Has anyone successfully used a pumped/recirculated hop rocket with pellets?
I'm thinking of going this route but I'm concerned about potential blockages.
TIA for any advice.
Hop rocket for pellets
-
Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
You’ll need to use a lot of leaf with it to help filter the pellets. Otherwise they just clog any screen fine enough to filter pellets.
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.
-
jpampiglione
- Sober
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 3:04 pm
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
Similar hop missile can use pellets. I put them in a muslin bag with rice hulls.
Have circulated top (conical end) to bottom as hot wort headed my way when disconnecting after trying bottom to top. As long as 25g + pellets seems to work
Have circulated top (conical end) to bottom as hot wort headed my way when disconnecting after trying bottom to top. As long as 25g + pellets seems to work
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
I've been considering going the Hop Stopper route. It looks like it may be the answer at least for me. They will custom make them for your kettle as well.
https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pro ... 30-gallons
https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pro ... 30-gallons
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
Wow, I'd it me or did that seem like a lot of money for a bit of bent mesh?
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
Lol. B@3t@rd phone. 
"is it me... "
"is it me... "
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
There's a bit more to it than that lol but hey each to their own.MashBag wrote:Wow, I'd it me or did that seem like a lot of money for a bit of bent mesh?
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
I’ve just purchased the rip off Hop
Rocket after David Heath was successful with Muslim bags.
Rocket after David Heath was successful with Muslim bags.
Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel
-
clarets7
- Piss Artist
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 8:56 am
- Location: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
What are these Muslim bags?
"The paradise of the rich is made out of the hell of the poor" - Victor Hugo
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
Muslin!
Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel
-
The_Antikveik
- Tippler
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2022 7:51 pm
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
[quote=Jocky post_id=859364 time=1630359695 user_id=8935]
You’ll need to use a lot of leaf with it to help filter the pellets. Otherwise they just clog any screen fine enough to filter pellets.
[/quote]
This mainly.
I've been using a genuine HopRocket for about 2.5 years, according to my brewing notes. It’s very effective with whole hops, up to the recommended maximum, about 80g, and, amongst other things, has very little impact on the rate of flow when recirculating hot wort through the device. An even flow of wort is required for efficient extraction of desirable hop compounds. From what I’ve seen on youtube and heard from fellow home brewers, pelletised hops limit the flow to a pathetic dribble, presumably with much reduced extraction efficiency, thus rendering an otherwise very effective device a bit pointless. Most likely a complete waste of pelletised hops that are better used elsewhere in the brewing process. I imagine there's just some minor channeling finding a route through a blocked hop bed, bypassing most of the hops. Bottom line, beware double glazing salesmen with youtube channels.
As Blichmann Engineering - the developer of the original HopRocket - state quite clearly, the device is designed to work efficiently for whole hops only. It’s safe to assume a reputable company like Blichmann Engineering did the R&D and aren’t in the business of fooling customers just to hit sales targets. It's one thing to blatantly rip-off someone else's idea, but to pretend it does what it's not intended for is just adding another layer of dishonesty. And yet another thing to support such behaviour, as a reseller or consumer. I think I'd rather pay a little more and get the real deal, which is much better quality anyway. Kind of a no-brainer, about ￡130 for the real deal vs ￡100 for a cheap rip-off. The end user is advised to use whole hops, regardless.
You’ll need to use a lot of leaf with it to help filter the pellets. Otherwise they just clog any screen fine enough to filter pellets.
[/quote]
This mainly.
I've been using a genuine HopRocket for about 2.5 years, according to my brewing notes. It’s very effective with whole hops, up to the recommended maximum, about 80g, and, amongst other things, has very little impact on the rate of flow when recirculating hot wort through the device. An even flow of wort is required for efficient extraction of desirable hop compounds. From what I’ve seen on youtube and heard from fellow home brewers, pelletised hops limit the flow to a pathetic dribble, presumably with much reduced extraction efficiency, thus rendering an otherwise very effective device a bit pointless. Most likely a complete waste of pelletised hops that are better used elsewhere in the brewing process. I imagine there's just some minor channeling finding a route through a blocked hop bed, bypassing most of the hops. Bottom line, beware double glazing salesmen with youtube channels.
As Blichmann Engineering - the developer of the original HopRocket - state quite clearly, the device is designed to work efficiently for whole hops only. It’s safe to assume a reputable company like Blichmann Engineering did the R&D and aren’t in the business of fooling customers just to hit sales targets. It's one thing to blatantly rip-off someone else's idea, but to pretend it does what it's not intended for is just adding another layer of dishonesty. And yet another thing to support such behaviour, as a reseller or consumer. I think I'd rather pay a little more and get the real deal, which is much better quality anyway. Kind of a no-brainer, about ￡130 for the real deal vs ￡100 for a cheap rip-off. The end user is advised to use whole hops, regardless.
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
I only ever use pellets straight in the boiler- no muslin bag. I’ve got a hop rocket and I’ve never once had an issue pumping the wort from boiler through chiller and into fv.
Hope this helps
Re: Hop rocket for pellets
IF I was doing a saison again though with lots of weird additions I would put these additions in a Muslin. I remember the orange pith being a slight pain right at the last couple of litres to pump out