Hop/Trub screens for keggle/urnie

[takai]

For a while now i have been doing BIAB with a 43L urn, and have had a hop bazooka in the urn as a hop screen. It currently runs across the centre of the kettle at the bottom:

Now with hop amounts in the 50-80g range it is more than happy with its job. But as i keep indulging my lupulin addiction and im starting to put 150g of hops into the boil it gets overwhelmed and starts to pass some trub. Whirlpooling doesnt help much as it merely makes the trub conveniently settle ontop of the screen.

So im starting to think about replicating the old Bilchmann Hop screen setup like this:

Planning on getting another bazooka and a T-piece and simply shaping to fit around the outside.

But before i do that i thought i would ask whether anyone has any better ideas for a side feed filtered pickup?

 

[Dae Tripper]

From the looks of it you already have your hop screen on an elbow, so I would try turning the fitting and shaping the hop screen to run around the out side of the base. Then try whirlpooling both ways to see which works best.

 

[Dae Tripper]

Then shield it like the Bilchmann with some stainless if you have problems

 

[Judanero]

I agree with DaeTripper, try turning the elbow 90o and whirlpool so that you're going with the direction the bazooka is going.. fwiw I have my elbow orientated that way (without a bazooka screen) and I get a nice cone formed with minimal (if any) trub making it to the fermentor (I also use 'brewbrite' so that helps).

Also, how much trub are you talking? A little bit isn't really a problem for the ferment, do you crash chill or lager-that will drop mostly everything out..

 

[takai]

Probably an inch or so of trub in the bottom of a 30L fermenter.

Good idea on the turning, my brain must have been switched off. I have now turned it as far as it can go with the tapered thread on the pipe fittings. Will see how it goes for this brew and if it works well then ill get out the NPT tap and expand the female side a touch so it can rotate a bit further.

 

[Dae Tripper]

Can you post a picture of the new design for us please? Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

 

[n87]

It would be great if you could let me know how this goes aswell.

I actually ordered all the bits to do this on Friday (just got to wait for them to arrive), pretty much exactly how you have it setup, just with the bazooka hugging the wall

And of course... Pics or is didnt happen!

 

[takai]

Ooops, forgot to put the picture in.

Currently mashing in, will report back as to how it goes.

 

[takai]

Sadly even with a solid clockwise whirlpool, it didnt do much. Still tons of trub in the fermenter:

Perhaps ill bend up a metal screen for it next.

 

[Camo6]

How fast do you drain from the kettle/urn? I get sooo much less trub by allowing 10-20 mins to drain the kettle.

 

[takai]

Generally drain as fast as the 1/2 pipework allows. Ill give slowing it down a go again. Getting more trub from the KK hop spider, but also better hop utilisation... not sure which way around i like the tradeoff.

 

[Camo6]

Definitely give it a go next time. Here's a pic from my first batch in the new kettle. This was a cube hopped no chill APA though so mainly hot break but you can see the effect of the whirlpool and the slow drain. I virtually get no trub until the last litre or so and close the tap as soon as it stops running clear. No hop screen/bazooka/baffle, just a 90 degree elbow and a short pick up tube. Oh, Irish moss or brewbrite as well.



Found a pic from my old keggle too with a slow drain using a similar setup:


Sorry for the photobomb but it's been 3 weeks since my last pic... :unsure:

 

[hotmelt]

Maybe try cutting up a cheap bowl to form a ring around the trub.
I used this for a few brews and dropped it in just before the trub started to collapse.It's just a dog bowl with the bowl cut out.





I don't bother with it now I just drain it slow and then turn the elbow to face the bottom to get it all out with a bit of trub.

 

[ekul]

i think your bazooka screen is allowing more trub to get into your fermenter. I would try removing it.

 

[Alex.Tas]

how long do you whirlpool for camo? is it pumped or by hand?

 

[Camo6]

how long do you whirlpool for camo? is it pumped or by hand?

Not long Alex. Maybe 30 seconds to a minute? I made a stirrer for my cordless drill from some 1/2" SS tube ( inspired by Idzy/Yob's idea) and the hardest bit is trying to stop it from aerating the hot wort as it churns like an outboard at high speed.
I found it was very hard to get a good trub cone when chilling and using a keggle. After moving to no chill I got much better cones and the new flat bottomed kettle makes them even better.

 

[takai]

I think my whirlpool is hampered by the element at the bottom not letting the current swirl as effectively. Plus if im doing IPAs that have 0min additions then the hop spider doesnt help at all.

Oh yeah, Camo, pics of stirrer required.

 

[seamad]

I've found the whirlpool/cone caper to be a bit over-rated, I used to do it but now just turn off the power and let the trub settle. I use brewbrite and find the trub layer pretty solid, still have the 90 pickup from whirlpooling days, and find the layer stays pretty well undisturbed, with minimal transfer, and probably no more than when there was a cone. If using lots of hops, especially flowers I'll use a hop bag same as I did when whirlpooling.

 

[Camo6]

I think my whirlpool is hampered by the element at the bottom not letting the current swirl as effectively. Plus if im doing IPAs that have 0min additions then the hop spider doesnt help at all.

Oh yeah, Camo, pics of stirrer required.

Sorry takai, but I don't take pictures of every....


WAIT A MOMENT!




Very simple but very effective.