Using hop pellets.

[colgilbec]

Hi all , just a question re hop pellets
I,m used to using whole leaf hops which makes for a good bed with the grain when draining, never had a problem clogging up. However seemingly the way forward is using pellets , which i,m having trouble with them clogging my s/s filter draining off, as im throwing them in with the boil and a lot of wasted trub . Crossed my mind, Woud you use a hop sock in the boil instead of [as in dry hopping] and would you get the same consistency that way? thanks in advance.

[f00b4r]

If you don’t use a hop sock then the approach for pellets probably depends upon your equipment, what do you use?

[colgilbec]

3 vessel electric system . Boiler has a stainless steel long 2inch round fine mesh filter fitted to the tap.

[Eric]

To achieve highest extraction from hops, agitation should be maximised and this is achieved in some modern equipment by fountaining wort into plates built into the boiler structure. Placing hops in socks has the opposite effect to require more hops to achieve equivalent effect.

Like you, I use whole hops, but they are harder to find and when used, increase volume lost and eliminate the option of sparging hops to gain greater volume. I can add them after the boil when cones have settled and act to filter the fine debris they create.

[f00b4r]

I use a Braumeister so it is a bit different, however I use no filter and just leave it for 20-30 minutes after chilling before draining the wort to leave the trub and pellet matter behind. I do not whirlpool (more an equipment trade off thing) but do have a dip tube that only sucks up a tiny amount of trub and hop matter from within about 1cm of it).
Some other comments here (although from what I have seen from others very few filters are effective with hops):

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=83623&p=861404&hili ... ts#p861404

[Jocky]

Pellets combined with protein break from the boil are able to clog any kind of mesh that doesn't let them through.

The simplest answer is just to remove the filter from your kettle. After cooling your wort, let it sit for half an hour and then draw the wort off from above where the pellets have settled to. If you get some (even quite a lot) into the fermenter it really doesn't matter.

One time I left my bazooka filter attached when using pellets, and I did find that (after leaving the wort to settle) that if I ran off very slowly it stopped the filter sucking hops onto it and clogging.

[MashBag]

I use a mangrove jack 800 micron hop filter. It removes most of the hops, and then like many others I wait for the trub to settle and then rack off. An overnight chill makes this method ideal.

[colgilbec]

Thanks for the replies , looks like i,m going to have to stop using the filter and draw off from the top, suppose it means i,m going to be left with a lot of trub reducing effeciency as i use grain kits so cannot upscale to allow for this.

[MashBag]

I modified my BM20 to have a lower tap.
Overnight chill lets everything settle.
I drain ALL the wort from the bottom and get a small amount of trub in the ferment... it REALLY does NOT matter.

I have tried finely straining the run off (I get about about a teaspoon). Makes no discernable difference.

The only thing I will say is remove the hop strainer BEFORE leaving it to chill.

[MashBag]

Consider also the paper tea bags. CML do them. Not my thing, but they do work well.

[colgilbec]

Thanks .