# Pellet VS Whole Cone Hops

**URL:** <https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601>\
**Category:** Ingredients\
**Created:** [October 7, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601 "2021-10-07T17:41:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/21 "2021-10-08T14:22:14Z")

</div>

> [@TXFlyGuy](#):
>
> It is not my position that whole leaf hops are better in any way. I just like the way they function in our brewing system.  
> Just for grins, pellets will be tried at some time in the future. I have used pellets before. Did not notice much difference in the finished beer.
> 
> Yes, pellets are more economical from a storage standpoint.
> 
> Before I always used hop plugs. Those were perfect!
> 
> I wonder what the folks at Sierra Nevada think on this subject? But…what do they know!
> 
> Found this on Brulosophy…pellet vs whole cone.  
> 21 people participated. 12 people could tell a difference in the two beers, one with pellets, one with cones.  
> 3 taste testers preferred the whole cone hopped beer, 3 preferred the pelletized beer, and 6 had no preference either way.

FWIW, SN is using pellets these days, too.&nbsp; And c’mon…a homebrew experiment is a data point, not a conclusion.&nbsp; There is no way they can have tight enough control to reach a conclusion like that.&nbsp; The pellets would have to come from the same lits as the whole hops, for one thing.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rcroel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@rcroel](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/rcroel)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/22 "2021-10-08T18:51:51Z")

</div>

> [@TXFlyGuy](#):
>
> However, in my brewery whole cone hops play a vital role in filtration.

Fair point, this is very true. Whole hops do a great job filtering the wort. I only use pellets (which you could probably tell ;)) and I have found that letting the wort sit quietly for 45-60 min after flameout yields crystal clear wort at knockout. All the trub settles into a very compact layer at the bottom of the kettle and is avoided. Different ways to skin the same cat! Cheers.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![redrocker652002](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/redrocker652002/32/19_2.png) [@redrocker652002](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/redrocker652002)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 10:32pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/23 "2021-10-08T22:32:27Z")

</div>

Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TechBrew](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/techbrew/32/19_2.png) [@TechBrew](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/TechBrew)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/24 "2021-10-08T22:43:54Z")

</div>

> [@redrocker652002](#):
>
> Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?

I haven’t tried it but I have read of others who did that and found that the filter plugged with the material they were straining out.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/original/1X/f1a2211dcb353b921ed70873794a31db2031eccc.png) [@system](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/25 "2021-10-09T11:23:03Z")

</div>

> [@richard](#):
>
> > [@redrocker652002](#):
> >
> > Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?
> 
> I haven’t tried it but I have read of others who did that and found that the filter plugged with the material they were straining out.

Others told me they use paint strainer bags from Lowes/ HomeDepot.  
I have never used them myself.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TXFlyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@TXFlyGuy](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/TXFlyGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/26 "2021-10-09T12:27:51Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> > [@TXFlyGuy](#):
> >
> > However, in my brewery whole cone hops play a vital role in filtration.
> 
> Fair point, this is very true. Whole hops do a great job filtering the wort. I only use pellets (which you could probably tell ;)) and I have found that letting the wort sit quietly for 45-60 min after flameout yields crystal clear wort at knockout. All the trub settles into a very compact layer at the bottom of the kettle and is avoided. Different ways to skin the same cat! Cheers.

This would have worked in my previous boil kettle, as the pickup tube was raised about an inch from the bottom. Won’t work for us now. The pickup is about an 1/8 inch from the floor.

And we run the wort through a hop filter bag as it goes into the ferment vessel. That is the final “catch-all” for anything that escapes out of the boil kettle. The hop filter bag is folded over about four times, so it is very fine.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saccharomyces](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Saccharomyces](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/Saccharomyces)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/27 "2021-10-09T12:46:09Z")

</div>

I use whole cones and pellets.&nbsp; I prefer whole cones with one caveat and, that is, they need to come directly from a trusted source on the West Coast (one that also acquires non-US cultivars from trusted sources).&nbsp; I bought a bunch whole cones from Ted at Hop Heaven earlier this year.&nbsp; I am a huge fan of EKG, but Ted only had US Goldings, so I bit the bullet.&nbsp; Man, those hops have made the must authentic British-style beer I have made over the better part of 30 years. I do not know if 2020 was a good year, but every cultivar I purchased from Ted has been off the charts.&nbsp; There is definitely a difference when a beer is finished with whole cones.&nbsp; Pellets may bitter better, but whole cones leave pellets in the dust when it comes to keeping the essential oils intact.

I used to use whole cones exclusively with a false bottom in my kettle.&nbsp; Nothing works as well as whole cones when it comes to producing clear wort, nothing, at least not at the home brewing level, not even whirlpooling.&nbsp; That is one of main reasons why the British invented the hop back and the Peter Austin design employs a type of hop back known as a hop perculator.&nbsp; I am currently using a hop spider with 1520 mesh that I special ordered from Arbor Fab (one has to ask).&nbsp; The holes in 1520 micron mesh are 1.52mm or ~0.060". They do not clog like the typical 300 or even 400 micron mesh spider that is used with pellets.&nbsp; Wort boils right through the spider.&nbsp; I ordered a 6" spider, but an 8" or 10.5" would be even better.&nbsp; Unlike 300 or 400 micron mesh, 1520 micron mesh is easy to clean too.&nbsp; All that is needed is garden hose-level pressure with a nozzle.&nbsp; I plan to eventually have a custom false bottom made for my DBS 6.6-gallon kettle.

There is a major downside to using whole cones exclusively; namely, significant volume loss in beers with high hopping rates.&nbsp; Here is one area where using a 1520 micron mesh spider with whole cones pays off as the spider can be lifted out of the kettle and the hops can be pressed with a large stainless steel spoon to squeeze out wort.&nbsp; I make my knock-out addition with a cloth bag because my hop spider does not fit in the middle of the immersion chiller, the Faucet Flow (a.k.a. the Mantis), I use with my 3-gallon rig.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![redrocker652002](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/redrocker652002/32/19_2.png) [@redrocker652002](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/redrocker652002)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/28 "2021-10-09T14:07:00Z")

</div>

> [@Saccharomyces](#):
>
> I use whole cones and pellets.&nbsp; I prefer whole cones with one caveat and, that is, they need to come directly from a trusted source on the West Coast (one that also acquires non-US cultivars from trusted sources).&nbsp; I bought a bunch whole cones from Ted at Hop Heaven earlier this year.&nbsp; I am a huge fan of EKG, but Ted only had US Goldings, so I bit the bullet.&nbsp; Man, those hops have made the must authentic British-style beer I have made over the better part of 30 years. I do not know if 2020 was a good year, but every cultivar I purchased from Ted has been off the charts.&nbsp; There is definitely a difference when a beer is finished with whole cones.&nbsp; Pellets may bitter better, but whole cones leave pellets in the dust when it comes to keeping the essential oils intact.
> 
> I used to use whole cones exclusively with a false bottom in my kettle.&nbsp; Nothing works as well as whole cones when it comes to producing clear wort, nothing, at least not at the home brewing level, not even whirlpooling.&nbsp; That is one of main reasons why the British invented the hop back and the Peter Austin design employs a type of hop back known as a hop perculator.&nbsp; I am currently using a hop spider with 1520 mesh that I special ordered from Arbor Fab (one has to ask).&nbsp; The holes in 1520 micron mesh are 1.52mm or ~0.060". They do not clog like the typical 300 or even 400 micron mesh spider that is used with pellets.&nbsp; Wort boils right through the spider.&nbsp; I ordered a 6" spider, but an 8" or 10.5" would be even better.&nbsp; Unlike 300 or 400 micron mesh, 1520 micron mesh is easy to clean too.&nbsp; All that is needed is garden hose-level pressure with a nozzle.&nbsp; I plan to eventually have a custom false bottom made for my DBS 6.6-gallon kettle.
> 
> There is a major downside to using whole cones exclusively; namely, significant volume loss in beers with high hopping rates.&nbsp; Here is one area where using a 1520 micron mesh spider with whole cones pays off as the spider can be lifted out of the kettle and the hops can be pressed with a large stainless steel spoon to squeeze out wort.&nbsp; I make my knock-out addition with a cloth bag because my hop spider does not fit in the middle of the immersion chiller, the Faucet Flow (a.k.a. the Mantis), I use with my 3-gallon rig.

Being very new to all this, would you be able to provide a link with an example of what you are talking about?&nbsp; I am going to brew today, and would love to find something I can put on the keg so in a week or so when I am ready to transfer it I have it here.&nbsp; If it is too much of a pain, then no worries.&nbsp; My thought is, there must be something you can slip into the keg, run the fermented beer thru it, then pull the strainer out and wash and sanitize for the next go around.

Thanks for reading.&nbsp; RR

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TXFlyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@TXFlyGuy](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/TXFlyGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/29 "2021-10-09T15:40:12Z")

</div>

Here is my BK, with the SS screen and false bottom. Does a very good job filtering. But might look into another screen, or a custom bottom.

 ![00-6SVVrpqL4aGVN8crLXyphWl_j1hzwcUEpndmB0aupaH6UqOZ67HBR8qwyRyIkvk_ldMTLfbtJ__wYVBQ_4iTow.jpg](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/original/2X/c/ce585993c7dbaccd233edc62abdb87b831bbcdf7.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/30 "2021-10-09T16:11:15Z")

</div>

> [@TXFlyGuy](#):
>
> Here is my BK, with the SS screen and false bottom. Does a very good job filtering. But might look into another screen, or a custom bottom.
> 
> ![00-6SVVrpqL4aGVN8crLXyphWl_j1hzwcUEpndmB0aupaH6UqOZ67HBR8qwyRyIkvk_ldMTLfbtJ__wYVBQ_4iTow.jpg](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/original/2X/c/ce585993c7dbaccd233edc62abdb87b831bbcdf7.jpeg)

I use a side pickup.&nbsp; All the trub settles in the depression in the middle of the BK and I pull clear wort from the side.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![erockrph](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/erockrph/32/13330_2.png) [@erockrph](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/erockrph)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/31 "2021-10-10T14:04:32Z")

</div>

> [@richard](#):
>
> > [@redrocker652002](#):
> >
> > Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?
> 
> I haven’t tried it but I have read of others who did that and found that the filter plugged with the material they were straining out.

I have used filter screens that fit the mouth of a 5 (or 6.5) gallon bucket, but they would always clog up something fierce with pellet hops. Search DudaDiesel on eBay if you’re interested in what I’m talking about.

I have had better success making a juryrigged hopback. You can take a kneehigh nylon stocking, put about half an ounce of whole cone hops in it, and ziptie it over the outflow of some tubing that you use to transfer the beer from your kettle to your fermenter. In the end, I found that the amount of trub I transferred had no bearing on the quality of my finished beer, and I stopped sweating that particular detail.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TXFlyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@TXFlyGuy](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/TXFlyGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/32 "2021-10-10T14:15:33Z")

</div>

> [@erockrph](#):
>
> > [@richard](#):
> >
> > > [@redrocker652002](#):
> > >
> > > Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?
> > 
> > I haven’t tried it but I have read of others who did that and found that the filter plugged with the material they were straining out.
> 
> I have used filter screens that fit the mouth of a 5 (or 6.5) gallon bucket, but they would always clog up something fierce with pellet hops. Search DudaDiesel on eBay if you’re interested in what I’m talking about.
> 
> I have had better success making a juryrigged hopback. You can take a kneehigh nylon stocking, put about half an ounce of whole cone hops in it, and ziptie it over the outflow of some tubing that you use to transfer the beer from your kettle to your fermenter. In the end, I found that the amount of trub I transferred had no bearing on the quality of my finished beer, and I stopped sweating that particular detail.

I agree, no harm with trub in your wort.  
We do not want this in our beer, only because we harvest our yeast. It is desired to have the yeast as clean as possible. And so far our yeast harvests are hyper clean.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/33 "2021-10-10T14:26:28Z")

</div>

> [@TXFlyGuy](#):
>
> > [@erockrph](#):
> >
> > > [@richard](#):
> > >
> > > > [@redrocker652002](#):
> > > >
> > > > Would it be worth while to use some sort of cheese cloth or something to strain the liquid as I put it in the keg?&nbsp; I am sure I can find some sort of cloth that would work, but would that be adviseable?
> > > 
> > > I haven’t tried it but I have read of others who did that and found that the filter plugged with the material they were straining out.
> > 
> > I have used filter screens that fit the mouth of a 5 (or 6.5) gallon bucket, but they would always clog up something fierce with pellet hops. Search DudaDiesel on eBay if you’re interested in what I’m talking about.
> > 
> > I have had better success making a juryrigged hopback. You can take a kneehigh nylon stocking, put about half an ounce of whole cone hops in it, and ziptie it over the outflow of some tubing that you use to transfer the beer from your kettle to your fermenter. In the end, I found that the amount of trub I transferred had no bearing on the quality of my finished beer, and I stopped sweating that particular detail.
> 
> I agree, no harm with trub in your wort.  
> We do not want this in our beer, only because we harvest our yeast. It is desired to have the yeast as clean as possible. And so far our yeast harvests are hyper clean.

I gotta tell ya, my experience is that it really doesn’t matter.&nbsp; Just a data point.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![majorvices](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/majorvices/32/12825_2.png) [@majorvices](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/majorvices)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/34 "2021-10-10T14:41:06Z")

</div>

FWIW for whole hops I had great luck with Denny’s old trick of using a stainless/braided water supply line. You have to remove the inside tubing and crimp the one end but I never had whole hops clog using that method. It definitely ran off super clear wort in conjunction with whole hops. Gravity feed, not pumped, which may cause problems (not sure).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![redrocker652002](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/redrocker652002/32/19_2.png) [@redrocker652002](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/redrocker652002)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/35 "2021-10-12T15:05:57Z")

</div>

I ended up using Cheese cloth that I soaked in Starsan.&nbsp; It did ok, but I am sure I am going to run into more problems after I dry hop in a few days.&nbsp; I am thinking of using the same style cloth over my keg and run to siphon hose off my fermenter bucket and try and catch as much as I can, but I could swear I read that you don’t want to the fermented beer to spash around too much.&nbsp; I wish I could find something that slips into my keg and sits at the bottom where I can run to filler tube down and go that way, if that makes sense.&nbsp; I also know I am going to clog the pickup tube something fierce if I don’t figure out a way to get most of the crud out of the fermented beer.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ynotbrusum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/ynotbrusum/32/10316_2.png) [@ynotbrusum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/ynotbrusum)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/36 "2021-10-12T15:39:16Z")

</div>

Not a perfect solution, but it is what you described:

> **[Adventures in Homebrewing - Homebrewing Winemaking & Beverage Supplies](https://homebrewing.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5JSLBhCxARIsAHgO2SfnBjkcuEh5DamcI_ewGu4AXKVWfCtjGF_A9EtyLl8rvYHJ0DoCCBwaAjggEALw_wcB&utm_medium=shopping&utm_source=google)**
>
> Offering the widest selection of homebrew ingredients, kegs, kegging equipment, commercial beverage equipment, and winemaking supplies on the internet. Most orders over $99 ship free!

Cheers.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![redrocker652002](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/redrocker652002/32/19_2.png) [@redrocker652002](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/redrocker652002)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 5:52am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/37 "2021-10-13T05:52:24Z")

</div>

I think what I am going to do is use the Muslim bag I used for the grains, put the hops in and drop it in the fermenter.&nbsp; I will, of course, sanitize the bag as best I can.&nbsp; That should at least keep the dry hops contained.&nbsp; Once it is ready to go into the keg, I might try either the drip tube screen, or I saw this:

[https://kegfactory.com/products/torpedo-keg-buoy-floating-dip-tube?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs\_zqstnG8wIV-xitBh38GwzDEAQYASABEgI4iPD\_BwE](https://kegfactory.com/products/torpedo-keg-buoy-floating-dip-tube?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs_zqstnG8wIV-xitBh38GwzDEAQYASABEgI4iPD_BwE)

Has anybody used anything like this?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ynotbrusum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/ynotbrusum/32/10316_2.png) [@ynotbrusum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/ynotbrusum)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/38 "2021-10-13T17:21:35Z")

</div>

I use a floating dip tube in the fermenter only.&nbsp; Works well for early racking and spunding in keg for the last couple points.

> **[Clear Beer Draught System](https://clearbeerdraughtsystem.com/)**
>
> The Clear Beer Draught System is a patented floating intake that replaces your keg’s long dip tube. It’s designed to draw beer from the top of the keg, that is where the clearest, cleanest and best tasting beer is.

There are several iterations available from other mfg’s of similar floating dip tubes with filters that seem to work well.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saccharomyces](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Saccharomyces](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/Saccharomyces)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/39 "2021-10-16T13:10:10Z")

</div>

> [@erockrph](#):
>
> I have used filter screens that fit the mouth of a 5 (or 6.5) gallon bucket, but they would always clog up something fierce with pellet hops. Search DudaDiesel on eBay if you’re interested in what I’m talking about.

Loose pellets with an immersion chiller are one big pain in the backside.&nbsp; Sure, one can whirlpool, but even then one is going to end up with pellet debris in one’s fermentation vessel if one does not leave a substantial amount of wort behind.&nbsp; I use a cloth bag-based spider for pellets.&nbsp; That way if it clogs mid-boil, I can just replace the clogged bag with a new bag.&nbsp; If I ever switch back to using a counterflow chiller, I going to do knock-out hop additions using whole hops and a hopback.&nbsp; Whole hops hold pellets back very well. The Alan Pugsley installed breweries use this approach.&nbsp; Pellets are used for kettle additions and whole cones are used in a hop back (the hop perculator) to hold back the pellets.&nbsp; It is a very simple and effective design. However, it does require one to use counterflow or plate chiller.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/pellet-vs-whole-cone-hops/31601/40 "2021-10-16T14:09:27Z")

</div>

> [@Saccharomyces](#):
>
> > [@erockrph](#):
> >
> > I have used filter screens that fit the mouth of a 5 (or 6.5) gallon bucket, but they would always clog up something fierce with pellet hops. Search DudaDiesel on eBay if you’re interested in what I’m talking about.
> 
> Loose pellets with an immersion chiller are one big pain in the backside.&nbsp; Sure, one can whirlpool, but even then one is going to end up with pellet debris in one’s fermentation vessel if one does not leave a substantial amount of wort behind.&nbsp; I use a cloth bag-based spider for pellets.&nbsp; That way if it clogs mid-boil, I can just replace the clogged bag with a new bag.&nbsp; If I ever switch back to using a counterflow chiller, I going to do knock-out hop additions using whole hops and a hopback.&nbsp; Whole hops hold pellets back very well. The Alan Pugsley installed breweries use this approach.&nbsp; Pellets are used for kettle additions and whole cones are used in a hop back (the hop perculator) to hold back the pellets.&nbsp; It is a very simple and effective design. However, it does require one to use counterflow or plate chiller.

Depends on your kettle design.&nbsp; I haven’t found it to be a problem.

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