# Homemade Hopback? Ideas Wanted.



## Camo6 (11/8/13)

A few months ago while scavenging through my father's now defunct dairy I came across the old milk sock filter. Its been sitting in the shed for awhile now and I've been trying to figure out what I could use it for. It was too big for a RIMS and too tight for a HERMS so I just tucked it away out of sight.
I pulled it out today while cleaning the shed and wondered if it would be suitable for a hopback? I thought a couple of perforated plates and some tri clover fittings welded on would be all that was needed. I suspect I'd also need to replace the O rings with silicone ones as I doubt the originals were designed for boiling temps.
Anyway I thought I'd put some pics up and ask for some ideas or guidance as to what I could do with it. Is it too big to be practical? Could I use it for something else? Somebody inspire me, please.






Haven't measured it yet but it's about 800mm long and 90mm wide?


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (11/8/13)

I hate you right now.Its true I really really trully do...

That thing packed with whole flowers would.....nah **** it....you need to send it to me for long term testing and certification.


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (11/8/13)

And....If some bloke called Ross contacts you saying he was a scrap metal merchant in a former life then tell him the only offer you can possibly accept is shares in a brewery


----------



## Camo6 (12/8/13)

I think back to about 10years ago when we cleaned out a HEAP of stainless vessels and aluminium for scrap. Absolutely kicking myself now. Cant remember what we sold the vat for but it would have been sweet FA.

Bump for the morning crowd.

Will this idea work?


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (12/8/13)

Yes. It should work nicely


----------



## Camo6 (12/8/13)

Lovely. Now to source some parts.


----------



## Dave70 (12/8/13)

When my plants yield a worthwhile crop I plan on adapting an old water filter liker this and giving it a shot.







Or an old jar. At least if the ideas a fizzer, It'll make a half decent *bong.






​*for novelty purposes only.


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (12/8/13)

Well thats one way to use excess hops


----------



## Camo6 (12/8/13)

Ive got an aldi randall but wouldnt put hot wort through it. Must get some more flowers from yob and hook it back up come to think of it. Mmmmm

I see bunnings now stock thin metal pipe right next to their thick vinyl tube. Located next to the cafe so you can grab a fresh bottle of juice on your way out.


----------



## Camo6 (12/4/14)

Got inspired today and jerry-rigged a simple hop-back. I've used an old SS sink strainer at one end and a QD at the other. I'll probably put a tap on the outlet to slow the flow. Not sure how I'll use it yet as I don't use a plate chiller but might experiment with pumping cooled wort through it.


----------



## MastersBrewery (13/4/14)

Nice work work! when I first saw this I thought of the fine SS mesh(0.2mm) a couple of the hop baskets from the states use, this would also mean it would be able to be used as a trub filter, and avoiding blockages of a plate chiller.

10c


----------



## Camo6 (13/4/14)

Cheers MB, just had a look at Stilldragon's site and might pick up a couple of filter plates to modify and maybe tig a bit of 8mm thread down the guts a bit like a Blichmann hop rocket. Would be nice to be able to use pellets in it.


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (14/4/14)

I have seen one similare to Daves "bong" that was filled with stainless steel wool scrubbing thingo's. They acted as a filter. The hops went in first then the stainless wool. Of course you need a ling tube and short tube.


----------



## Camo6 (14/4/14)

I'm gonna try that with some hop pellets some time. Maybe throw the scrubbies in first, then a coarse strainer, then a shitload of pellets, then pump wort in threw the top. Might work or it might block up and spew wort everywhere.


----------



## technobabble66 (14/4/14)

I recently did a mini version of what you've made:
2" diameter SS pipe, 150mm long & threaded at each end, w a 2" to 1/2" reducer at each end and a hosetail barb in each reducer. I put 2 pieces of SS mesh cut from a kitchen strainer (0.8mm?) into it at one end. 
I threw in ~20g (?) of hops pellets then gravity-fed wort thru it. It flowed for 10secs then blocked. Faffed around for a bit and finally cracked it open (did I mention it was *really* hot by now?) to find the soggy, expanded hops clogging it. Dumped the hops into the kettle and ran wort thru it again. 10 secs later it blocked again. Opened it the find trub was now collecting on the mesh and blocking it - yes I'd whirlpooled and had filters at the outlet. Ended up bypassing it and just ran wort straight to the plate chiller. Epic fail after months of planning, sourcing and finally constructing :/
Not sure if a little brown pump would've solved the problem. Or better outlet filters. Or if I'd used flowers (the next experiment to come!). I've already ditched the mesh for some wound SS wire (from a wok-strainer thingy). 
Just letting you know how my experience with the pellets went. I'd probably try a wide gauge mesh and use flowers first time.


----------



## technobabble66 (14/4/14)

That's it prior to blockages & bypass.


----------



## Camo6 (14/4/14)

Cheers tb66, the plan is to mainly use flowers though I may try pellets with a heap of ss scrubbies like in pic. Probably not cost effective as I doubt they'd be worth cleaning and reusing but worth a try for a real hop bomb of a beer. Cheers for the heads up. I plan on using a pump but need to pressure test it as I've plugged a hole with a silicone bung (ghetto safety valve).


----------



## JB (14/4/14)

technobabble66 said:


> I recently did a mini version of what you've made:
> 2" diameter SS pipe, 150mm long & threaded at each end, w a 2" to 1/2" reducer at each end and a hosetail barb in each reducer. I put 2 pieces of SS mesh cut from a kitchen strainer (0.8mm?) into it at one end.
> I threw in ~20g (?) of hops pellets then gravity-fed wort thru it. It flowed for 10secs then blocked. Faffed around for a bit and finally cracked it open (did I mention it was *really* hot by now?) to find the soggy, expanded hops clogging it. Dumped the hops into the kettle and ran wort thru it again. 10 secs later it blocked again. Opened it the find trub was now collecting on the mesh and blocking it - yes I'd whirlpooled and had filters at the outlet. Ended up bypassing it and just ran wort straight to the plate chiller. Epic fail after months of planning, sourcing and finally constructing :/
> Not sure if a little brown pump would've solved the problem. Or better outlet filters. Or if I'd used flowers (the next experiment to come!). I've already ditched the mesh for some wound SS wire (from a wok-strainer thingy).
> Just letting you know how my experience with the pellets went. I'd probably try a wide gauge mesh and use flowers first time.


Oh man. I was reading though your post thinking "Yep, awesome, great, bravo TB66" "I'm gunna make one of these" etc,etc,etc. Then reading further on your struggle with blockages sounds like my battle with disaster on Saturday night after chucking my fresh flowers straight into the kettle (yep, I plead guilty to being judgement impaired) without thinking through the blockage impacts. Ended up syphoning out of the kettle, with constant blockages, much swearing. Made a HELL of a mess. Anyway, have subscribed to this thread & will be continuing my search for answers. But I still like your idea as a base


----------



## Camo6 (14/4/14)

Did the same JB with my first AG Biab. I'd used a ss scrubby wedged under the pickup and it blocked within seconds. Tried prizing it out with no success. I was 3/4's cut by this stage of the night. Ended up starsanning my arm and pulling it out. Drained what I could but in the end I just tipped the keggle into the fermenter, with most of the break and a lot of the flowers. The beer gods smiled upon me as it didn't get infected and still tasted better than my K&K's ever had. 
After that night I promised myself to never brew drunk again...hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! As if!


----------



## JB (14/4/14)

Hahaha! Hopefully those same beer gods take pity on me Camo, hope so. A motherload of hops went into that kettle of skin searing misery!


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (14/4/14)

Soak your SS scrubers in HOT water and napi-san. Rinse. Re-use..


----------



## Bridges (15/4/14)

Check this out, don't know how well it'd work but would be pretty simple to make.


----------



## Muzduk (15/4/14)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> I hate you right now.Its true I really really trully do...
> 
> That thing packed with whole flowers would.....nah **** it....you need to send it to me for long term testing and certification.


I'm in dairy heartland DBS and i can assure you i could source all manner of stainless bits and pieces like this. Was a dairy-farmer in another life so have plenty contacts too h34r:


----------



## Muzduk (15/4/14)

Camo. Did the filter housing also come with the internal frame that holds the filter sock? The socks can be bought readily and sure do stop a lot of cow shit etc entering the vat so could be invaluable as masters said to reduce a lot of trub also


----------



## Camo6 (15/4/14)

Yeah Muzduk, I've still got the frame and considered using it that way but wasn't keen on the rubber ends which had been sitting around for twenty years. My old neighbour still milks about 350 friesians so I could source socks easily enough.
I'd be keen to learn if they make silicone seals nowadays as I don't like the thought of using rubber at high temps. Then again they clean in place with some pretty potent cleaners and high temps in dairies.
What are your thoughts?

And so sorry to hear you were a dairy farmer but good to see you've cured yourself of that affliction!


----------



## Danwood (15/4/14)

You could make your own seals from silicone baking sheet if you get stuck, Cam.


----------



## Camo6 (15/4/14)

Nah, these are large funnel shaped rubbers Dan. They hold the filter sock to the frame and hold it central. Come to think of it I could probably fashion them out of large silicon bungs. I'll try and find them and post pics.


----------



## Danwood (15/4/14)

Ah, ok...I'll get back in my box...


----------



## djar007 (15/4/14)

Have you tried just using hop socks for the pellets? As long as they were not overfilled it would still allow wort to pass through. And as they expanded it could still work as a filter.


----------



## Camo6 (15/4/14)

Danwood said:


> Ah, ok...I'll get back in my box...


I'm surprised Zed let you out of it to begin with! Was a good suggestion and I'll use it for the end O rings if I get any odd tastes from the current ones. These have minimal contact with the liquid however so I'm hoping I won't need to and they're supposed to be food-safe. I found one of the end rubbers (don't know where the other ones gone) and I reckon I can modify a silicone bung to replace it. The filter sock idea might just work...








Djar007 - I might try a BIAB bag wrapped around the sock frame as a reusable option. I guess I could use a hop sock full of pellets thrown in. If I attached it to a longer drawstring I could raise it in the event of a blockage. I know there's an optimum setup here, figuring it out is the tricky bit! Cheers.


----------



## Danwood (15/4/14)

Zeds dead !


----------



## Cocko (15/4/14)

TLTR

Is this post chiller?


----------



## Camo6 (15/4/14)

Cocko said:


> TLCR
> 
> Is this post chiller?


FTFY

Basically, yes. I'm really only making it because it was free and it's shiny. ATM I use an immersion chiller so I was curious how it would work using only cooled (or semi-cooled) wort straight into the fermentor (or recirced back into the kettle and further cooled). Down the track I'll probably switch to a plate chiller in an effort to reduce water waste and I reckon that's when it would really shine. I'd also love to be able to use it in a SN Torpedo sort of way but not sure if my cold side sanitation would be up to scratch. So, yeah, mainly post chiller, possibly pre chiller, always shiny.


----------



## Cocko (15/4/14)

Ok, then.

Carry on.


----------



## Fat Bastard (16/4/14)

Dear sir,

I concur with your views and wish to subscribe to your newsletter...

I've been looking at building something similar. I have a stainless steel filter housing (will put up pics at some point) similar to the plastic-y kind but with tri clover fittings and a third outlet at the bottom.

I've given some thought as to how to make it work with pellets, but I need to know what the particle sizes in the pellet are before I can spec the mesh. I'm fortunate in having access to a variety of sizes of stainless mesh at work, which luckily enough comes in squares when we need circles, so getting it is not difficult, or even immoral given that most of the offcuts end up in a bin.

I was thinking of sandwiching stainless steel scrubbies in between layers of increasingly fine mesh in the end of the housing, and plumbing the thing upside down so it fills slowly from the inlets, and out the normally closed end (now at the top) of the housing,and either back into the vessel via the power whirlpool, or then through the chiller to the fermenter.

I'm not entirely sure about how to make this happen yet, I still haven't managed to use my new rig yet (damn rain!) and I'm not even sure it will work.

What I really need is an analysis of the pellet material particle size so I can work out what percentage of the material can be filtered out by each layer of mesh without totally blocking it. I had a quick look online and in the "Hops" book, but couldn't find anything.

Cheers for some inspiration,

FB


----------



## Fat Bastard (17/4/14)

Anyway, here's the basic idea that's floating around in my brain right now. It's a pretty shithouse thumbnail sketch, but shows the basic idea. I'm happy to lose some wort to it, as it'll probably be less than I lose to a 250g whirlpool addition now. I'm not sure if it'll be plumbed into the whirlpool or pumped straight to the fermenter via chiller, and I have no idea of what size mesh will be used for the screens. The filter housing is a foot long at least, so the screens and scrubbies should take up about half of that, with the hop pellets in the rest.


----------



## Camo6 (17/4/14)

Nice work FB, you've given me more food for thought.

I like your design and reckon it would work well. The only thought I have is to add another perforated plate a few inches below the other and place the pellets in that chamber. Then they'd have more contact with the flow of wort and if there was a blockage your bypass wouldn't be full of pellets. Just a thought.

I'd like to be able to do similar with mine but ATM its not setup to be pressurised. I'd like to weld a tri-clover fitting to the right angle section on mine but until then will try just using gravity and low pump pressure.

Hope you get a break in the weather to fire the new rig up mate.


----------

