I seem to be using whole leaf hops lately and since the HTC mash kits also include them I figured I would build myself a hop spider. This essentially allows you to do all your hop additions in a single bag which you remove at the end thus keeping your wort free of whole hops.
You will need 3 bolts (mine are 10mm coach with 280mm length), six 10mm washers, six 10mm nuts, suitably sized jubilee clip and a piece of pvc coupling.
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_160718.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_160718.jpg.html)
Drill 3 holes using a 10mm drill bit
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_162751.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_162751.jpg.html)
Next we add a nut and then washer to our bolt
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_163122.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_163122.jpg.html)
This is pushed through our hole and we then add a washer followed by a nut. Repeat this for all 3 bolts
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_163304.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_163304.jpg.html)
We attach our bag next. Iv used a muslin bag. simply open your jubilee clip, fix your bag around the opening and tighten your clip
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_164125.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_164125.jpg.html)
There we have it. Finished hop spider sitting atop my PECO boiler. It literally took 10 mins to put together.
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/ggr34/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_164149.jpg) (http://s831.photobucket.com/user/ggr34/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150523_164149.jpg.html)
Total cost of the build was €11.70 in my local hardware shop. For the time and money it takes it may be a really useful tool for some brewers.
I could do with one of them. Last brew a hop bag got caught around one of the elements in my keggle and got burned to bits. The beer tasted like drinking a campfire. It's the first batch i've had to throw down the drain.
Thanks for the list of parts Graham,i have a keg boiler but i think with slightly longer coach bolts(maybe like 400mm) it will still work.I have had the plastic collar part for ages(same as what comes off back of a toilet bowl to the pipe coming from wall,and yes it is new and unused) but have been lazy about getting it together. ;D