Hello, I was after some advice on pellets, I've not used them before but leaf were out of stock when I did my order so I went for the pellet version to keep the recipe.
Im using about 50g, will that amount clog the strainer in the boiler when I drain, should I use them in a hop bag or will it be ok to just throw them in?
Cheers.
Pellet question.
Re: Pellet question.
I have always used pellets just chucked in and never had a problem. One thing to definetly do is after the boil, whirlpool the wort for about 15 seconds. That way you should end up with a sort of 'cone' of hop debris in the middle.
If i was using a large amount (100g plus) then i would probably use a hop spider.
If i was using a large amount (100g plus) then i would probably use a hop spider.
- Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Pellet question.
I use pellets almost exclusively, and my experience is that they're very good at clogging filters in general. I've used a mesh filter and a spring filter and they clogged both.
Whirlpooling is effective if you have a big enough kettle (my 35 litre one is not big enough), and don't have elements/filters/thermowells sticking out into the whirlpool that create turbulence and stop it working properly.
There are two foolproof methods I've found to solve this problem:
1. A bag or hop spider. You will need 20% or so extra pellets to achieve the same utilisation though, so now I use:
2. Time and patience! I get my wort cold with the immersion chiller, take it out and then walk away for half an hour. When I come back, all the trub has settled to near the bottom of the kettle. I siphon from near the top of the wort and leave a litre or so of mainly trub in the kettle.
I end up with crystal clear wort.
Whirlpooling is effective if you have a big enough kettle (my 35 litre one is not big enough), and don't have elements/filters/thermowells sticking out into the whirlpool that create turbulence and stop it working properly.
There are two foolproof methods I've found to solve this problem:
1. A bag or hop spider. You will need 20% or so extra pellets to achieve the same utilisation though, so now I use:
2. Time and patience! I get my wort cold with the immersion chiller, take it out and then walk away for half an hour. When I come back, all the trub has settled to near the bottom of the kettle. I siphon from near the top of the wort and leave a litre or so of mainly trub in the kettle.
I end up with crystal clear wort.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
- Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Pellet question.
Some photos:
This is a short while through siphoning. You can see the trub collected near the base of the kettle - in particular some has settled on top of the kettle element.
Here is the clear wort straight from the siphon:
And here's where I stop siphoning:
This is a short while through siphoning. You can see the trub collected near the base of the kettle - in particular some has settled on top of the kettle element.
Here is the clear wort straight from the siphon:
And here's where I stop siphoning:
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
Re: Pellet question.
Looks like good advice above. Pellets certainly block a braid filter very quickly. On Sunday, I tried something new, and just poured the second half of my chilled brew straight through a sheet of 30-mesh. That did a brilliant job. I must add though, that my 'odd' twin boiling-pot setup lends itself quite well to that: I brew with the boiling batch split in two equal size pots. Any pellets go in just one of them, so I only risk getting (at the very most) half the break material into the FV; in reality, it's far less than that with careful pouring and still accepting a little wastage. [The other pot gets the leaves and has a braid filter, which drains clear wort in the normally way.] 30-Mesh recommended!
Busy in the Summer House Brewery