What micron size for a hop filter?

[mpcluever]

I'm getting a custom hop filter made. Several manufacturers are making them in 300 micron size so that's what I requested. However, one replied back that they don't do 300 because people kept saying it clogs.

All I'm REALLY trying to do is keep hop chunks from clogging my plate filter. I plan to pull the hop filter at flame out, then do a whirlpool before I send it through the chiller. The bigger the hole size, the more circulation I'll get during the boil. One manufacturer is recommending something between 400-600 microns which I'm leaning towards 30 mesh (595 microns).

I have a feeling that people go a bit overboard and want to try to filter EVERYTHING from the boil before the fermenter so it's driven the filter manufacturers to default to smaller and smaller micron filters. I'm fine with a small amount of hop debris getting to the fermenter, it just settles out anyway.

Any thoughts?

 

[microbusbrewery]

I use the one from Brewers Hardware. It's 500 microns and seems to work fine. I know they have 200 and 300 micron nets you can add for finer filtration but I've never tried them.

 

[microbusbrewery]

I use the one from Brewers Hardware. It's 500 microns and seems to work fine. I know they have 200 and 300 micron nets you can add for finer filtration but I've never tried them.

P.S. I tried whirlpooling with mine once and clogged the filter. It was a recipe with lots of pellet hops and I think the angle of my return line was bad, so it was stirring up the hop debris more than it was whirlpooling.

 

[mpcluever]

I plan to get one 10" diameter, 17" tall to hang in my boil kettle.

 

[outside92129]

using 300 here, works well.

 

[microbusbrewery]

I plan to get one 10" diameter, 17" tall to hang in my boil kettle.

That's quite a bit of surface area...I doubt you'd have clogging issues.

 

[pjj2ba]

I use a 40 mesh homemade hop taco and have no problems with my plate chiller. I do however do something most others don't. As soon as I hit flame out, I start to transfer (gravity) the hot wort to a new vessel (modified corny). This takes about 5 min. to drain, leaving the hop material and hot break behind. I then hook this up to my plate chiller and recirculate back to the corny. It is now a totally sealed system (and can double as a hop back) and I can recirculate to my hearts content, even leave it sitting there (once cool) if I have to do something/go somewhere, and drain it to a fermenter later on.

I used to recirculate back to the boil kettle, but would run into problems with the filter clogging after recirculating for a while. Now I just ask my filter to just do the job once, and then I'm done with it.

 

[mblanks2]

www.arborfab.com

Excellent service and products.

 

[DIXIEBOY1]

Is 300 or 400 micron best for a [universal] micron size for alternating between whole hops and pellets? Also, I want to put one In my grant to catch true from the mash. What size is recommended for this application? Thanks.

 

[Queequeg]

I have a 200 micron nylon mesh, never had any issues. This might be due to flexibility of the mesh though.