Cold Hopbacking

[Tony]

I have an idea.

Im interested in peoples thoughts and opinions on the subject.

Im thinking of hooking up a hopback on the outlet of my beer filter. When i filter my beer it can go through the hopback with fresh hops in it and get a fresh hit of...... well......... hops

This could even be extended to counter pressure bottle filling from a keg

Im unsure if its worth doing with cold beer though............. will the hops give up their goodness at 4 or 5 deg?

shoot!

 

[razz]

Hi Tony, if it can work through a Randall then why can't it work through a filter?
Happy New Year :beer:

 

[schooey]

One thing, I think it might be pointless filtering it in the first place if you're going to hook a randall of hops up to the outlet. Every filtered beer I've ever seen run through a randall of hops has ended up hay from the hops. Whether or not this haze will settle in a keg over time is a different thing because I've only ever used a randall into a glass to drink... Dry hopped kegs also tend to get a bit hazy with enough hops too...

I'm pretty sure the extraction of oils from the hops will be a lot less at less than 10 degrees than they will be at above 70 degrees also...so you may have to forgo a certain amount of hops for the same result as using a hot inline hopback

 

[MHB]

Have a look at "Torpedo" by Serra Nevada, there was a good article and lots of pictures in a BYO magazine a couple of years ago.

MHB

 

[Midnight Brew]

Mountain goat have a similar thing where the beers flows through one last hit of hops before the glass is poured.

Can be found on this video about 6 mins in



Cheers

 

[Cocko]

One thing, I think it might be pointless filtering it in the first place if you're going to hook a randall of hops up to the outlet. Every filtered beer I've ever seen run through a randall of hops has ended up hay from the hops. Whether or not this haze will settle in a keg over time is a different thing because I've only ever used a randall into a glass to drink... Dry hopped kegs also tend to get a bit hazy with enough hops too...

I'm pretty sure the extraction of oils from the hops will be a lot less at less than 10 degrees than they will be at above 70 degrees also...so you may have to forgo a certain amount of hops for the same result as using a hot inline hopback

I agree schooey, although I am yet to taste your beer [Scratches head - thought I had one of your IPA's around here..]

but I am seriously asking not being smart - what about pre filter then? Obviously the amount of hops needed may out way the 'cost to effect' ratio for some, but if you were growing your own or similar....

Would the filter remove all the effort? I guess it depends on too many things... which I don't know about... and I am sure others have rational to argue.

I filter all my beers and find it only a benefit, not only to clarity, but to taste.... and yes, I have brewed same batches and drank filtered and not and have found no reason not to filter - Obviously all my opinion, but hey.. I am brewing for me after all!

Anyway, Tony, do half a keg with out, drop in the hop back to different keg and see what happens? Then PLEASE report back...

 

[dr K]

If you are using flowers you should not have a problem, I have had many beers via randall and none, unless they were hazy when they left the keg have been hazy in the glass, sure, dependant on whats in the randall the colour and brightness will change, its up to the randallier to decide what goes in bearing in mind what comes out.

K

 

[Frank]

Randalls start hitting there straps after 2-3 days, so I don't think you will get the hit you are after in about 20 minute filter. You will deffinately get some added aroma but will be wasting some hops that may be better used as a 2-3 day dry hop before your filtering.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

a mate took the beer out and placed the filter Assembly(minus the filter) between that and the tap and filled it with clusters, bloody awesome :beerbang:

 

[Cocko]

a mate took the beer out and placed the filter Assembly(minus the filter) between that and the tap and filled it with clusters, bloody awesome :beerbang:

So just the plastic inner of the filter with squares cut in it? No paper filter attached?




Sorry tony, a little OT...

 

[DJR]

All i can think about now is the Randall at Mountain Goat stuffed full of NZ Cascade, Nelson Sauvin and Kiwifruit (yes, Kiwifruit) with Steam Ale being pulled through it...

 

[beersatan]

I'm sure it will do something even if it is subtle.

I'm digging the thought of putting one in my fridge before one tap (the "conventional" way) and then there would be a bit of beer sitting in there getting some hop love overnight waiting for me when I get home from work. :icon_drool2:

 

[Frank]

So just the plastic inner of the filter with squares cut in it? No paper filter attached?

Here is one that I built.

 

[Cocko]

I'm sure it will do something even if it is subtle.

I'm digging the thought of putting one in my fridge before one tap (the "conventional" way) and then there would be a bit of beer sitting in there getting some hop love overnight waiting for me when I get home from work. :icon_drool2:

AHHH! Now I have to build one.....

Here is one that I built.

And now I know How, Thanks Boston!

DAMN YOU ALL! <_< :lol:

:kooi:

 

[Tony]

I'm sure it will do something even if it is subtle.

I'm digging the thought of putting one in my fridge before one tap (the "conventional" way) and then there would be a bit of beer sitting in there getting some hop love overnight waiting for me when I get home from work. :icon_drool2:

I have that plan too one day maybe with the same idea i have below

thanks for the link Mark....... proves it works i guess....... they certanly know what they are doing!

For now im thinking a foot long length of 2" SS pipe with a capped end.

Stuff it full of hop flowers and put a bit of SS scrubbie in the end to filter.

That way the beer is forced to pass over the hops after the filter. As for pre filter....... that wont work IMO. I filter my beer to remove most traces of yeast and break. Unfortunalely it also takes out hops as i have discovered while filtering heavily hopped beers. the beer is cloudy with hop oils and the filter blocks, and when cleaned it comes out stinking of hops. The resulting beer lacks the hop punch i want. Hence my idea to filter and use less hops in the boil, and add the hit as it goes to the keg. Im not worried about a bit of cloudiness from hops........... its the yeast and break material i want out.

good idea for half and half batch. I may make my New Age Aussie Wheat and cold randal it up with some NS and B Saaz.

Mmmmm yum

 

[amiddler]

good idea for half and half batch. I may make my New Age Aussie Wheat and cold randal it up with some NS and B Saaz.

Mmmmm yum

Great idea Tony. Whilst reading the thread I was thinking exactly that. Do let us know the results and weather it was worth it.

Drew

 

[Cocko]

..it comes out stinking of hops. The resulting beer lacks the hop punch i want. Hence my idea to filter and use less hops in the boil, and add the hit as it goes to the keg. Im not worried about a bit of cloudiness from hops........... its the yeast and break material i want out.

good idea for half and half batch. I may make my New Age Aussie Wheat and cold randal it up with some NS and B Saaz.

Mmmmm yum

agreed, well said. ... and PLEASE keep us posted on any results!

:icon_cheers:

 

[Tony]

will do folks........ now to make the sucker

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

So just the plastic inner of the filter with squares cut in it? No paper filter attached?

Sorry tony, a little OT...

not sure about the little squares cut in etc, but he unscrews the outer case of the filter, takes the cylinder filter out, fills it full of hop flowers, screws it back together and away you go :icon_drool2:

I also apologise for the :icon_offtopic:

 

[amiddler]

Tony

Would you be interested in posting your Aussie Wheat Recipe as my next brew will be a wheat beer, just don't know the exact recipie yet. Might follow yours if all looks good

Drew