# Hop Backs



## big d (17/3/04)

ahb,ers
im considering making/purchasing a hop back and was wondering if anyone has one in use and how you would rate them as compared to just using hop pellets instead of flowers in a hop back.flavour/aroma etc.

cheers
big d
lover of shiny s/s things


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## Doc (18/3/04)

There was a guy on OCB who made a hopback out of an old pressure cooker.

Here are a couple of the pics.

Doc


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## Doc (18/3/04)

and another angle


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## Doc (18/3/04)

and another angle.

I have some text that went with the pictures that I will post later (on the other computer).

Doc


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## Doc (18/3/04)

Here is the associated text. The guy who did it is Kelvin Lewis.



> I've changed it slightly the full bore taps have been turned around they seal better that way and I got ride of the handle. The seal is mad by introducing a piece of suitable hard plastic tubing in the V of the rubber seal .If you close the by-pass and the outlet tap blow in the hop back then close the inlet the thing will hold pressure for ages.You must do this test every time you set up!!!! I am going to add a full bore tap in the base to be able to empty as about a gallon is left in the hop back. Hope this is of some help Kelvin Lewis



Beers,
Doc


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## RobW (18/3/04)

Is it just me or does that thing look just a tad over engineered? The one BigD showed with the screen in the bottom seems like it would do the job ok and with a whole lot less fuss.


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## Doc (18/3/04)

yes I agree.
It does look the buisness though.

I did find one about a week ago that someone had made out of a stainless steel kitchen canister that you would put tea/coffee/sugar in.

Damned if I can find it now though.

Beers,
Doc


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## RobW (18/3/04)

this one looks the goods
(if I can make the pic attach)


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## Batz (18/3/04)

I have thought about a hop as well , got to agree with KenEasy I am sure it doen't need to be so complex.
There is one shown and a bit of a rave on *** , for some reason I can't acess their site this morning.
Will post the link when I can

I would like to know of the advantages of these things


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## Justin (18/3/04)

How exactly do you use them? You need to pump the wort through them don't you? And also have a CFC? So pump from your kettle through the hopback to your CFC, the advantage being that the volatile aromatic hop compound are extracted from the hops by the hot wort then chiller rapidly before they have a chance to escape.

Is this how they are used, as I've never really shown much interest in them so I haven't read up on them.

Cheers. JD


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## big d (18/3/04)

i believe that pretty well sums up its use justin.ive got/scored a fantastic s/s screen-pics later-but really like the unit i posted above.i no it would while away the hours on night shift fabing up a hop back but im seriously looking at buying the one above from more beer.

cheers
big d


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## Batz (18/3/04)

Well I suppose we are all thinking the same thing

How much are they big d ?


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## Batz (18/3/04)

Can anyone open the Australian Craft Brewers site today?

It's not working for me ( I've had trouble last week too )

Anyway there is a good article on building a hop back I would like to post here


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## big d (18/3/04)

with 1/2" fpt threaded fittings $79.00
with brass qd,s $91.00
with food grade plastic qd,s $97.00
with stainless clover fittings $99.00

all usa dollars


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## Trough Lolly (18/3/04)

Then add freight 
TL


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## Batz (18/3/04)

Ok here it is , thanks Johnnohttp://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Gear/GSanders/hopback.shtml


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## Batz (18/3/04)

should have been with a 
space



http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Gear/GSa...s/hopback.shtml


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## Hoops (18/3/04)

From memory Jayse had a post with a pic of his. Just a glass jar, lid, o-rings and SS scourer similar to this one....
I like it as it's so simple and cheap!


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## Hoops (18/3/04)

Here's the parts.....


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## Hoops (18/3/04)

the filter.....


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## Hoops (18/3/04)

and the filter attatched to the lid......


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## Batz (18/3/04)

Well done hops

How easy is that !


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## Hoops (18/3/04)

Took me a while to work out what the white plastic protruding from the SS scourer was, looks like a cable tie - you can fix anything with lecky tape, cable ties or fencing wire!


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## Batz (18/3/04)

I'll go a bit of s/steel braid
But everthing else the same

Cheers for that
Batz


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## Linz (18/3/04)

I would just make the inlet tube in the jar go to the bottom of the jar to ensure the wort flows through the hops properly


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## Hoops (19/3/04)

Linz
I was thinking the exact same thing - inlet at the bottom, outlet at the top on the oppostite side of the jar.


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## jayse (9/4/04)

yeap mines the same a $20 hop back i have the pump between the hop back and CFC so it sucks the wort out of the hop back so it needs to be airtight etc.

anyway i made it in about 5 minutes for less than $20 and i don't see any difference to a $100.
i like the idea of being able to see whats happening to.

also like some people mentioned the wort inlet is at the bottom and the out at the top when in use.

the hose holes are made airtight with rubber airlock grommets.

cheers jayse


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## Hoops (9/4/04)

Thanks Jayse, clears that up


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## jayse (9/4/04)

cheers.
forgot to mention it can either be gravity feed from the kettle or the suction from the pump can at the same time as pumping it out suck it in from the kettle.

also if i use it it is generally with US cascade plugs which take not very long to break up once the hot wort hits them.
i don't see any difference between using plugs to whole flowers.
Haven't tried pellets but i think they should work fine.

in practice though i find last minute additions give just as good a result.
so the hop back hasn't been used in a while.
cheers jayse


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## RegBadgery (11/4/04)

I reckon I like Jayse's $20 special. I was also looking at the b3 hopback/grant posted by big d. It's a nice looking item - from what I've read it's a converted asparagus pot. It's not tight-sealable (e.g. like a pressure cooker or a mason jar) and there's been a little bit of discussion about whether or not this is important. In general, b3 get good feedback on their gear.

cheers
reg


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## Hoops (25/10/04)

At the moment I have access to an inverter TIG welder and someone to show me how to TIG S/S, so I am thinking of making myself a hopback.
I have attatched a drawing (lucky I don't draw for a job) of what I intend to make.
Any ideas or comments?
Hoops


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## Hoops (25/10/04)

BigD
did you end up making up a hopback?


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## Hoops (25/10/04)

If someone that's used one can tell me what a good volume would be?
Just drawing up some plans and dimensions. Not sure whether to go 2" 3" or 4".
Hoops

edit - I'm talking about the S/S tube diameter above


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## Batz (25/10/04)

Good idea Hoops 
thinking of this as well , surely you would only need big enough for 3-4 plugs
You seen this one?

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Gear/GSa...s/hopback.shtml

Batz


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## Jazman (25/10/04)

do a search for jayse hop back it didnt involve welding but used a s/s scrubby


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## Hoops (25/10/04)

Yeah Batz, have seen that one. Was looking at it today and that's what was getting me motivated to make one.

Jazman
I have seen the photos of Jayse's but I was thinking since I have access to TIG welding I might as well take advantage of it. Can't help myself when I start thinking of stainless brewing gadgets.

I got a quote from Midway metals and I will probably use a triclover fitting.

Hoops


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## Hoops (26/10/04)

For anyone that's used a hop-back what would be the normal amount to put into it. 50g? or am I way off the mark?

Hoops


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## jayse (26/10/04)

Hi Hoops,
I think 50g is fine, i think mine could proberly hold around 90g of flowers.
Ussually i wack in three or four plugs (60g), some micro breweries will empty out the hop back and refill it with fresh ones half way through, you could always do this if you wanted to get more in there one day.
I used plugs simply because i have never really found any good aroma hops in flower form around the place.
so far i have used centenial and cascade and POR(POR was flowers), also tried tassie goldings in the randall but they are not really that nice. You would be supprised how nice fresh POR can be even if the flowers themselves smell like feet. 


Jayse


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## Hoops (26/10/04)

thanks Jayse
any idea on the volume of yours?
I'm trying to work out the dimensions I will need.

Hoops


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## Doc (7/11/04)

Did you build it Hoops ?
If so how did it turn out ?

Beers,
Doc


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## big d (7/11/04)

not yet hoops still gathering a few odds and ends.stainless stuff of course.better get my act together and put it back at the top of my agenda.  

cheers
big d


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## jayse (8/11/04)

Hoops said:


> any idea on the volume of yours?


 Sorry hoops this question slipped past me when you ask, anyway its just a tad over 1 litre.


Jayse


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## Hoops (11/11/04)

Doc said:


> Did you build it Hoops ?
> If so how did it turn out ?
> 
> Beers,
> Doc


Doc
flat out at the moment so no nothing happening yet.
I am away with work till Dec, then at work for a week, then driving to Perth for Xmas til Late Jan then moving to Brisbane etc etc so time is the problem at the moment.
When I do make it I will definitely post pics.
Hoops


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## Hoops (11/11/04)

Thanks for that Jayse. Gives me an idea of the volume I need to make it.


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## Doc (13/1/05)

How did you go building your hopback Hoops ?

Just found a link to a cool little hopback here.

This looks like a simple little project to give a go.

Beers,
Doc


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## Hoops (3/4/05)

Well still haven't made the stainless hopback but made up a glass one from a canning jar.


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## Hoops (3/4/05)

As you can see the plugs of cascade worked very well in filtering out the cascade pellets used in the kettle.
Will have to see how this SFPA goes but I think a shiny stainless steel one will need to be fabricated up soon  

Hoops


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## jayse (4/4/05)

Nice one hoops  
I haven't given mine a run for sometime but just looking at those lovely hops in there i want to pull it out and brew using it right now.  

I like the fact you can see whats happening in there with the glass ones.

My very first hop back was a bucket with a pasta strainer in the bottom and i used it with P.O.R, don't laugh the P.O.R was very fresh and worked a treat. A few mates knocked off the whole keg in a few hours :chug:

Anyway top stuff.
Cheers Jayse


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## Hoops (4/4/05)

With time being the main constraint I am still looking at making a shiny stainless one as I've said before. 
Just thinking of the design (see my awesome paint diagram on the other page :huh: ) do you guys think there would be a problem with having it with a flat top and bottom? or would it need a cone/reducer?
I am thinking that with the wort being so hot it may cavitate (not sure if that's the right terminology)

Any ideas?

Hoops


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## Doc (4/4/05)

I see there is a How To Build article in the latest (arrive today) issue of BYO.
I had a quick squiz and they have the plans to build one out of PVC pipe and the same concept using Copper pipe.

Beers,
Doc


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## warrenlw63 (6/12/06)

Just thought I'd reopen this thread.

Being a newly converted no-chill brewer and in a fit of boredom I decide why not toss a hopback together to force some more aroma into the cubes. I've tried bagging hops and tossing them in the cubes. Why it all seems OK in terms of aroma. Pulling the bags and their swollen contents out is a bit of a PITA.

So I thought that being no chill essentially puts you in the same boat as CFWC users. 

It's made from a 6 litre S/S pot with a S/S wire strainer pushed in for an almost perfect fit.  Pot and strainer cost a lofty $10 from the local Vietnamese cheapie store.

Downside the plumbing bits to finish the whole whole thing included a brass pipe thread, 4 brass locknuts, 3, 13mm hose barbs, 1 elbow and 2 female brass sockets. None of which I had lying around. This added about $25 to the job  . So a $35 hopback is still not bad I suppose.

Can't wait to give her a burl up the track. I can also use a combination of hopback and bagged hops in the cubes for beers like APAs. :beer: 

Warren -


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## Bobby (6/12/06)

looks good warren. nice idea - i might make one up similar some time.


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## warrenlw63 (6/12/06)

Might pay to wait until I test it Bobby. :lol: Could have $35 of spare bits if it all goes pear-shaped.

Warren -


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## tangent (6/12/06)

great timing on reopening the thread Warren, I've been thinking about making one myself.


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## Jye (6/12/06)

Looks nice Warren but dont you have an unused filter? could have made one like Docs for a couple of bucks :huh:


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## warrenlw63 (6/12/06)

Unfortunately no I don't Jye. Looked a good idea too. I've only got the one filter and it does my brewing liquor.  

Couple of problems is I'm relying on a gravity drain to the cubes (don't use a pump). The tap on my kettle sits 70cm from the ground. I'm not sure if a water filter would be an ideal height or work well on it's side.

I've sat this one inline (haven't used it yet though). Steps down nicely from the kettle to the cube. I'm also hoping the hops catch a bit of the muck and hot break en-route to the cubes.

Warren -


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## ausdb (6/12/06)

Hi guys

Here's my take on a "morebeer style" one
A few minor adjustments just before use!
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=si&img=568

And the money shot!
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=si&img=567

It holds 8-10 plugs no probs and its volume is 3.8l and only about 125 mm in diameter.


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## warrenlw63 (6/12/06)

ausdb

That's a ripper. :beerbang: Where did you score such a skinny pot? Makes a great filter bed height for the hops.  

Warren -


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## ausdb (6/12/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> ausdb
> 
> That's a ripper. :beerbang: Where did you score such a skinny pot? Makes a great filter bed height for the hops.
> 
> Warren -



If I told ya then I'd have to kill ya h34r: Actually its an asparagus steamer pot and was about $30 or $35 but well worth it for the shape.


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## warrenlw63 (9/12/06)

Took her for a burl with today's brew. A Belgian Pale Ale. Worked really well. Only modification I plan to make is to add a ball valve at the outflow. Need a little flow restriction to keep wort covering the hops.  

Fixed the problem temporarily by occasionally squeezing the outflow hose. Made it a bit messy pulling the hose from the first cube to fill the second. :lol: 

Pic has 6 Styrian plugs. Smelled pretty good going to the cubes. B) 

Warren -


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## T.D. (9/12/06)

That's awesome Warren. I have always liked the idea of hopbacks but never made one because it always seemed too difficult (and to be honest I never really understood properly how they work!). From what I gather from your setup, I guess its a bit like a small mash tun, but with hops, and you are kind of fly sparging with wort instead of water... Am I on the right track?


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## tangent (9/12/06)

from what I've been reading, there seems to be a need to keep the unit sealed with no head space so the aroma has no option but to be infused with the wort.
but i'm sure I've seen a pic of the LC hopback and it did have space above it.


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (9/12/06)

Nice work Warren, a Belgian Pale with a great hop aroma sounds great :beerbang: .

C&B
TDA


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## warrenlw63 (10/12/06)

Thanks guys. I'll let you know it's net worth in the final product.  

I think sealing it (somewhow) might be a good option. Then I wouldn't have to check the liquid level all the time. The diameter of the pot dictates that you need to keep the outflow slightly more closed than the inflow (a la fly sparging). Otherwise all the hops don't stay immersed and it probably loses effectiveness. 

Option 2 will be to grab a ball-valve for the outflow to slow it slightly from the inflow. Then I might look at some way of the sealing and clamping down the lid. Shouldn't be impossible.  

There's more than one way to skin a hop. :lol: Where's a cat when you need one? 

Edit: TD I just saw your post completely. Yep. mini fly sparging with hops would be a good descriptor.

Warren -


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## fixa (14/12/06)

So hop backs work well while no chilling?
I thought i read somewhere that the idea was to heat the hops quick then chill rapidly to preserve the aroma?


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## Stuster (14/12/06)

Fixa, I guess the difference with no chill is that you will be sealing it up in a cube. So any aroma should be trapped in the wort even though it is hot. If you were leaving it unsealed, it would be a different story.


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## warrenlw63 (14/12/06)

I hope you're right Stuster.  

Warren -


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## fixa (14/12/06)

Cheers Stuster!!!!


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## Lukes (29/6/07)

Digging up this thread from last year as I just joined the *hop back club*.

Do hop back brewers have any pro or cons worth sharing?


Luke


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## warrenlw63 (29/6/07)

Nah, all good Luke

It's probably only laziness that stops me using mine. Plus when I go all flowers now I've got my 12 inch FB in the kettle means I can toss the flameout additions straight in. :beerbang: 

Mine works really well. Really leaves a boat-load of aroma if you use enough hops.

Warren -


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## Doc (29/6/07)

The only con from me is don't pack it too tight otherwise once the hops expand your flow rate will drop accordingly.
You don't want a high flow rate, but you do want flow 

Doc


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## SpillsMostOfIt (29/6/07)

warrenlw63 said:


> Nah, all good Luke
> 
> It's probably only laziness that stops me using mine. Plus when I go all flowers now I've got my 12 inch FB in the kettle means I can toss the flameout additions straight in. :beerbang:
> 
> ...




Or you just hand each person who is drinking your beer a little potpourri of hops to whiff on as they drink. In this way, you can micro-customise your beers by having a selection of hop aromas to complement your beers... h34r:


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## Lukes (29/6/07)

Sweet,
I was going to start with 1- 2 grams per liter.
That should not pack it too tight but I will bear that in mind.
I am also hoping to catch a bit of the break before the cube.

- Luke


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## Chris (29/6/07)

SpillsMostOfIt said:


> Or you just hand each person who is drinking your beer a little potpourri of hops to whiff on as they drink. In this way, you can micro-customise your beers by having a selection of hop aromas to complement your beers... h34r:



Hahahahahahahahah. :lol: 

Anyways, you guys have finally motivated me to think about making one.

Cheers


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## pb unleaded (29/6/07)

Do you guys just throw away spent hops? Can they maybe be re-used for bittering next batch (if making one same day)?
:unsure:


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## jayse (29/6/07)

arthur said:


> Do you guys just throw away spent hops? Can they maybe be re-used for bittering next batch (if making one same day)?



You forgot to add the laugh out loud emoticon on the end. :lol:


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## pb unleaded (29/6/07)

jayse said:


> You forgot to add the laugh out loud emoticon on the end. :lol:


Post edited with more appropriate "unsure" emoticon.


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## ant (29/6/07)

I might be a feasible question wrt lambics (yes, GL, infected homebrew...), maybe someone with experience brewing them can help, but my understanding was that you used aged hops that had lost their aroma, and were only used to contribute preservative properties. I guess the question is whether the hot wort in a hopback would strip the preservative chemicals out of the hops. If not, you could dry out the hops and reuse them for brewing lambics? (the upside being if they picked up an infection while drying, how would you ever know?)  

I use a Morebeer hopback (ie not sealed), and haven't had any problems with flow rate, although you do have to watch them fairly closely and throttle back the inlet. They work great.


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## warrenlw63 (22/11/08)

Re-opening an old thread.  

Like the artist staring at a blank canvas... Is it just me that sees the potential here?

Stainless steel, tight fitting sealed lid and only $5 each at Dimmey's :lol: 

Craphaus Hopback Mk II *COMING SOON!!* :icon_drunk: 

Warren -


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## Bribie G (22/11/08)

warrenlw63 said:


> Re-opening an old thread.
> 
> Like the artist staring at a blank canvas... Is it just me that sees the potential here?
> 
> ...



Now your'e talking, I was toying with the idea of converting one of those ss canisters with the little holes in the lid for sprinkling icing sugar onto cakes or chocolate powder onto cappucinos, and even started a wee thread that didn't go too far, but here's a similar idea. I get the idea that hop backs should be small so the wort is forced through them a bit like a catalytic converter in a car exhaust so making one from a pressure cooker, like in some of the early posts, strikes me as being total overkill for the three or four plugs or whatever that would be used.

Edit: I had also considered the use of stainless steel kitchen scrubber pads as a filter, without knowing that this thread existed, and bugger me dead there they are in some of the designs.


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## warrenlw63 (22/11/08)

BribieG

Haven't accurately measured the volume on these things but my guess would be around 1 litre. I plan to use it for those special occasions where you'd want to waste a 90 gram packet of NZ flowers or half a dozen plugs per hopbacking. 

Warren -


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## Bribie G (23/11/08)

warrenlw63 said:


> BribieG
> 
> Haven't accurately measured the volume on these things but my guess would be around 1 litre. I plan to use it for those special occasions where you'd want to waste a 90 gram packet of NZ flowers or half a dozen plugs per hopbacking.
> 
> Warren -



Mate I have regularly spent up to or a tad over thirty bucks on a partial kits n bits n grain n LDME n hops n yeast, so with a cheaper all grain brew with cultivated yeast and hopefully bought a heap of grain on a bulk buy, why not splash nine bucks on an extra shot of hop goodness  
Basically I'm a malt man but have had some spectacular toe-curling hoppy beers in the past like the old Starkey's ales of Somerset in the 1960s, long gone, and would like to have a bash at something like that.


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## warrenlw63 (23/11/08)

:lol: Just that time of the year for me. Must craft a new brewing toy.

Warren -


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## Doc (23/11/08)

Always upgrading eh Warren 

I still use my hopback(s) from time to time.
Full details on how I built them from water filter casings here.
Super easy if you have access to the parts for nicks.

Beers,
Doc


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## warrenlw63 (23/11/08)

:lol: Heheh... yes Doc! Horrible weather always has me thinking about the brewery. My first hopback was OK but felt it could be improved no end.

These S/S cannisters should provide the solution I'm looking for (I hope). Worst case scenario I'm down 10 bucks.  

Warren -


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## JSB (30/12/08)

Warren,

Have you progressed this any further ?

Cheers
JSB


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