Keg Dry Hop Filter

[DaveG]

Anyone tried one of these? Are they secure/effective?

Scundered cleaning/tying up bags only to have them block the dip tube when I forget to suspend one from the lid.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Homebrew-Stainless-Steel-Hop-Spider-Beer-Filter-Keg-Dry-Hopper-300-Mesh-7x29cm-/222374477952

[Qs]

I use them when I dry hop in the keg, which is a lot. Have 3 of them now, 2 of those long ones and a short one. I've found them great. Haven't tried pellets in them yet but for leafs they are brilliant if you like keg hopping. Very easy to clean too. I got one from Ali and 2 from HBC. I've used them in the fermenter too where they work too.

[Shanna]

Hi there,

I used them for the first time for a dry hop in my fermenter for an American amber with a mixture of both leaf and pellet hops and was surprised by the results. The leaf hops in particular expanded out to completely fill the entire space of the container. I loved the simplicity of cleaning it and the fact that the beer was free of hop matter but for the purpose of dry hopping the beer I think they don't necessarily produce the best result.

I found the beer was no where near as aromatic as I would have expected for a 3 hop (2 pellet type 40gr Amarillo, 40gr Cascade) and leaf (50gr Citra) dry hop. All of the hops were from 2015 so they should be reasonably good as they were stored vacuum packed & stored in a freezer. I have never tried the approach to chuck the hops in and let them settle but I suspect that they would produce the best result. Best beer I ever dry hopped was a beer that was dry hopped with fresh pellet hops in a huge nylon paint strainer bag that allowed the pellet hops to fully break down and expose their full surface area to the beer.

Shanna

[molc]

I used Shannas dry hopper for an amber (thanks!) earlier this year and found the clarity really suffered. Also the aroma was a tad muted in comparison to my usual chuck them in at the end of primary and cold crash.

That said, tempted to try again with a neipa where I want multiple keg hop additions.

[Qs]

I used pellets in one of them in the FV before and it wasn't great, the outer pellets expanded but by the time I'd racked the beer off there were still dry pellets in the middle.

I think they are best for keg hopping. They can taste a little vegetal at first but I find by the time the kegs fully carbed (I don't rush my carbonation) they're just about there. So nearly 2 weeks. Cool temps stop it getting too grassy then for a few months after that, usually my kegs empty before I taste any bad effects from it. I find 100g of leaf in hoppy American styles gives great aroma. I've an IPA fermenting at the moment that I'm going to try dry hopping in the FV and the keg, should be fun.

I have zero clarity problems using them. And I obsess over clarity.

[DaveG]

I'd be using it exclusively for keg hopping - I have no problems at all cold crashing out pellet matter in the fermenter.  Bags in the keg have blocked dip tubes on me recently when I forgot to suspend them.  Reckon I'll give one a go.

[braich]

I got one and I'm planning to drill a hole in the top of it and slide the dip tube down into it to cover the end of it and act as a filter, then throw the leaf hops into the keg loose. That way there's no faffing about with bags and the hops are free to move about and expand in the keg. Might need to cut a little bit off the end of the dip tube as well.

[Leann ull]

I got one and I'm planning to drill a hole in the top of it and slide the dip tube down into it to cover the end of it and act as a filter, then throw the leaf hops into the keg loose. That way there's no faffing about with bags and the hops are free to move about and expand in the keg. Might need to cut a little bit off the end of the dip tube as well.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Corny-Keg-Dip-Tube-Screen_p_2091.html

[braich]

I got one and I'm planning to drill a hole in the top of it and slide the dip tube down into it to cover the end of it and act as a filter, then throw the leaf hops into the keg loose. That way there's no faffing about with bags and the hops are free to move about and expand in the keg. Might need to cut a little bit off the end of the dip tube as well.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Corny-Keg-Dip-Tube-Screen_p_2091.html

Looks like it could be just the job. Have you tried it? I'd be worried that it's not allowing a space between the diptube and the hops, meaning that they could just form a mat over it and maybe block it. It doesn't look to be a very fine mesh either so you might still get some debris in the tube.

[Qs]

Use both

http://www.bear-flavored.com/2014/09/how-i-dry-hop-my-ipas-with-no-oxygen.html

[braich]

Use both

http://www.bear-flavored.com/2014/09/how-i-dry-hop-my-ipas-with-no-oxygen.html

Nice one.    Looks like an interesting read. Have you tried it?

[Qs]

No I've considered it but I reckon its just easier to clean hops out of the filter rather than the whole keg. I don't think it makes a huge difference for keg hopping either because the contact time so much longer than a FV dry hop.

[Leann ull]

I have used the small dip tube filters, I gave 1 away.
Never used a corny filter but have used a carboy one, bit of a faff tbh.

You really don't want to dry hop openly in kegs as poppets and taps are little feckers for catching debris even the smallest stuff and then you end out having to blow down your out tube stripping hop aroma etc.

Secondly unless you are transferring DH beer to a second keg or drinking the whole lot under 7-10 days you run the risk of grassiness coming out.

I would agree hops allowed to "roam" dissipate their oils much better so my advice to get a monster Hop Profile is at 80 on chilling on a whirlpool if you can and then chuck more in your fermenter at the end of fermentation for 3-4 days

[molc]

I would agree hops allowed to roam dissipate their oils better so my advice to get a monster Hop Profile is at 80 on chilling on a whirlpool if you can and then chuck in your fermenter at the end of fermentation for 3-4 days

Basically how I do it as well. If I need to do two dry hop additions, then I start using a dry hop in the keg and take the filter out after a couple of days.

[braich]

I would agree hops allowed to "roam" dissipate their oils much better so my advice to get a monster Hop Profile is at 80 on chilling on a whirlpool if you can and then chuck more in your fermenter at the end of fermentation for 3-4 days

Cool - must give the hopstand at 80 a go. I usually use a hop spider, with a mesh bag hanging down so it's difficult to whirlpool. I use a grainfather and have always been paranoid about blocking the pump, but other people seem to get away with it fine so might chance throwing them in loose sometime.