What trub / hop filtering is everyone using nowadays?

[dipole]

I've read up on the usual, hopspider, Trub/Hop Filter from BrewersHardware, baskets etc, and while those threads usually start off with great results and excitement, they usually end up in the //not working as well as expected category.

I have the Trub/Hop Filter from BrewersHardware and it clogs pretty much every time no matter what I do, so I need something different as I have a plate chiller that I don't want to get clogged. I am currently using hop bags but

I would like something easier to manage than fishing it out everytime I need to make a hop addition. How are the baskets? I'm also looking at the blichmann hop blocker. I know there are mixed results on that thing as well but it's blichmann and they've been solid for me in the past.

 

[kombat]

I bought a Hop Stopper, found it clogged up every single time. I never use it anymore.

For the longest time, I used a cylindrical hop screen hanging off the inside of my kettle to contain hops. It worked great, but I always suspected it was diminishing my hop utilization. I no longer use it anymore.

Now, I whirlpool. Near the end of my boil, I hook up my pump and lines, and pump sanitizer through my plate chiller. Then I reconfigure the hoses to prepare for recirculating and whirlpooling, without the plate chiller in the mix. At flameout, I whirlpool for 5 minutes, then kill the pump, cover the kettle with the lid, and let everything settle for 15 - 20 minutes. I then rearrange the hoses to introduce the plate chiller back into the mix, and slowly pump the wort through the chiller (throttling with a valve on the chiller's output port) into a carboy. I have a pickup tube inside my boil kettle that drains from the edge of the kettle, away from where the trub and hop debris collects in the center of the kettle (due to the whirlpooling). I get extremely clear wort, and I've also noticed a dramatic change in the quality if the yeast I collect after fermentation. It is much purer and finer, with far fewer lumps and contaminants.

 

[pvpeacock]

If you are fermenting in a carboy or bucket, there is no need to filter out the trub. See: http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

I use conical fermenters and discovered that the trub will clog the dump valve if put in the fermenter. That's why I filter it out when transferring from my brew kettle to my fermenter. I've tried quite a few methods, screens and filters all to no avail. Now I whirlpool with an electric drill and stainless steel paint stirrer, let it sit for half an hour and then slowly drain the wort through a colander sitting on the top of the fermenter lined with a BIAB bag. When I'm done draining the brew kettle, I cinch up the BIAB bag and start spinning it above the colander to squeeze the remaining wort out and eventually squeeze it with my starsan dipped hands to get every drop out. It works really well. and prevents trub from getting in and clogging my conical fermenter.

 

[j1n]

hop spider for pellet hops in the boil. dont filter trub at all when transferring to the fermentor.

 

[jddevinn]

Like kombat I had a Hop Stopper when I first built my system. It would continually clog and make filling the carboys a pain.

I then got a Hop Blocker. At the same time I added a whirlpool step almost identical to what kombat describes. The Blocker was better but would still clog on occasion (and you have to remember to pull the screen adjust up at the right point of draining).

A while ago I read an article where a batch is separated to a trubby and non-trubby batch. (http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/) I gave it a try and saw no difference in clarity or taste. (I do cold crash and did use gelatin as a fining agent)

I moved most of my fermentation to conicals a couple months ago and now just dump off some trub after a couple days of fermentation and cold crash, no more finings (I've noticed a slight increase in hop arroma since stoping the gelatin)

My too long didn't read that **** summary: Tried a Hop Stopper didn't like it, Tried a Hop Blocker liked it a bit better, started just wirlpooling then pulling everything that will come with the wort into the fermenter.... much better. I say no need for either.

 

[jddevinn]

Looks like pvpeacock beat me to the "don't worry about it" advice.

 

[KevinP]

I don't use anything. I just brew .75 gallon extra beer, whirlpool, let it settle out for 30-45 minutes, and transfer clear wort off the top.

 

[pvpeacock]

KevinP makes an excellent point. I, too, started boiling more wort to begin with so I could afford to leave more in the brew kettle with the trub and still get 5 to 5.5 gallons of clear wort into the fermenter.

 

[JKaranka]

I've tried stuff and the end result when bottled is the same as if I'd just dumped the kettle in the fv after cooling. I wouldn't worry. Fermentation, gravity and time do miracles.

 

[andrewmaixner]

A ball valve 1.5 inches up the kettle, and extra volume of recipe. Don't care if anything gets in the fermenter though, it will compact down over time and won't matter at all.

 

[MaxStout]

Hop spider to minimize hop debris in the BK.
Careful racking technique to minimize trub into bottling bucket.
Pour all but the last 1/2" of beer from bottle, to minimize trub in glass.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Wilserbrewer hop bag.Suck every bit of the coldbreak into fermenter.Cold Crash.Nice clear beer everytime

 

[Vandulus]

I use a brew bag for grains and whole-leaf hops, plus a torpedo screen to keep the large particles out of the wort. Otherwise I drain the kettle gently - the spout is about 1/2" from the bottom of the kettle - and don't worry about the really fine particulate matter. I figure a little trub is good for the yeast

 

[kh54s10]

I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag, clipped to the lip of my kettle. At an addition, I open the bag and add the hops. Every once in a while I unclip and swirl the bag around. I use an immersion chiller and dump everything but the very thickest trub into my fermenter. It all settles eventually.

 

[rossi46]

Back to the OP's question about keeping crap out his plate chiller.
I quit using one, it was to much of a pain in the ass. For the last couple of years I've been using a Chillzilla, it's a lot easier to keep clean. It does take a little longer to chill, but it will never clog.

 

[Natdavis777]

I use a stainless hop spider as I felt bagged hops were killing my utilization. I noticed a significant difference. Since that takes care of hop debris, I still whirlpool and cool at the same time. Once I get the my terminal output temp, I kill the whirlpool, and let the kettle sit for 10-15 min. That lets the cone form and settle. Then I open the pump valve a little and slowly drain wort into the fermenters, which is usually crystal (from a side pick up tube). No filters used.