Hop pellets clogging

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trucker5774
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Hop pellets clogging

Post by trucker5774 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:49 pm

Hi guys......yes I know it's been a while since I posted. Today I have done an IPA style and for the first time with this set up (first time ever, actually) I used pellets rather than whole hops. The copper is draining slowly but will probably get there. Just wondered if anyone has experienced the same issue. I'm using a copper slotted manifold hop strainer. What is a better option for pellets, in case I try them again?
John

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Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by LeeH » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:55 pm

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Kev888
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by Kev888 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:25 pm

Hello!
if you want/need to filter pellets then IMO a 'very' big mesh envelope style of filter is one of very few things fine enough and yet with enough throughput to reliably deal with pellets.

If you don't need to filter them, then a whirlpool can keep the majority out of the FV, without much risk of blocking. Hop bags or baskets are also pretty good, though you may want to be generous with the hops to help offset possible reduced utilisation. Both will let some gunk through to the FV, so perhaps best avoided in combo with plate chillers.

Personally I'm returning to whole hops in the boiler; not only are they easy to properly filter but I miss the filter bed that they in turn make. For occasional use of pellets I just use the hop bags.
Kev

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trucker5774
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by trucker5774 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:03 pm

Thanks fellas. I used whole hops early in the boil and pellets late. It took about an hour to drain, rather than the usual 10 minutes. I have tried a variety of strainers/bags in the past with whole hops. On this occasion the slow filtration, although a pain, has resulted in a very clear run off!
John

Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!

Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife

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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by Trefoyl » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:38 pm

My problem is just the opposite. On the rare occasion I use whole hops, I need to bag them. Pellets have settled down with the cold break etc. 30 minutes after immersion chilling so I don’t use a filter.
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trucker5774
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by trucker5774 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:07 pm

I have used loads of filters over the years, including the metal pan scrubs. ..........On another point, not having been on the forum for a while. I just noticed that the last reply was at 3.38 pm. It is now only 3.07 pm.......is the site on BST?
John

Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!

Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife

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Kev888
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by Kev888 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:07 pm

The times look right to me, perhaps your time display settings need altering (in the user control panel) - IIRC each user can choose their own.
Kev

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trucker5774
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by trucker5774 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 6:11 pm

I will have a look, Kev. It's years since I have been a regular on here!
John

Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!

Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife

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trucker5774
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by trucker5774 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 6:17 pm

Time sorted......forgotten that it wasn't automatic
John

Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!

Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife

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Kev888
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by Kev888 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 7:22 pm

Good stuff. It isn't something that gets changed very often so I always have to look for it too.
Kev

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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by floydmeddler » Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:38 pm

I use pellets exclusively and use no filter in my boiler. I just let the wort settle after the chill for around 5 mins then run off into the fermenter. the tap is just above the trub so maybe 90% of the hops get left behind. The other 10% (or around 20g of hops) makes its way into the fermenter but that gets buried in a fat yeast cake within a few days.

I even dry hop with no filter, too. I find that after I crash cool, the pellet hops become a solid mass and stick to the yeast cake. Hop particles never make it into my cornies.

I couldn't do any of the above with whole hops!

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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by Jocky » Fri Mar 22, 2019 11:19 am

Pellets will clog anything aside from absolutely monstrous mesh filters.

Like floydmeddler I use pellets exclusively, I don't have a filter in the boil and just let them settle out after cooling.

When I have to use leaf hops I either bag them or stick a steel pan scrubby around the outlet.
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by orlando » Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:20 am

I have one of what Jocky refers to as a "absolute monstrous mesh filter". It covers most of the bottom of the kettle, once I have whirlpooled it leaves the edges free to drain, recommended, got it from Brewbuilder. But, I have had a situation, long time ago now, when I had the problem you describe. The two things I now do is to use a little bit of whole cone hops at the start of the boil, as Kev suggests, to act as a prefilter. It captures a lot of what can clog whatever filter you use. The other thing I've found is throttling back on my pump using the ball valve, it slows down the excessive sucking that causes it to set hard, you don't want excessive sucking if it gets too hard now do you?
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by jubby » Sun Jan 26, 2020 7:33 pm

I only use pellets in my 100l boiler with one of THESE The most i have used is about 600g and this filter dealt with it. I do pump the wort out though.
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Re: Hop pellets clogging

Post by WalesAles » Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:11 pm

orlando wrote:
Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:20 am
the excessive sucking that causes it to set hard, you don't want excessive sucking if it gets too hard now do you?
orlando,
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