Is Any One Still Using A Hop Back

[sav]

I am in the mood to build something, like a hopback is anyone still using theres and if so are they ditching there flame out additions or dry hopping still,How are there beers from the hopback.

There are a few different designs out there I am thinking a sealed s/s sealed container with a clip on lid and a swiss voile bag or a small hop sock so I can use pellets any thoughts and ideas would be greatly taken and if it is not worth making 1 tell me please
cheers.

sav

 

[raven19]

I know the Brew Boys have a big 'ol hop back full of hoppy goodness. For the smaller scale home brewer something smaller and easy to access, clean, etc., with minimal beer line to minimise beer loss would be the main factors I would be aiming for.

There must be a few pics here on AHB or on the web outlining some brewers designs though.

 

[mika]

Little Creatures went to a lot of trouble in getting the germans to build a hopback into their nice shiny new brewery.
It's on my to do list, but I definitely think it's worth it.
The only thing that's stopped me is how to chill the wort afterwards as I have a 'thing' about counterflow chillers.

 

[Fents]

GLS has you coverd sav lol.

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

 

[Fents]

here is another thread

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=28477

 

[BottleBitch]

They also use one at the White Rabbit.

I made one out of a damaged cornie keg that I got for free off Roy @ TWOC. All I did was to cut the keg in half, weld two 1.5 inch tri-clover fittings on and made a false bottom out of some stainless steel mesh and a band of stainless I cut off the keg, trimmed 3mm off the band and welded it back together, spot welded the mesh on and put it all into the keg as the false bottom. lastly I welded some legs onto it and BAM you have a hop back

see the rather blurry phone pic below


Cheers

Brett

​

 

[dig]

Hop backs are much better than dry hopping. Getting very tired of the the woody/herbal/asparagus dry hop character in a lot of the west coast IPAs here.

 

[BottleBitch]

Hop backs are much better than dry hopping. Getting very tired of the the woody/herbal/asparagus dry hop character in a lot of the west coast IPAs here.

So Dig, do you like my HOP BACK?

Cheers

Brett

 

[brettprevans]

one of the guys at grain & grape had made a hopback using a beer filter without the actual cartridge and modifying slightly so as to keep the hops in the filter container. thats what ill be doing at some stage when i get around to it.

 

[barls]

here is another thread

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=28477

still havent used it ether. just havent had time.

 

[Bribie G]

I realise you are keen to build something, but from the point of view of improving the hop profile of the beer (I nochill) I have been experimenting with just a simple coffee plunger "french press" used in various ways. I've been using boiling water but will take up someone's suggestion of keeping some wort back from a previous boil and using that instead, should give broadly similar results to a hop back although I'm not running the whole batch over the hops of course.

 

[Nick JD]

My $0.00c "hop back" system involves chucking in 10g of pellets in a voile bag for about 3 hours when my kettle (no chill) is between 50 and 30C. The pellets are left behind when the wort is tipped into the fermenter and added into the bittering addition of another beer once dried. Works a treat. I do not recommend this method to anyone.

 

[glaab]

I could be wrong but I think some of these posters are referring to a Randall not a hopback

 

[Nick JD]

I could be wrong but I think some of these posters are referring to a Randall not a hopback

Hops in the kegging lines?

 

[sav]

Thanks for the replies guys,I have decided to build 1 to see if I can improve my beer.

I think the plastic filter housing wont last long with 80deg wort through it ,My plan is have it straight out of the kettle then to the plate chiller, What I have been reading you are better of having a sealed vessel so you trap all that aroma and flavour through to the fermenter with no loss like you would through your kettle.

So the plan is (this may change any time)4 1/2 inch s/s exhaust pipe, Make a lid that pushes on, ball valve at the bottom so I can regulate the flow from kettle to hop back if it starts to block up I can adjust flow both ends,Flow in from the top using a Ferrell for the silicone hose, and I am going to try BIAB swiss for my filter then push the lid on over that to create a type of a seal because I mainly use pellets so why not try it if it doesn't flow I will use a false bottom type with flowers.

More input on how they perform would be great so I don't waste my money.
cheers sav

 

[glaab]

heres my hopback sav, I gotta get another bit of perf to go on top, the flowers float. I think I'll put an elbow there so the tap points down and shorten the hose. I dont think aroma escaping was an issue at all, sealing it would make little diff IMO. But, I nly used it once with 90g b saaz flowers[need a plumbing upgrade to run the mongol burner so doing extracts at the mo] ,the aroma of the beer was over the top. I luved it but not for everyone, bloody VB drinkers :angry: . Looking forward to stoking it up with some cascade flowers. Good idea about the bag for pellets, might give that a go too.

 

[raven19]

I could be wrong but I think some of these posters are referring to a Randall not a hopback

Yeah, sorry - I think I was referring to a Randall.

 

[ausdb]

I made one ages ago and use it regularly, its basically the same as the Morebeer design

It also serves as the trub filtering system when I use my monster kettle, a few plugs in it helps to filter out the trub from going into my plate chiller

It's also a very useful little vessel as you can stick an immersion element into it and then with your pump set up a mini CIP system to clean and sanitise your chiller and hoses etc whilst the boil is going on.

 

[sav]

 

[sav]

A cattch can from super crap I can get alloy few mods should be a good hopback