I also use pellets in a bag suspended in the boil kettle. I’m sure doing so causes my utilization factor is less than 100%, so I have compensated for that in my software. And, since I started using whirlfloc tablets, by beers finish vary clear. I’ve never tried using whole cones.
I am basically do the same thing with pellets. The 300 and 400 stainless mesh hop spider clog too quickly with break, especially with Burtonized water. I purchase on of those commercialized cloth spiders from Adventures in Homebrewing and a bunch of bags. It works a thousand times better than a stainless spider with pellets. The large mash spider I use with whole cones is a thing of beauty. Unlike a fine mesh spider, wort boils right through it and the holes are large enough that break does clog them before breaking loose from the spider. The only draws with whole cones for me are not as many varieties and shipping because of the size of the box, not its weight. Ted’s shipping helps there and his whole cones are money!
[quote=“Saccharomyces, post:19, topic:31704, username:Saccharomyces”]
I have a 300 micron mash hop spider. That is just too fine for brewing, period. I clogs up with break.
I don’t use the basket in the BK, my hops roam free. I use it in my fermenter bucket to filter the wort going in when using pellets.
I use free-swimming pellets and I use a plate chiller. I never have a problem with clogging…and that’s probably because of the measures I’ve implemented. The most important feature is having my wort outlet at the perimeter of the kettle. I’m impressed with how many brewing kettles have their outlet at the center of their kettle…where all the trub settles after whirlpooling.
Another thing that helps is having a nice large-diameter kettle. I usually brew 7 gal batches in my 15 gal, large-diameter stock pot. I estimate that the wort depth is about half the kettle diameter. The typical converted beer keg has that ratio turned on its head and that affects how much trub your system can handle.
Another thing that I’ve implemented is a peripheral outlet pipe that is sheathed with stainless steel braiding that helps serve as an intake filter. All of those measures certainly help me to enjoy using hop pellets without having to constrain them in a bag or screen.
I toss pellet hops directly in the wort. After chilling I pour through a 400 micron brew bag. I hang the bag above the fermenter by a pulley I use when draining the mash bag. I squeeze the bag and move it side to side to help it drain.
My wort is not clear in the fermenter because there is break in the fermenter. I don’t bother trying to get rid of that. I just pour everything from kettle to fermenter. I remove the hops because I don’t like them in yeast slurry.
Why?
why is hop trub bad? i have never had an issue repitching. it doesnt bother me.
They make these high tech spoons that I use for whirpooling … very low shearing. 
Because its the hill he has chosen to die on!
also my experiences are that if i really want a lot of hop flavour i will add a fair amount of hops outside the spider.
the spider reduces IBU by about 10 i’m estimating. so i target 10 higher. it probably changes based on total amount of hops added to the spider.
its a nice tool, but at least mine isn’t perfect.
A false bottom with a layer of whole hops might also be filtering out break material.
When I had a hop stopper and plate chiller, the hot break and pellet mush would stay in the kettle but the cold break ended up in the fermenter. Now that I’ve scaled down, I chill everything in the kettle and don’t bother with a screen, but I rarely wait long enough for all the break to settle. End result is about the same in terms of wort clarity. There’s break (white, not green) in suspension in the hydrometer sample that I take at the start of transfer, which settles down to about an inch or less within 10 minutes, revealing clear wort. It never makes a difference.
This makes a lot of sense.
Unfortunately, I am constrained to a diameter that my induction cooktop can handle. I am probably already pushing it with a 14” dia kettle on a 12” ceramic square (actual magnetic induction wrap is probably 10-11” dia.). The metal frame around the ceramic plate is 14” square so it supports the weight of the wort.
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Just a data point: a LOT of British ‘BrewTubers’ use a bag for their hops. They routinely clip or tie the bag(s) on the side of the BK during the boil.
He only brews German beer from what I’ve seen, so it doesn’t matter that most varieties are pellet only (from what I’ve seen). It also doesn’t matter that hop cones are a lot bigger, because he’s only using a few ounces. Feel free to tell me I’ve made a butt out of your and me.
I’ve had issues with pellet hops clogging my pump (anvil pump), and it sucks having to tear that apart mid brew.
I’m certainly not saying ever homebrewing process must emulate commercial brewing practices but the vast majority of commercial brewers use hop pellets and would never dream using any type of hop filter and their beers turn out pretty good. I keep it pretty simple and just WP with a spoon. On the commercial system I brew on I WP until the wort spins and shut the pump off and let the wort rest. In both instances the hops fall out to the bottom and I can run clear wort.
Every brewer should use what works for them but “just say no to hop pellets or letting pellets swim free” are both unnecessary mantras to preach since using hop pellets directly in the kettle without any form of filtering works perfect form the majority of brewers.
I always use pellets and I typically let them swim free and I find that I get the best hop character that way. I also find that pellets store better than cones/plugs/whole hops. I did try a spider and also muslin bags and I found that my hop character was muted. I also don’t make ultra-hoppy beers where a ton of pellet debris would be in the kettle. I chill and then leave the kettle in the sink with ice and water to bring the temp down further and allow everything to settle. I generally get clear wort into the fermenter but even if I get some trub, it settles and the resulting beer is usually clear.
yes. again, when i do a APA/IPA or late hops, i would not add most or all to the spider.
I’m with ya on both of those.
My previous kettle had a side outlet. My current one uses a center outlet. I don’t think I’m getting any more grub with the center than I did with the side, possibly less. Maybe because the center outlet is well implemented?
Yep
That is basically what I do. I put the pellets in a bag, tie the bag around my SS spoon, and and suspend them in the keggle kettle. When the boil is done, I raise the hop bag out of the wort and let it drain before starting to chill the wort. I get the bitterness and flavor I am looking for.
Same here with my center outlet in the kettle. My wort runs clear from the beginning and I only start to pick up any wayward hop debris at the end of chilling process. I can control keeping that out of the fermenter pretty easily.