" but that's apples to oranges type of comparison. The comparison needs to be done on some equal basis, either use the same amount of material to make your shape and the Hopstopper or make your shape and the hopstopper the same surface area. They aren't equal surface areas and I am pretty sure you are using more material than used in the hopstopper. Read on if interested.
I have one of these stainless mesh canisters and they are excellent for dry hopping in fermentor or in serving keg. You can load it up with whole hops or like 2-3 oz of pellet hops. Easy to clean and reuse. I just add a coffee filter on top before screwing lid on as the bigger holes in lid let some tiny particles out that clog my out ball lock poppet. Fits through corny top no problem. I use a stainless mesh hop spider in the brew pot latched to side of pot that allows easy early, late, and whirlpool hop additions even with the immersion wort chiller present near the end. It’s all about using the hops selectively for their early bittering, late flavor, and dry hop aroma and keeping brewing a fun hobby and less of a cleaning chore.
I actually use this very thing in my brew kettle. I just put the hops in, and toss it in. I fish it out before chilling.
Nope... My understanding is the Hopstopper uses 300 mesh, and mine is 420 mesh. I was worried it might plug, but it was experimental and I didn't want it to be round. The square was intentional since it was going in a keggle with a convex bottom, I didn't want it to rest all the way around the edges and restrict underside flow. I was actually a bit surprised and very pleased that it worked so well, plus; it's very easy to lift by the corners and remove most of the cat barf in one go when cleaning time comes.
I didn’t see this mentioned yet, and I’m sure you already know since you’ve been at this for a while, but you are adding your flavoring hops later in the boil (10-15 minutes)?
In your process or packaging, is it possible oxidation is affecting the hop flavor?
Flame out hops, depending on variety, are usually considered aroma hops. They are added in the last 5 minutes or after. You are only getting bittering properties from your 60 minute addition. Try adding some between 20 and 10 minutes and you’ll get the flavor… this is also style specific too.
I was in the same boat. I bought a weldless fitting and a piece of 3/8 copper tubing years ago and it sat on my workbench because I was shy about drilling into the kettle.
Sorry I didn't see this before today.
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