Blichmann Hop Rocket

[jkmeldrum]

Hi guys

Just interested in anyone's feedback on the Blichmann hop rocket.

I'm mostly interested in using it on brew day as a filter. Was considering putting in flameout hop additions into the hop rocket and wondered if that would work okay?

I will be recirculating my wort, through a plate chiller at the same time and wondered if there were any issues doing this.

I was hoping that by using whole hops in the hop rocket it would be a nice filter for my plate chiller and provide the last minute aroma hops that I needed too.

Any advice or experience appreciated.

Cheers


Molly

 

[DJR]

It does filter pretty well, they don't recommend using it as a recirculated filter though.

I've used it during fermentation to filter the beer, which has been very clear since I did so, I also used it on the wort as it came out of my kettle (I have an immersion chiller so the wort was cool by this point).

I've been meaning to get around to setting up a recirculating setup for it so i can run it from the kettle, through the hop rocket, back into the beer while the immersion chiller is going, which should work OK as long as the kettle doesn't pick up too much trub on the way though which might block the Rocket.

I would just fill er up with hops, drain the kettle via the rocket and then plate chill directly out of the hoprocket, you may need to let the wort cool slightly to get the plate chiller output to a good level, or use an ice bucket for the cooling water to avoid recirculating

 

[jkmeldrum]

It does filter pretty well, they don't recommend using it as a recirculated filter though.

I've used it during fermentation to filter the beer, which has been very clear since I did so, I also used it on the wort as it came out of my kettle (I have an immersion chiller so the wort was cool by this point).

I've been meaning to get around to setting up a recirculating setup for it so i can run it from the kettle, through the hop rocket, back into the beer while the immersion chiller is going, which should work OK as long as the kettle doesn't pick up too much trub on the way though which might block the Rocket.

I would just fill er up with hops, drain the kettle via the rocket and then plate chill directly out of the hoprocket, you may need to let the wort cool slightly to get the plate chiller output to a good level, or use an ice bucket for the cooling water to avoid recirculating

Cool, thanks for that. Not quite setup yet but will give it a try draining and then recirculating without any trub

 

[Wolfy]

I was reading - just yesterday - on the Brewing network forums - that some of the guys put their hops in hop-socks, or even use rice-hulls in the HopRocket to help improve it's filtering capabilities - there is a 13 page thread there that you can read.

 

[DJR]

I was reading - just yesterday - on the Brewing network forums - that some of the guys put their hops in hop-socks, or even use rice-hulls in the HopRocket to help improve it's filtering capabilities - there is a 13 page thread there that you can read.

Yep i reckon rice hulls would work well if you really wanted to filter with it, for me it's all about hop aroma/flavour

 

[Guysmiley54]

Would you use the rocket as a replacement for 0 min hops? Maybe combine anything from 10min in?

Have any of you guys used it in gravity feed or is a pump a necessity here?

One last question... when going from kettle to hop rocket to plate chiller how do you seperate cold break and get trub out of the fermenter?

 

[DJR]

Would you use the rocket as a replacement for 0 min hops? Maybe combine anything from 10min in?

Both More hops = better but you could load up 75g of flower hops into the Rocket and forget about whirlpool, just do a 10-20m flavour and a 60m bitter, or just a 60m and then hoprocket, haven't played around with that that much.

Have any of you guys used it in gravity feed or is a pump a necessity here?

Gravity is OK, you just need about a meter of head between the tap outlet and the hoprocket, which has enough pressure to make it go. On a tiered brewing system or if you brew on a deck this isn't a massive issue

One last question... when going from kettle to hop rocket to plate chiller how do you seperate cold break and get trub out of the fermenter?

A lot of the cold break (even more so if you have added whirlfloc or other coagulant ) is bound up in the hop bed inside the hoprocket by its filtering properties, so the cold break isn't passed on that much. Not sure about how much it'd be a problem with hot wort rather than cool but it is designed and tested to do the job....

I don't have a plate chiller so i have only separated out cold break in the kettle and then dump it though warm rather than hot, I found pretty good results using it as a dry hop vessel like SN do with the torpedo though, and the beer I did that with has turned out well (search hoprocket torpedo and you will see what i did)

I think you really do need a good plate or counterflow chiller to make the hoprocket sing, i'd go with a CFC for the ease of cleaning but plate chillers are a bit more efficient.

 

[seamad]

Only used mine once so far, so no real experience yet.
I gravity fed mine , about 700 mm drop from kettle to rocket, then plate chiller to fermenter..
Next time will throttle flow back a little once flow starts as wort didnt chill as low as my practice run.
Wort into fermenter was very clear, no hot break and a thin layer of cold break overnight before pitching. It was the smallest amount of crud i have ever had. I dont have any qualms about cold break in the fermenter anyway.
Keen to try rice hulls and some pellets with hop sock.
Compared to my no chill beers i would describe the flavours as much cleaner/ more defined with the rocket/ chiller. Aroma was not as big as expected but was conservative with hops as first try. Flavour however was fantastic, very clean and well defined.
Will be brewing with it again in a week or so.
Cheers
sean

 

[jkmeldrum]

Thanks for all your responses guys....kind of what I was thinking, but haven't tried it yet.

I too thought it would be a great way to add the 0min hop additions, or maybe even the 5min additions together.

I usually filter my beer after fermentation anyway, so if any trub made it through the hop rocket then I would filter that out anyway. Might have to give this a try soon.

Cheers

 

[Batz]

I'm keen to get one of these, where are you guys buying yours from? The only place I have seen is here:

http://www.ibrew.com.au/html/equipment/beerequipmentset.html

Batz

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

they are a sweet bit of kit. I believe ibrew have exclusive rights to distribute Blichmann in Australia.

 

[DJR]

I'm keen to get one of these, where are you guys buying yours from? The only place I have seen is here:

http://www.ibrew.com.au/html/equipment/beerequipmentset.html

Batz

Got mine from there, they were fairly helpful, the blichmann barb fittings are available from them too, little pricey but they are the best fittings i've seen for hose connections, the elbow fitting is quite useful when plumbing the Hoprocket.

 

[seamad]

Got mine from ibrew, just down the bottom of the mountain. Had heard a few reports about the owner,no problems myself. Could spend a bit of cash at the joint,some awesome gear.

 

[vortex]

Got one as well, can't wait to use it. Not going to bother until I have a pump, though..

 

[Batz]

Got mine from ibrew, just down the bottom of the mountain. Had heard a few reports about the owner,no problems myself. Could spend a bit of cash at the joint,some awesome gear.

Down the bottom of what mountian?

batz

 

[seamad]

Tamborine mountain.

 

[Batz]

OIC, that's handy as wer'e heading up to Mt Tambourine is a couple of weeks. I'll drop in and have look, last time I talked to that guy was around 12 years ago, he told me brewing with grain is a complete waste of time and that he had kits that made much better beers. Times change I suppose.

batz

 

[sponge]

he told me brewing with grain is a complete waste of time and that he had kits that made much better beers...

It is, and they do...


Sponge



h34r:

 

[seamad]

I can see it wouldnt take much to get into an arguement with him, interesting personality.
From the tamborine- oxenford road get onto the highway,then smith street,take the griffith uni turnoff and i think the second set of lights on the left is his street.
If you are interested in boats/ boatbuilding im building a 12.5 m sailing cat in the backyard,if you have time and interested in having a look send me a pm
Cheers
Sean

 

[wombil]

Bett-A-Brew is the name.No.1/12 Tonga place.Off Olsen Avenue,Arundel.
He'll talk the leg off an iron pot if you let him.