A SS hop spyder that doesn't clog

Systems, Gear, & DIY
1

I’ve wanted a SS hop spyder ever since I had a back operation could no longer pick up a kettle and pour wort and hops through a large kitchen strainer.  Leaf hops in the boil will plug the pot drain and clog my pump.  But all the SS hop spyders/strainers I could find online were very fine mesh.  My experience has been that very fine mesh just clogs with trub and such and won’t let the boiling or whirlpooling wort get to the hops.

So I called Arbor Fabricating http://arborfab.com/  and asked if they could make a hop spyder with courser mesh than their standard 300-400 micron.  They had many mesh choices and I selected 1500 micron.  That’s an opening that is slightly less that 1/16 inch or comparable to a standard kitchen strainer.  $95 delivered.

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I chose a 6" x 14" with 1500 micron mesh sides and bottom.

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Wort boils right up through.

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The whirlpool stream flows right through the sides and even creates a small whirlpool in the spyder.

When I pull it I can press on the hops with my long spoon and squeeze out a couple cups of wort.  And it’s super easy to clean.

I don’t get why all the hop spyders on the market are such fine mesh.  What am I missing?

2

The fine mesh would keep pellet hops contained.

3

+1. I like my fine mesh spider but I found pretty quickly that the drop off in utilization is reduced greatly by stirring gently inside the spider during the boil. Really makes life easy to contain the hop matter when I brew an APA or especially AIPA though.

4

With a good whirlpool, a strainer shouldn’t be needed with pellets. I don’t see myself ever going back to whole cones, but if I do I would consider this.

5

I picked one up for my last brew and will never go back worked great (4oz of pellets)

6

I guess I should have added that I use a lot of whole cone hops.  I have a couple of home brew friends that grow their own hops and grow waaaay more than they can use.  And I might try growing some other varieties myself (I live close to hop country about 40 miles South of the Yakima valley).  Also, whole hops have a more natural vibe. ::)  But they take up a hell of a lot more room in the freezer.