Hop Spiders - worth it or not?

[Keg]

Hi Guys,

I'm considering buying a hop spider for use with my Bulldog Brewer.  For anyone with a hop spider, are they worth it?  I'm using pellets 95% of the time and still find muslin bags a pain for multiple hop additions!
Thanks
Keith

[dcalnan]

I don't use my hop spider for hops anymore since I've been using pellets more, they just clog the filter up so that it's a lower temperature inside than out, and it can also have a higher liquid level than the rest of the pot. I do use it for recirculation after whirlpool. I think it would work better with leaf, the mesh size must be too fine for pellet.

[darren996]

I use my hop spider all the time, brilliant for hop additions at any stage, got mine on the group buy. I recirc through a plate chiller and this keeps the pellets from clogging the chiller. I haven't noticed any difference in bitterness or hop absorption by using the spider.

[Dracusse]

yep they worth it but buy one from ebay for 12 or 14 yoyos way better to use with bulldog than one for 40e

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

I think they work better with leaf than pellet.  The pellet does seem to clog the holes in the spider whereas the wort drains out a lot quicker when using leaf.

[Bazza]

I also got a hop spider from the group buy but have stopped using it for similar reasons.

I found the temp inside the spider was lower than the rest of the boiler, so not sure if  I was getting max hop extraction. Also, the narrowness of the spider seemed inhibit the movement of the hops.

For my most recent brew I went back to the old copper filter plugged into the inside of the tap, so the hops can move freely all through the kettle during the boil. This filter is probably more for larger leaf hops but very little material made it into the FV in the end.

-Barry

[molc]

The temp in the spider is def. lower and it drains slowly. Logically it should lead to less hop utilisation and flavour. However, swapping forward and back, I haven't found any difference in the final beers.

My advice would be to go with the one that makes your cleanup and kettle draining the easiest. With my plate chiller, I use the spider, but with the grainfather I just toss them in and use them as an additional filter while draining to the fermenter.

[Shanna]

I think they work better with leaf than pellet.  The pellet does seem to clog the holes in the spider whereas the wort drains out a lot quicker when using leaf.

Have has the same experience with the hop pellets. I did an extract brew & all grain btew at the weekend & it was so slow to drain the pellets from the extract brew that I reverted to using the paint strainer bags for the extract brew.

Shanna

[LordEoin]

paint strainer bags are the business

[Keg]

Thanks for the comments, may not be ideal for pellets so... I've a BIAB bag that I might try out as a giant hop-bag before taking the plunge on a hop spider!  The Bulldog brewer has a bazooka filter on the tap but that gets clogged up even when using muslin bags.

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[Shanna]

Thanks for the comments, may not be ideal for pellets so... I've a BIAB bag that I might try out as a giant hop-bag before taking the plunge on a hop spider!  The Bulldog brewer has a bazooka filter on the tap but that gets clogged up even when using muslin bags.

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Muslin bags care basically cotton that leave loads of material through. Paint strainer bags are nylon that have far finer mesh that leave far less material through.

Shanna

[Keg]

Ah ok, the BIAB bag is probably close enough to a paint strainer bag so!

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[Shanna]

Ah ok, the BIAB bag is probably close enough to a paint strainer bag so!

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Net curtains material e.g. voile is basically the same stuff. I used it in the past when drying hopping a beer with fruit.

Shanna