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Message |
    
Geoff Buschur
Advanced Member
Username: Avmech
Post Number: 778
Registered: 06-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 05:58 pm: | 
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Who has made the perfect uncloggable drain for your boil kettle?
My current setup is simply a piece of copper with a 90 so it draws from the very center of the BK (converted keg). I used to have a problem with whole hops and bitter orange peel clogging the drain so I added a SS scrubby to act as a filter. Now pellet hops and break material clog it up. When it doesn't clog I get every last drop of sweet wort out of my kettle, but lately I have been dealing with a clog every batch.
So what is the best uncloggable drain? I am considering going to a SS braid around the diameter of the kettle and using a whirlpool.
Who has never clogged? |
Paul Edwards
Advanced Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 720
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 06:24 pm: |
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Geoff,
My kettle set-up is very similar to yours.
I make sure I always include some whole hops in my recipe, maybe 1-2 ounces. These are heavier than the pieces of pelletized hops and bits of break material. The leaves coat the SS scrubbie first, and I've not had a clog with this set-up ever.
If I'm reading you right, you're only having problems when you only use pelletized hops. |
Ron Siddall
Member
Username: Listerdister
Post Number: 236
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 06:24 pm: |
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I use a whirpool and a ss braid around a piece of copper that circles the bottom about 1/3 of the way around the lower side. That way it is not in the middle of the muck in the center left by the whirlpool. I loose only a few cups of wort. Have not had a clog, ever. |
Patrick C.
Intermediate Member
Username: Patrickc
Post Number: 350
Registered: 01-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 06:29 pm: |
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Even with 8+ ounces of pellets? |
Geoff Buschur
Advanced Member
Username: Avmech
Post Number: 779
Registered: 06-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 06:48 pm: |
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Yes, Paul, pellets are the main problem with the scrubby, but I think I recently had a clog using whole hops. I usually make my hop pellets wear panty hose if I have a mix of whole and pelletized.
I guess what I am getting at is that there are too many rules and circumstances for each scenario. I want to redesign my kettle to handle all situations. One setup and one SOP for all recipes. It starts to get to be a pain in the arse trying to adjust and accommodate when I should just have been a better engineer. |
robert rulmyr
Advanced Member
Username: Wacobob
Post Number: 571
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 07:21 pm: |
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Similar set up here, 1/2" tube down to center of BK. I use pellets hops only, in nylon bags. Large bags are sold as paint strainers in the hardware stores, they hold several ounces of hops. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 1143
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 07:25 pm: |
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I use an 8" diameter stainless steel false bottom to drain. The dip tube goes down the middle of it and holds it down. I need about at least half leaf hops for it to work well.
Dan Listermann
Listermann Mfg.,Co. www.listermann.com
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Ron Siddall
Member
Username: Listerdister
Post Number: 237
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 07:38 pm: |
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8 oz of pellets??????
No, I have never tried that much. |
Vince Turley
Member
Username: Vince
Post Number: 181
Registered: 05-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 08:15 pm: |
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I use a BazookaTM screen. As long as I have at least an ounce or two of whole/leaf hops in the BK I have not had problem. If I brew exclusively with pellets, I put them in bags so as not to clog the filter.
Before I got the BazookaTM, I simply had a 1/2" drain pipe - this was off-center by about 4", so that it sat outside the "cone" that formed when whirlpooling (half way between the center and side wall). That was back when I used an IC; now that I have a CCFC, I simply start the drain at the end of my boil (which is why I went with the BazookaTM).
Whatever you use, I continue to hear that it really does not matter if the hops/trub make it into the fermenters (other than space they take up). |
Astro
Junior Member
Username: Astro
Post Number: 81
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 09:10 pm: |
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Another fan of the SS false bottom here. I make sure to use an ounce or so of whole hops in the boil, the rest can be pellets. Never clogged, and I pump the wort out at a pretty good rate. |
Belly Buster Bob
Senior Member
Username: Canman
Post Number: 2347
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 09:58 pm: |
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My pickup is almost right at outside edge of kettle. Afetr wirlpooling all the hops and crap are in the middle...no reason to ever get clogged
Bellybuster Bob
www.bellybuster.netfirms.com
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Dave Bossie
New Member
Username: Boss_brew
Post Number: 7
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 06:06 am: |
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Mine is merely a circular copper tube with slots cut into the bottom side. I use only whole hops, and haven't had any clogs, even though I only use gravity/siphon into the counterflow chiller. |
robert rulmyr
Advanced Member
Username: Wacobob
Post Number: 572
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 10:36 am: |
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I forgot to say, NEVER CLOGGED. |
Mike Huss
Advanced Member
Username: Mikhu
Post Number: 683
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 12:58 pm: |
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Bazooka T in the center and I try to use all whole hops. If I have to use pellets I use a hop bag. Never had a clog, and I've been gravity draining through a CFC for a few batches now. |
Pete Mazurowski
Member
Username: Pete_maz
Post Number: 159
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 03:13 pm: |
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My pickup tube is very similar to BBB's in my keggle, but I also have braided SS sleeve over a copper inner tube so it won't collapse. I gravity drain thru a CFC, and when the wort level gets low I use a high-tech 2x4 block to tilt the kettle so I get all but about 1-2 pints out.
I wind up using mostly pellets due to lack of whole hop selection at my LHBS, and don't clog. |
Michael
Advanced Member
Username: Hoppop
Post Number: 646
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 06:07 pm: |
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Clog?
I have a 20 gallon SS kettle. For a drain, I have a 1/2" ball valve on the outside and a 1/2" threaded copper fitting on the inside. SS washers and silicon o-rings keep the whole thing leak free.
I've probably used 8 0z + pellets straight in the kettle before for a large batch.
I do put leaf hops into hop bags, however.
There are pictures somewhere in the photo section under "Other side of the tracks brewery." |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 1679
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 08:51 pm: |
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Lets see, I've had 20 oz of pellet hops in the kettle for a 10 gal batch of Pliny. Those were wearing several pairs of hose.
I have a brass T with 1/2" MPT on the coupling welded into the keggle. That goes to 1/2" flare fittings on both sides of the T. I made flare fittings on 1/2 copper tubing to connect to that. I curved the 2 copper tubing pieces around the sides of the keg right where the rounded bottom meets the sides. Took a Bazooka T apart and put a screen on each tube. Did all that after several "problem" batches. |
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