Clogged bazooka

[charliesmith1979]

So on my second AG batch, black IPA, I hit a snag on a clogged ball valve running to chill plate. I'm still in process of adding more equipment but any preferences on bazooka versus false bottom for the kettle? Would it have made a difference? Haven't had any issues with false bottom on mash tun but seeking advice before buying.

Thanks!

 

[DoWBrewer]

The bazooka will still clog, but it is better than nothing. I just used my false bottom for the first time this weekend, but I left in the bazooka for good measure. The two together worked well, but I didn't have a lot of hops. If you are brewing with a lot of hops, I am pretty sure you clog your equipment. If anyone has any good solutions, I would love to hear them.

 

[charliesmith1979]

Yeah, it was close to 6oz I think in the 6.5 gallon boil

 

[HopChef]

Hop spider changed my life. Cleanest batch into my fermenter ever. My bazooka in the BK always got clogged with pellet hops, whole leaf not so bad, but if you're using pellet hops, the spider is the way to go.

 

[HopChef]

Here's the link to the one I got on amazon. All SS, and easy to clean.

 

[charliesmith1979]

Works pretty good? No loss of hop utilization?

 

[Hobanon]

Reusable large mesh bags are what I pretty much swear by for hop additions. They're cheap, and I've never had a clogged valve when using them, and I boil without a bazooka of false bottom.

 

[BackAlley]

Here's the link to the one I got on amazon. All SS, and easy to clean.

Do you have to pull this out to use an immersion cooler?

 

[charliesmith1979]

Just got the hop spider and looks like it's going to work great. The mesh is super fine, much more than the bazooka screen. Can't wait to try it and will post results!

 

[hopmonster2189]

Bazooka with leaf hops can drain on full blast, pellets clog the bazooka tube though

 

[charliesmith1979]

BackAlley, it looks like it will depend on the size of you boil kettle and immersion chiller. My 10 gallon kettle looks like it would have enough room for a chiller but I can't be sure since I use a chill plate. The hop spider is about 3-5 inches maybe in diameter