New Hopback

[Ash in Perth]

Gday

I have just finished building my new hopback. I ended up going with seals and threads rather than welding and it means everything is removable/de-constructable for cleaning etc. It could even be used as a mini mash tun for 'trial' stove top mashes etc.

Its going to get its first run tomorrow.

Ash

 

[Fents]

looks the goods ash. could it not be used as a randall as well on a bar if you had a lid and an extra hose running from inlet to outlet??

 

[Doogiechap]

Gday

I have just finished building my new hopback. I ended up going with seals and threads rather than welding and it means everything is removable/de-constructable for cleaning etc. It could even be used as a mini mash tun for 'trial' stove top mashes etc.

Its going to get its first run tomorrow.

Ash

View attachment 30195

Looks great mate.
No doubt you have got plenty of inspiration from your employer .
Now how can you get round those pesky Quarrantine restrictions ? :lol: .
Cheers
Doug

 

[Ash in Perth]

Hey, Im a quarantine accredited person(s).... as long as I take the waste back maybe its passable... probably not but there are plenty of decent hops in Aus and NZ, plus plugs from over seas too.

Frents, It has a lid, but certainly not a pressure vessel. Im sure I can make one up that is ok once i get my keg setup going.... With all my stainless, Im still a bottler.

 

[glaab]

looks good bloke but won't the flowers float? you might need a round piece of perf to hold them down

 

[Ash in Perth]

looks good bloke but won't the flowers float? you might need a round piece of perf to hold them down

Yeh, they will but Ill be letting the wort soak them for about 5 min and mixing it all in before starting the cooler. Your right though, I may need something to hold them down but hopefully not.

 

[Ash in Perth]

Gave it a run today, using only the hopback for hopping, no kettle addition. I want to find out what kind of utilization i get from it.

It worked a treat!

 

[randyrob]

That's a great experiment ash,

what size batch, how many flowers and how long was the wort in contact with the hopback before running it off?

 

[Ash in Perth]

I brew small batches, 25-30L
This was about 100g of Galaxy flowers (14.1%aa)
After whirlpool and a short rest, I filled the hop back and let it sit for 10min while I ran hot water through my chiller. I cooled my wort slowly over about 20min with this batch to get the temp right down (almost ended up too cold). So thats 30min total contact with hot wort. It will be less cooling time when I do an ale but I can just extend the rest if I need to.

Ash

 

[Kleiny]

You didn't do any bittering hop additions?

or is this just for aroma flavor addition?

Do you think you get appropriate bitterness from the hop back at whirlpool?

This seems a little weird to me as i understand the hops need to go through the boil for isomerisation to occur giving you stable bitterness which you need to balance the malt flavor.

 

[Ash in Perth]

A boil is not required for isomerisation, only heat. Of course, during boil you do get better utilization (30-40% normally).

Using 100g of 14.1%aa hops, there is enough for about 250 IBU in a 23L batch if they were boiled for 60min in wort. Im expecting about 30 IBU from just the hop back addition with these hops.

 

[Effect]

A boil is not required for isomerisation, only heat. Of course, during boil you do get better utilization (30-40% normally).

Using 100g of 14.1%aa hops, there is enough for about 250 IBU in a 23L batch if they were boiled for 60min in wort. Im expecting about 30 IBU from just the hop back addition with these hops.

Let us know how that turns out.

I had the same idea with a batch of beer I just put down a few weeks back. Only one addition of hops and they were in the cube, high AA% as well. Just calculated them as a 20 min addition as far as bittering goes. Was trying to get a result similar to yours.

Will find out if all went well in a week or 2.