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  • Hop strainer

    This is definitely off topic - so I will start afresh.

    There is every chance I am going to be making a new boiler. do people have recommendations for hop strainers.

    I have seen sawn copper pipe, and the big drilled plate at the bottom of the boiler. For my burco I made braided hose strainer.

    Does anybody have any good ideas or recommendations?
    Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

  • #2
    A hop strainer can be anything as long as it is not so fine it plugs up with debris. You are better letting a little through rather than trying to stop it all and disturbing everything to get it running again part way through the drop. The best one I have used a friend has made from a piece of copper pipe he drilled a lot of holes on one side of the pipe and made sure the holes were positioned up in the pot. The position of the out pipe being more the key he has it 1 inch off the bottom. This allows most of the debris to settle on the bottom instead of plugging the outlet.
    http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby

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    • #3
      Originally posted by rjb222 View Post
      about. The position of the out pipe being more the key he has it 1 inch off the bottom.
      good point thanks very much
      Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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      • #4
        I used to have a braided hose on my lidl boiler. It was forever blocking. Now I put the hops in a large jelly bag (1 for bittering and another for aroma) and don't filter the wort. I haven't noticed any difference in the quality of the brews and it's a lot easier to clean up the boiler. There maybe a slight increase in the thickness of the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter but I can live with that as I rack into a barrel before bottling anyway.

        For mashing, I use a slotted copper pipe (slots pointing down) which has not blocked yet and comes apart easily to clean.

        http://markblades.com
        Bebere cerevisiae immodoratio
        These days I'm drinking in Charcot's Joint.

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        • #5
          Jelly bags, what a good idea! do you have a link please?

          I tried a rice ball. Just wasn't big enough. I think the hops need to be free in the boil to take a hammering to get the best out of them.

          My last brew I actually used the mash bag strapped across the top of the boiler, the benefit being here when the boiler is finished I can take hops out, and then just wait for the brew to cool overnight. I am currently thinking of making a bucket shaped hop strainer out of some sort of mesh, so that at the end of boil you just lift it out.
          Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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          • #6
            There are actually hop bags that should be available From Duff. These are made of cheese cloth. Cheap reusable best thing I have found.
            http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby

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            • #7
              I will track him down........
              Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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              • #8
                I use bags similar to these:


                Bought mine from lakeland plastic on a whim (at a much higher price). Tie the top with string and leave a length of string dangling out of the boiler. Use your asbestos hands to squash the fruity bittery goodness out of the hops at the end of the boil.

                I wouldn't go down the bucket shaped strainer route. I think it will block quite easily and leave you with 5 gals of hot wort to lift up in one go.

                I too have started leaving the wort to cool overnight. Makes for a more leisurely brewing experience. Also, I tend to mash in for a couple of hours (up to 4 depending on what swmbo has me doing) rather than trying to get everything done bang on the 90 mins. Beer still v nice and no rushing about.

                http://markblades.com
                Bebere cerevisiae immodoratio
                These days I'm drinking in Charcot's Joint.

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                • #9
                  Thanks for the link. I may give them a try. I am currently wrestling with two different ideas.

                  #1
                  This is a extension of my current setup, which is to strap the mash bag across the boiler.
                  I don't like any sort of bag or device that used, that is tied tight because I don't think the hops get chance to move properly.
                  So my first idea is some sort of ring suspended form the top of the boiler which keeps a mesh bag open. But also has room around the outside for the beer to boil up

                  #2
                  Looking on brewland their hop strainers are 1.5 mm plate in the bottom of their commercial boilers.
                  I have a cunning plan to drill a lot of holes in a saucepan and put it on three legs.
                  Wish me luck with that one! I have a feeling I might be making this one a little bit too complicated.


                  Originally posted by mcblades View Post
                  I too have started leaving the wort to cool overnight. Makes for a more leisurely brewing experience. Also, I tend to mash in for a couple of hours (up to 4 depending on what swmbo has me doing) rather than trying to get everything done bang on the 90 mins. Beer still v nice and no rushing about.
                  oh yes! I have got into a pattern of making beer and doubt three o'clock in the afternoon. After boil is finished its time for some tea, and then first thing in the morning a quick plaster paddling and throw some yeast in. Much much more relaxed
                  Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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                  • #10
                    Muslin bags are perfect for the job, they allow plenty of liquid exposure, reusable & cheap.
                    Discount Home Brew Supplies
                    Chairman of 5 Towns Wine & Beer Makers Circle!
                    Convenor of Judges YFAWB Show Committee
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                    • #11
                      I currently use net curtain material made in to a hop sock though I have considered the suspended pot ala 'spiedel braumeister'. I find the net curtain works fine though and recently gave up trying to over engineer. I find the man made material better than muslin because it dries quicker and doesn't stain. I don't like the thought of putting my brewing equipment in the washing machine though so net curtain works better for me because i leave it to dry, shake off the hop debris then give it a rinse under the shower head.
                      Last edited by Delmonteman; 26-03-2012, 07:47 PM.

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                      • #12
                        I think net curtain is good. Found this as a frame - not too over engineered and allows for hop additions later in the brew.

                        hop bag frame.jpg

                        Slight over engineering - only really needs three stays not four

                        I think this is probably as good as it gets.
                        Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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                        • #13
                          I just had a brainwave. I recently bought a wine aerator thingy (on a whim as usual). It looks like a perpex funnel with holes drilled in the sides and works on the Venturi/Bernoulli principle to draw air into wine that is poured in through it. I'm not convinced it improves plonk quality but think it maybe excellent as a wort aerator. Am I a genius or what (or can you already buy them for wort use?). May need a bit of work (eg screen over the top of the filter to keep bits of hops out) but I think this has promise.

                          linky... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classico-Win...ef=pd_sim_kh_1

                          What do you think Brian?

                          http://markblades.com
                          Bebere cerevisiae immodoratio
                          These days I'm drinking in Charcot's Joint.

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                          • #14
                            Where'd you get that frame brian or did you make it? I'd say that's as good as it gets too with a hop sock... You see, no need for copper pipe or wire mesh etc...

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by mcblades View Post
                              I'm not convinced it improves plonk quality
                              it really really does...try it
                              N.G.W.B.J.
                              Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
                              Wine, mead and beer maker

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