12 replies to this topic

[djinkc]

I may have finally found a way to deal with them. I've tried the dam and side pickup tube, guess my dam just wasn't up to it. But, brewed Friday with a DIY hopstopper (two SS splatter shields from the Dollar store. I have several pickups that have a union to connect them to the drain valve.I used a paintstrainer bag for all additions and let it set for 20 minutes after the IC and hop bag were taken out. Just enough time to clean the IC and hopbag and the other last minute cleanup stuff I have left. Whirlpooling doesn't work to well here since I have an electric element in a flat bottom kettle plus I have cold break too. Anyway this was a beer that should be about 2.5 SRM. Clearest drain I've ever had into the fermenter with any wort. Basically the only thing besides wort was hot/cold break and hop dust for a filterbed. Hope it works next time - this has been driving me nuts since I loaded up on pellets in the fall of '07.

[3rd party JKor]

can you explain this system you're using a little bit more?

[stangbat]

So you used a DIY hopstopper and a paint strainer bag? I busted out my paint strainer setup after over two years of non use and I'm going to use it with pellets for the next batch. Pellets have been a big PITA. My setup works much better with whole hops so I'm also looking for a way to make life easier. I've tried a few different things without a whole lot of luck.

[stellarbrew]

Whenever I use pellets, I always use hop bags. Up to about half of the hop silt will filter out through the mesh of the bag, depending on the how long a particular addition is boiled. However, at the end of the boil half of the hop silt is contained and easily removed. The rest of the silt that filtered through is then usually a small enough amount that I can avoid it by whirlpooling, and let letting the cooled wort sit for a half an hour before siphoning. Of course, that works for me because I use an immersion chiller, so the wort is cooled inside the kettle, and it doesn't hurt to let it sit cool for 30 minutes. If you are using a counter flow chiller, you don't want to let it sit hot that long.

[MAZ]

I normally use whole hops, but occasionally do batches with pellets and I have to say that the paint strainer bag is the bomb. Here are a couple pics of my setup. This was constructed with leftover cpvc pipe (bought that to make my mash tun manifold).

[djinkc]

can you explain this system you're using a little bit more?

If you google some hopstopper images mine looks a lot like it. Basically a lot of SS screen surface area surrounding a pickup tube. I use a SS perforated plate meant to be used in a cooler MT for straining whole hops and a couple other setups. All start off a brass union that goes straight to the drain valve. That way it's easy to switch depending on the hop mix on brew day.The DYI hopstopper is nothing really. Crimped the 2 screens together with a hole left for the pickup tube. It's secured with a SS worm clamp. Hope that makes sense.

[djinkc]

So you used a DIY hopstopper and a paint strainer bag? I busted out my paint strainer setup after over two years of non use and I'm going to use it with pellets for the next batch. Pellets have been a big PITA. My setup works much better with whole hops so I'm also looking for a way to make life easier. I've tried a few different things without a whole lot of luck.

I know this has been driving both of us nuts. Best result I've had so far. Hate throwing out wort - didn't have much loss on Fri - probably equivalent to whole.

[boo boo]

I know this has been driving both of us nuts. Best result I've had so far. Hate throwing out wort - didn't have much loss on Fri - probably equivalent to whole.

Dan, I never throw out wort. When I use pellet, I get more crud along with cold and hot break. I whirpool the cold wort and after it has settled I drain my kettle. This I let sit in a carboy for a further hour in a fridge to settle more cold break etc. I siphon this into my fermenter. The last bit I'll divert into another container to settle further. The last bit will go into a container to be frozen for future starter use.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I never really have these problems - I just pour all of my cooled wort through a paint strainer bag. Sure some hop particles and trub make it through but they settle out in primary. What's the big deal?

[stangbat]

I never really have these problems - I just pour all of my cooled wort through a paint strainer bag. Sure some hop particles and trub make it through but they settle out in primary. What's the big deal?

I can't pour 11+ gallons out of a 30 lb keg, that's part of the problem. I don't mind some pellets getting into the fermenter but I do mind having 11 gallons of beer that I can't drain out of the keggle. When using only pellets, I can use a pick up tube that goes to the side of my keggle and not worry too much about what goes into the fermenter. And whirlpooling doesn't work too well as DJ mentioned because I have an electric element in the keg. The biggest problem is I often use a combination of whole and pellet hops, and pellets don't play nice with my false bottom when also using whole hops, even when the pellets are in a hop bag. I'm just trying to find a happy medium.

Edited by stangbat, 27 May 2009 - 06:53 AM.

[3rd party JKor]

How high up are your kettle elements? You guys can't whirlpool at all?

[djinkc]

How high up are your kettle elements? You guys can't whirlpool at all?

Mine's about as close to the bottom as it can get. But still takes about 3 - 4 gallons to cover it enough to fire it.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I can't pour 11+ gallons out of a 30 lb keg, that's part of the problem. I don't mind some pellets getting into the fermenter but I do mind having 11 gallons of beer that I can't drain out of the keggle. When using only pellets, I can use a pick up tube that goes to the side of my keggle and not worry too much about what goes into the fermenter. And whirlpooling doesn't work too well as DJ mentioned because I have an electric element in the keg. The biggest problem is I often use a combination of whole and pellet hops, and pellets don't play nice with my false bottom when also using whole hops, even when the pellets are in a hop bag. I'm just trying to find a happy medium.

wussy :lol:Why not just get a larger diameter siphon hose and get most of it that way and then dump the remainder?