cleaning blocked mesh
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- Hollow Legs
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cleaning blocked mesh
Hi all,
My hop spider is totally blocked now, it's a really fine mesh one from BrewBuilder.
Any recommendations for cleaning it back so liquid flows through it again?
My hop spider is totally blocked now, it's a really fine mesh one from BrewBuilder.
Any recommendations for cleaning it back so liquid flows through it again?
- kisslikeether
- Steady Drinker
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- Location: London
Re: cleaning blocked mesh
All I do is blast it with the garden hose after every brew and before disinfecting. Comes up a treat. If it's dried on try soaking it beforehand...charliefarley wrote:Hi all,
My hop spider is totally blocked now, it's a really fine mesh one from BrewBuilder.
Any recommendations for cleaning it back so liquid flows through it again?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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- Hollow Legs
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
I think it's beyond that now - totally clogged with beer stone I presume.
Re: cleaning blocked mesh
Use one of the stainless scrubbies on it.
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- Even further under the Table
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
You could start with a soak in hot sodium percarbonate solution to get any organic stuff off it.
Then a 24-48 hour soak in Starsan made up at four times the recommended strength.
Should shift it.
There is some suggestion the percarbonate and Starsan should be done in the reverse order. But you could always keep alternating between the two until it's cleaned!
Guy
Then a 24-48 hour soak in Starsan made up at four times the recommended strength.
Should shift it.
There is some suggestion the percarbonate and Starsan should be done in the reverse order. But you could always keep alternating between the two until it's cleaned!
Guy
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- Hollow Legs
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
Thanks @guypettigrew that looks like a good idea.
I'd read about the Alkaline then Acid route also so will give that a go with PBW then StarSan
I'd read about the Alkaline then Acid route also so will give that a go with PBW then StarSan
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
Good luck.
Remember the Starsan needs to be four times normal strength. About 6ml per litre of water. Less won't do it.
Guy
Remember the Starsan needs to be four times normal strength. About 6ml per litre of water. Less won't do it.
Guy
Re: cleaning blocked mesh
Would any acid do? Vinegar/citric?
Also how big are these hop spiders? I pop our shower head in the kettle when I descale it with citric
Also how big are these hop spiders? I pop our shower head in the kettle when I descale it with citric

I brew therefore I ... I .... forget
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- Telling imaginary friend stories
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
let it dry and attack with a stiff nylon scrubbing brush (nail brush??), rinse and let dry again before repeating the scrubing, and repeat the cycle a few times until no more flour brushes out.
to clean the flour from my old ss mesh tube hop filter i would flex it violently when dry and the 'flour' would fly
to clear it could take 3-4 flex n rinse cycles..
to clean the flour from my old ss mesh tube hop filter i would flex it violently when dry and the 'flour' would fly

ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate

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- Hollow Legs
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
The PBW/StarSan worked pretty well.
Actually a good long hot soak in PBW with an occasional scrub did most of the work TBH.
Thanks for the input guys!
Actually a good long hot soak in PBW with an occasional scrub did most of the work TBH.
Thanks for the input guys!
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Re: cleaning blocked mesh
Excellent news.
Means most of the stuff was organic matter from the boil rather than deposit from your hard water.
Easy to sort out if it ever happens again.
Guy
Means most of the stuff was organic matter from the boil rather than deposit from your hard water.
Easy to sort out if it ever happens again.
Guy