Beer Forum

I can't take credit for the idea of this filter, but its the best filter I've ever used for both pellet and whole hops. I've tried the HopStopper and Blichmann's HopBlocker and neither compares.



Part List:

1.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017Z22M6
2.) http://www.mcmaster.com/#9226t254/=dbmsgd
3.) http://www.mcmaster.com/#90575a650/=dbmsnz
4.) http://www.mcmaster.com/#54155k44/=dbmszw
5.) http://www.mcmaster.com/#97525a410/=dbmt8u

You can go smaller, but I have a 20gal kettle which the 10" ring goes well with. I also use a stainless scrubbing pad around my dip tube to filter out the cold break. I've even stopped whirlpooling and still get no trub in the fermenter. The only thing I would do different next time is use a washer on the rivets. I think one of the most important thing is to get the bottom of the filter close to the bottom of the kettle so the boil really agitates the hops in the screen.

Cheers

Looks like a great gadget, but the last four links aren't at all helpful. They link to your order history page rather than direct to the items. This page needs your username or email address to access. Could you give us a link to the actual item pages?

Wayne

I've updated the original post with the correct links.

Sorry about that.

Thanks! Yikes! SS screen is damned expensive!

Wayne

I'm curious. Are Hop Filters used instead of a whirlpool or are they used when the whirlpool fails to produce an area of clear wort around the preimeter of the kettle? Although my experience is limited to a half dozen or so breweries, I've never seen anything like it used in a production brewery.

Tasty

Coulde you give more construction details? So far I see a stainless steel ring as a collar with a bolt for a "handle" to hold a screen of stainless steel mesh, attached with a worm drive screw clamp. Is there anything holding the bottom?

Thanks,
Alan

Tasty,
I use it instead of whirlpooling now. I whirpooled for about 2 years and for some reason I could never get a "trub free" wort into the carboy. I recently built an all-electric brewery like the one on http://www.theelectricbrewery.com and I believe the element screws up the whirlpool for me.

Alan,

My kettle is 21" deep so I cut the length of the mesh to 19.5". I want it close to the bottom so the boil agitates the hops. I wrapped the mesh around the collar and put rivets all the way down where it overlaps. Then I took the leftover mesh and cut a 11.5" diameter circle and attached it to the bottom with rivets. Cut about a 1.5" bigger than the diameter of the collar and use washers on the rivets. Secure the mesh on the collar with a worm clamp and drill 3 holes in the collar and put the stainless rods in place to set on top the kettle. That’s it!

There's still hot break in the kettle so I use a stainless or copper scrubbing pad around the dip tube for that.

So it's sort of like a Brew in a Bag rig in that you lift the whole huge custom made colander out of the pot and that way you get all the trub and crap out?