Combined hop filter and dip tube

[BrauTim]

The problem:

The tap is positioned too high up on the Braumeister leaving a large amount of wort in the brew vessel when draining wort.

Solutions:

1. Tip the Braumeister to keep the wort flowing to the tap.

Issues: The vessel (on the 50BM at least) needs to be tipped quite a long way, the lean angle requires some clearance at the edge of the brew table so that the control unit doesn't prevent the pot being angled as far as possible. It is impossible/impracticable to drain the maximum amount of wort.

2. Create a DIY dip tube and combine with a hop filter.

Issues: The vessel still needs to be angled to allow full draining, however the lean angle required is far less than for option 1 and draining of wort is complete. A hop filter is required to prevent hop material from blocking the dip tube.

3. Purchase newly available Spiedel hop filter.

Issues: Whilst this will prevent hop material from blocking the tap, it won't help to completely drain the wort and will require the vessel to be leaned as per solution 1. (Note: I don't have this hop filter so I am making an observation that could be corrected by a Spiedel hop filter owner.

4. Purchase a custom made dip tube and hop filter - I believe these are available in Australia and I know of a BM owner that uses one of these and has posted about this elsewhere on t'interweb.

I chose Solution 2.........I made a dip tube for my 50BM, it works effectively leaving less than 500ml liquid amongst the trub. You will need basic plumbing skills and a couple of tools (pipe cutter, solder/flux and blow torch) to create the extended 90 degree elbow. You will need gauze (from ebay) and some way of cutting the gauze and I used flexible hose to shape the gauze.

15mm, t-piece, solder ring, formed gauze with 15mm tubing to try and reduce folding.

Dip tube - 90 degree solder ring with small copper insert that just slides into t-piece and 22mm silicone tube that fits into tap recess inside the pot.

When removing the malt tube the malt tube gasket does have a tendency to catch on the hose clip adjusters, requiring the gasket to be fished out of the vessel, a minor irritation, so I will replace the stainless hose clips with smaller neater ones. Note that the t-piece and elbow are not soldered together they come apart making installation and cleaning easier.

Gauze fits under outside elements.

Only a couple of mm under the t-piece.

15mm silicone tube completes the siphon, still need to tip the BM to get the last of the wort, but not as far as without this setup.

Not much left after brewday

[piet_v]

I am on solution #3 (used to be doing #1), I can now use hops without hop bags.

Solutions #2 is out of the question, I am not in to DIY (why do you think I bought the Braumeister for in the first place).

[BrauTim]

I am on solution #3 (used to be doing #1), I can now use hops without hop bags.

Do you still tip the pot to get the wort out ?

[whitegoose]

BrauTim that is a spectacular mod! Pitty I definitely don;t have the skills to put one of them together.

I'm so sure I've seen that exact piece availavke for sale comercially though... but now I can't shake the feeling that I'm just remembering this thread. I thought I saw it for sale, named a T-somthing or maybe even a Thunder-something. But I've just searched a few of the brew store websites I frequent and I can't see anything.

[whitegoose]

Or I could have just dreamt it

[piet_v]

I am on solution #3 (used to be doing #1), I can now use hops without hop bags.

Do you still tip the pot to get the wort out ?

Yes, and with the loose hops acting as filter I can get most of the wort out. Only 0,5 L remains in the kettle.

[niels]

Awesome mod! Thanks for posting it.

I will probably create something similar for my BM as it will turn out way cheaper than purchasing the Speidel filter.

Have you found an alternative to those hose clamps already?

Niels

[swiggingpig]

I use solution #4

[swiggingpig]

Have you found an alternative to those hose clamps already?

Although single use these are compact and 'low' profile
http://www.oetiker.com/en/Products#/?l0=A7D278F8664B424DA07D0E74E96A6B8A&l1=857A6B4A67774216A3AAE58752B204A9&l2=FB521EC93BE240B590F0358FEC73F269&l3=6E7C5F5202E045058F95A04041C1C1BA

[Batz]

I use a pick up tube without a hop filter, works well for me. It leaves about 1.5lt of wort and trub behind but i don't mind this, I tip this into a jug and let it settle out. Then I tip the clean wort off the top and get two PET bottles of wort that I use for my starters. I freeze these and when required just boil to sanitize.

Batz

[BrauTim]

I use solution #4

I know you do

[BrauTim]

Have you found an alternative to those hose clamps already?

Although single use these are compact and 'low' profile
http://www.oetiker.com/en/Products#/?l0=A7D278F8664B424DA07D0E74E96A6B8A&l1=857A6B4A67774216A3AAE58752B204A9&l2=FB521EC93BE240B590F0358FEC73F269&l3=6E7C5F5202E045058F95A04041C1C1BA
http://www.oetiker.com/en/~/media/Products/Clamps/Details_PG_153-154.jpg

Exactly what I'm looking for

[BrauTim]

I use a pick up tube without a hop filter, works well for me. It leaves about 1.5lt of wort and trub behind but i don't mind this, I tip this into a jug and let it settle out. Then I tip the clean wort off the top and get two PET bottles of wort that I use for my starters. I freeze these and when required just boil to sanitize.

Batz

I tried it without a hop filter but a hop cone managed to lodge itself inside the dip tube and I ended up siphoning the rest of the wort which was a real pain.

I do the same as yourself for yeast starters but usually take the wort from halfway though the boil

[BrauTim]

Awesome mod! Thanks for posting it.

I will probably create something similar for my BM as it will turn out way cheaper than purchasing the Speidel filter.

Have you found an alternative to those hose clamps already?

Niels

Thanks Niels, I think that once I had bought myself a blowtorch, pipe cutter, heat shield, abrasive solder and flux and some copper bits and pieces I was close to the cost of a Spiedel filter. But I enjoy learning new skills.

[cpa4ny]

Awesome mod indeed!

A word of warning on Solution #3: Speidel hop filter only works with the WHOLE hops and not the pellets (I have previously emailed the company and they confirmed it).

I happen to use pellets exclusively in the BM (with the exception of HopRocket, which requires whole cones), so I went with the different solution.

Just yesterday, I received my custom filter from the States (courtesy of Chad @ http://arborfab.com/) - it is 6" (15 cm) in diameter and 12" in depth (30 cm)

As you can see, it fits perfectly in the 20L BM, hanging about one inch or so from the heating coils.

The mesh is 300 microns, which is what people recommend to use with pellets.

Given the size, that thing should be able to take a freaking ton of hops.

This weekend I am brewing a Saison de Pipaix-inspired Saison, so I will have a chance to test it out (with ginger, pepper corns, star anise, orange peel, etc - going all in).