Any advantages of using a Stainless Steel Hop Tube for keg hopping versus just chucking the hops in the keg and using a dip tube filter with either a floating or standard dip tube?
Keg hopping: Hop tube or go naked?
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golfandbrew
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It only takes a few bits of hops to clog the poppet spring In a corny. Best to keep the hops contained as best as possible. For keg hopping you won't need heaps so the tubes should be plenty big enough.
I've never had a blockage issue with the mesh filter attached to either the end of a normal diptube or to the end of a floating diptube. I've keg hopped with various quantities of pellets, ranging from 20g per keg all the way to 100g+ in at least 10-15 batches.
I prefer to keep the process as simple as possible and would prefer not to buy equipment that doesn't contribute to improvements. As an example, a hop spider basket was a useless purchase and I never use it. Would the stainless steel hop tube be in the same category? Other than preventing the hop material from blocking the poppets, does it provide any other advantages that would make the beer better?
In other words, can I expect any improvements from using a hop tube versus using a filter?
I prefer to keep the process as simple as possible and would prefer not to buy equipment that doesn't contribute to improvements. As an example, a hop spider basket was a useless purchase and I never use it. Would the stainless steel hop tube be in the same category? Other than preventing the hop material from blocking the poppets, does it provide any other advantages that would make the beer better?
In other words, can I expect any improvements from using a hop tube versus using a filter?
golfandbrew
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Equipment or lack there of doesn't make better or worse beer. Equipment generally just makes the process more or less convenient. If your process is working for you then there is no need to change it.
Golfandbrew is right about the poppets becoming clogged easily, I sometimes dry hop up to 100gms in each corny over two dry hops and have had multiple blockages while transferring prior to getting the floating dip tube. The floating dip tube with the filter basket with hops thrown in on their own works a treat. A cut dip tube is fine for non-dry hopped beers. I was given one of those mesh screens but have never used it. Thinking about it I'm sure it would be ok, but the way dry hopping makes semi carbonated beer fermented under pressure foam up when you add them, I'd prefer to just dump them and flick the lid back on asap. You can't go wrong with the floating dip and basket combo.
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