Hop Spider/Cold Break issue

[Alex Lawes]

Gave me new hop spider it's first run yesterday as I'm trying to move entirely to pellets.

Everything worked fine until the end.

It was in the back of my head all the time but I had to give it a run through to see if it would happen.

Alas, now that there's no bed of cones at the bottom to filter the stuff, all the cold break is running into the FV.

I've got a bazooka screen from HBC, but it's not worth a shite for anything other than stopping cones blocking the tap.

Has anyone got any tricks or suggestions to combat this and filter out the break?

A whilrpool on this thing isn't going to work. Neither will a siphoning job.

Is there a SS mesh that would be fine enough to stop the break without clogging it?

I've only just conquered the chill haze issue and now back to square 1.

[imark]

Is there some correlation between use of leaf hops and haze that pellets doesn't have?

[johnrm]

Have a look here...
http://www.canadianhomebrewers.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2049

[Alex Lawes]

Is there some correlation between use of leaf hops and haze that pellets doesn't have?

Not sure if I get ya. Basically using leaf hops gives a bed filter for the cold break much in the sam way that grain husks do in the mash tun. Moving to pellets means better utilisation, more stable storage and an all-round better kick from the lads than the leaf, but I'm faced with dealing with the cold break in a different way now.

Have a look here...
http://www.canadianhomebrewers.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2049

This looks good alright. Been looking at a similar model on the electric brewery website. The only problem is that I don't have a pump to pull the wort through and create the kind of cake that filters that way. The mesh for the bazooka screen I have has a similar aperture to the one shown. I'm worried if I go too small an aperture It'll block easily so it's a tough one to gauge. I was hoping someone has made a screen just to filter break and would have an idea of how fine it needs to be.

I was considering doing a manual whirlpool instead and using the hop spider as a sieve for the post boil run-off into the FV. Then cooling in the FV before pitching. Seems the best way to do it with the equipment I have immediately available.

[DEMPSEY]

Alex,your questions are my questions,having ran my system with a dip tube pushed to the side I leave 2.1 litres behind in the kettle where as fitting the dip tube back to the centre and using a fine mesh S/S hop stopper as per http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/boil-kettle?page=3.

[Alex Lawes]

Well as long as you've got a pump that can create the kind of vortex needed for the trub you should be fine.
The problem is I don't have a pump to get the kind of cone and I thought the hop spider would reduce that problem.

I wouldn't go that far with a screen Brian if I were you as the cone from your whirlpool wouldn't sit to the base properly.

I would however put a fine mesh just on the top of your dip tube to stop anything that might find it's way out.

[imark]

Ah...I thought you meant there was some influence on haze from the leaf. I use leaf always so was curious.

Why not put a nylon stocking over the outlet tube from the kettle? Make sure it's clean though 

[DEMPSEY]

Well as long as you've got a pump that can create the kind of vortex needed for the trub you should be fine.
The problem is I don't have a pump to get the kind of cone and I thought the hop spider would reduce that problem.

I wouldn't go that far with a screen Brian if I were you as the cone from your whirlpool wouldn't sit to the base properly.

I would however put a fine mesh just on the top of your dip tube to stop anything that might find it's way out.

But the whirlpool is not necessary if you see how the electric brewery people do it.

[Alex Lawes]

Ah...I thought you meant there was some influence on haze from the leaf. I use leaf always so was curious.

Why not put a nylon stocking over the outlet tube from the kettle? Make sure it's clean though 

Yeah I've considered it too. The problem is it risks blocking very quickly without a pump to pull through the buildup.

I'm going to try the manual whirlpool and see how I get on with that and a sanitised spider bag before FV.

Brian, if you want to avoid the whole whirlpool thing you could consider something like this?
http://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html

There are more benefits to whirlpool stands with hops though but it's an option.
http://www.byo.com/stories/item/2808-hop-stands
If you have the ability to do stands without whirlpooling then go for the stopper, but I'd recommend putting your wort out on a pump as it's very likely to block.
Then again if you're putting a pump on your wort out you could go all out and just make a hop-back. That would work as a filter but you'd need to cool with a plate chiller post hop-back.

[imark]

Why not put a nylon stocking over the outlet tube from the kettle? Make sure it's clean though 

Yeah I've considered it too. The problem is it risks blocking very quickly without a pump to pull through the buildup.

Fill a stocking! Jaysus Alex...what sort of malty monster are you making man?