Whole Hops gettin' in the way

[Powhatan]

I use a converted keg for my kettle and the drain sits up about an inch or so from the bottom. While draining - the hops liked to have given me a fit... so i checked around on line and found a 'bazooka' that looked kind of neat. But, I'm cheap - so i looked for alternative solutions.

At the local grocery store they had copper 'scubbers' - a mesh pad meant for cleaning pots and such.

I bought one of those and unrolled it then attached it to my drain.

Works great and was only a couple of bucks - being copper is just a bonus. :)

This might not be new - but thought i'd share...

[Mad Scientist]

Those copper scrubbers only last a batch or two. Spend an extra buck or two and get the stainless steel chore boy scrubbers, they last about six months

[Powhatan]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
...stainless steel chore boy scrubbers...

Are those basically the same thing - just a different metal? For what they cost (~$1 ea) i'm not too concerned about them lasting - but i figure with the surface area and being in the boil the coppers ones have the added benefit of providing yeast nutrient... or not, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something good :D

[Mad Scientist]

The copper really does not provide a yeast nutrient...like most metals, it is not friendly to microscopic life. Stainless luckily is not reactive. One of the main reasons the copper is favored in brewiong is for its conductive properties.

BTW, has your copper scrubber started rusting yet? Mine always did...

The chore boys are basically the same thing, but they seem to filter better than the cooper ones, more surface area.....

[CampAjohn]

You can approximate a "bazooka screen" by buying a stainless steel braid covered dishwasher or washing machine water supply hose at Home Depot, stripping off the SS braid, closing one end with a piece of SS or copper wire and clamping the other end to your drain. I use a "T" at the end of my drain with short nipples and formed the SS braid into a circle around the circumferance of my boil pot and attached it at the "T" with 2 SS hose clamps.

[Powhatan]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
...has your copper scrubber started rusting yet?...

So far - so good ;)

I give a look for the others though... never hurts to try new stuff.

Thanks!

[Powhatan]

Originally posted by CampAjohn
You can approximate a "bazooka screen" by buying a stainless steel braid covered dishwasher or washing machine water supply hose at Home Depot, stripping off the SS braid, closing one end with a piece of SS or copper wire and clamping the other end to your drain. I use a "T" at the end of my drain with short nipples and formed the SS braid into a circle around the circumferance of my boil pot and attached it at the "T" with 2 SS hose clamps.

Now that sounds like a great idea!

Did you have to message the braid to loosen it up at all?

[BitterRat]

Try a lint trap for your washing machine. they are cheap. like $1.00 for 2 and are zinc coated, which is a yeast nutrient, and they last about 5+ sessions!!

[CampAjohn]

The SS braid comes off the rubber hose quite easily, it is not real tight. The little wires at the cut end poke through one's skin easily so be careful. I bought a 4 or 5 ft. washer hose and had enough braid for both my boil pot and my mash tun.

[gallowd7]

This is what I have done for several years. Pellet hops clog things up quite nicely, however. I try to use whole hops exclusively.

[dparsons]

Hop bags work very nicely.

[Powhatan]

Boerne Brew was right - the 'copper' ones rust. Go with stainless...

[sbv32]

Hop bags work very nicely

Is there something wrong with hop bags. To me this seems like the best solution, but I'm new so wanted to see if I am missing something.

[Mill Rat]

I use muslin bags for my whole hop additions without problems. I do limit the amount in a bag to one ounce of dry, and a 1/2 ounce limit is preferable if you have the stock of bags to do it. Anything more tightly packed and you will start to detrimentally impact the extraction you get from the amount of hops you use. With the crap crop of hops this year, not getting full extraction from the hops you use is bordering on criminal.

[ClaudiusB]

BTW, has your copper scrubber started rusting yet? Mine always did...

Now my question.
Has your copper Immersion Chiller started to rust?
Your answer is most likely NO.
Whats different?

The steel version with the copper look do rust not copper.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

[Mill Rat]

Yeah, those are copper plated steel. Why are they copper plated? Because copper plating is cheap and sanitary, and if the steel had not been plated, it would rust up from the moisture in the air. Would you buy a rusted scrubbie?

[Powhatan]

I was pretty surprised to find that it was copper plated, being such a small amount of material. I even gave it the old 'will it stick to a magnet?' test to be sure.

[Powhatan]

I went to pick up new 'stainless steel' scrubbies from the grocery store (Quickie brand) today. They had two versions - copper and what I thought was stainless. Turns out they are really galvanized. That's bad right, isn't zinc bad for yeast?

Do the one's you all use actually say that they are stainless?

To be safe, I picked up some more copper plated ones. They're cheap and I just toss them after using.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by Powhatan
I went to pick up new 'stainless steel' scrubbies from the grocery store (Quickie brand) today. They had two versions - copper and what I thought was stainless. Turns out they are really galvanized. That's bad right, isn't zinc bad for yeast?

Do the one's you all use actually say that they are stainless?

To be safe, I picked up some more copper plated ones. They're cheap and I just toss them after using.

The ones I use are Branded 'Chore Boy' and come two to a box. If I still have one, I'll take a picture....

[barleyburps]

my solution

[barleyburps]

larger view

[Powhatan]

forgive me: errrr... interesting.

[Mad Scientist]

What is it????

[barleyburps]

it's a strainer I made out of copper tubing to set over the spigot hole.

[chapesh]

i have used both the copper and stainless, the price is right either way. my brand is choir boy. and i slip it around my pick up tube. works like a charm. i use whole hops only. no probs yet. happy turkey-day everyone!