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Hop Stopper 2.0
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rivetcatcher




Joined: 21 Apr 2016
Posts: 132
Location: Thailand

Drinking: Way Out Wheat - Mindcircus

Working on: Zombie Dust


PostLink    Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


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Hey Kal,

I think I will purchase one of these. Quick question, my current setup has a 1/2” dip tube which is approximately 20 to 25 cm long in a 50cm diameter flat bottom boil kettle. Should the length of the dip tube remain the same so it is central? This would mean the hop stopper would be off centre... or.... should I trim the dip tube so that the hop stopper is lined up with the centre of the kettle?

Thanks
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rivetcatcher wrote:
I think I will purchase one of these. Quick question, my current setup has a 1/2” dip tube which is approximately 20 to 25 cm long in a 50cm diameter flat bottom boil kettle. Should the length of the dip tube remain the same so it is central? This would mean the hop stopper would be off centre... or.... should I trim the dip tube so that the hop stopper is lined up with the centre of the kettle?

Hi!
Where the Hop Stopper is positioned in your kettle doesn't matter. Mine's near the valve since that's where the dip tube ends:



Cheers!

Kal

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srung551




Joined: 09 Sep 2017
Posts: 2



PostLink    Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:02 pm    Post subject: Side dip tube Reply with quote

Unfortunately my dip tube is to the side because of the location of my bottom drain anyway of installing a hop stopper?


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ihomebrewsolutions




Joined: 09 Apr 2015
Posts: 19
Location: Knoxville, TN


PostLink    Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dennis Collins here from Innovative Homebrew Solutions, manufacturer of the Hop Stopper. It might be possible to trim off your dip tube so that it can sit vertically. What is the vertical height of the outlet port above the bottom of the kettle? Also, I see a heating element in the photo, what is the clearance under the lowest part of the element?
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srung551




Joined: 09 Sep 2017
Posts: 2



PostLink    Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The heating element is approximately 2 3/8 off the bottom of the kettle , the dip tube measures approximately 7/8” of the bottom of the kettle hopefully that helps
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ihomebrewsolutions




Joined: 09 Apr 2015
Posts: 19
Location: Knoxville, TN


PostLink    Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Hop Stopper only needs about 2" of clearance so it should slide under the heating element without a problem. I'm looking for the distance from the center of the bulkhead port to the bottom of the kettle (you can see instructions on how to measure this on the Hop Stopper order page. If the port is 7/8" off the bottom, you will be trimming your dip tube extremely short. It would probably be easier if I made a dip tube for you as long as we have the correct vertical dimension.

Is your dip tube permanently crimped to the ferrules in the compression fitting? If not, the tubes can be swapped out directly. If it is crimped to the ferrules, I can supply some replacement ferrules so that you could still swap out the dip tubes whenever you wanted.

E-mail me at HopStopper@TheElectricBrewery.com and we can discuss greater detail and pricing offline.

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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Update:

We now have a version of the Hop Stopper 2.0 available for SS Brewtech kettles (non-BME versions) where we include a dip tube for you. No need to modify your own or send it in.

For complete details see our order page: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/hop-stopper

Kal

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rivetcatcher




Joined: 21 Apr 2016
Posts: 132
Location: Thailand

Drinking: Way Out Wheat - Mindcircus

Working on: Zombie Dust


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have received and installed my new hop stopper 2.0, very easy to put in using the old dip tube from the 1st hop stopper. I gave it a test run using water and it worked fine..... today I will put it through its first brew day as I make Hop Candy Jr for the 2nd time.

Rivet
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck and enjoy!

Kal

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Master




Joined: 30 Jan 2016
Posts: 171
Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Drinking: Naked Singularity Stout, Hurricane Bohemian Pilsner, Pineapple Cider, Ich bin ein Berlinerweiss, AbbyNormal Glutton Free Lambic

Working on: Vienna Lager. Witty name to follow.


PostLink    Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kal,

Do you have any pictures of the HopStopper 2.0 installed in a Keggle? I'm trying to make sure it's diptube will clear my element before ordering one.

Or if no pic, does it locate just like the picture for measuring depth on the ordering page?

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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No pics - sorry!

Correct about the measuring.

Email HopStopper@TheElectricBrewery.com with your complete setup details and the manufacturer will be able to confirm for you. Cheers!

Kal

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Last edited by kal on Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Master




Joined: 30 Jan 2016
Posts: 171
Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Drinking: Naked Singularity Stout, Hurricane Bohemian Pilsner, Pineapple Cider, Ich bin ein Berlinerweiss, AbbyNormal Glutton Free Lambic

Working on: Vienna Lager. Witty name to follow.


PostLink    Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Went out and took my MLT diptube and it clears the element, so I went ahead and got the 5/8 diptube version. I have a big IPA up soon in the rotation so it'll get a good workout.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking forward to fulfilling your order and hearing about how you like it! Thanks for the order!

Kal

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Ajolupop




Joined: 28 Jan 2019
Posts: 1



PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kal,

I’m thinking about purchasing the hop stopper 2.0. Here is my problem:

I have a Blichmann hop stopper now and have found that it doesn’t filter the hop matter/hot/cold break well enough. My beers end up tasting alike with a vegetal off flavor. I started using Gordon strong technique of wort clarification - after cooling the wort you let it sit for a few hours and then rack off into a fermenter only the clearest wort - it produces what I call “buyable beer” commercial level beer. However this technique adds a few hours to my brew day and most often leaves behind 1.5 gal of wort.

Do you have to filter again after chilling? In other words does the cold break end up in you fermenter? Is the hop stopper 2.0 good enough of a filter where the cold break doesn’t matter?
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the forum!
Ajolupop wrote:
However this technique adds a few hours to my brew day and most often leaves behind 1.5 gal of wort.

That's a long wait! Not to mention leaving 1.5 gallons behind...

Quote:
Do you have to filter again after chilling? In other words does the cold break end up in you fermenter?

You do not have to filter again. I don't usually remove cold break from the fermenter. Haven't done that in many years.

If I want to on say a very light lager, after the wort is in your fermenter you can let it it sit until the cold break falls to the bottom and then rack off to another fermenter and ferment as usual.

Years ago I tried this on some light lagers (split batch) by racking off or not racking off and the difference is hard to tell. It's pretty minor. Since I'm not the one drinking the light lagers and my guests don't notice a difference, I've pretty much stopped racking off the cold break. Wink

Another way to remove it is to chill in the boil kettle first using an immersion chiller. But then that has other downsides (in my humble opinion). See here: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/wort-chiller

Quote:
Is the hop stopper 2.0 good enough of a filter where the cold break doesn’t matter?

Yes.

If you'd like to order, see: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/hop-stopper

Cheers!

Kal

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Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
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ateene




Joined: 02 Apr 2012
Posts: 55
Location: Fort Collins, CO


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kal wrote:
Keep the flow rate below (approx) 1 GPM and you'll be fine. Good luck!
Kal


I just received the new Hop Stopper and looking forward to using it. Any suggestions on how to control the pumps for a 1 GPM flow rate while recirculating?
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suggest a ball valve on the pump output, like so: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/stainless-fittings/products/stainless-steel-ball-valve-1-2-full-port

See the pump build instructions for complete details: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/pumps

That said, I wouldn't recirculate at all. That's one of the benefits of the hop stopper. From the order page:

Quote:
DO I STILL NEED TO WHIRLPOOL/RECIRCULATE IN MY BOIL KETTLE?

No! That's a huge benefit of the Hop Stopper: After the boil there is no need to whirlpool or recirculate and then allow your trub and hops to settle in a cone before draining the kettle. You can start draining immediately after the boil. Flame (or element) off and start chilling immediately. This not only saves time, but also helps locks in those bright late addition hop flavours instead of simply adding more bitterness. Ideal for IPAs, DIPAs, and NEIPAs.

Hop character is extracted as a function of contact time and temperature. We recommend tossing in your last hop addition, let it steep (if you like), then drain without recirculation. As the hops settle on the screen, the flow of wort through the hop layer will extract hop character much like a hop back.


I RECIRCULATE TO SANITIZE MY CHILLER. CAN I STILL DO THAT?

Yes. Keep the speed below 1 GPM (gallon per minute). Faster flow doesn't offer any benefits when sanitizing. Refer to the user's manual for more information: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2400/0975/files/Hop_Stopper_2.0_Users_Guide.pdf


With the Hop Stopper, there is no need for whirlpooling since there is no need to concentrate trub in the kettle. The whirlpool process is built into many recipes for hop extraction, however, in my experience it is more a function of contact time than wort movement that contributes to hop character so there's no reason to do it. Sanitizing is the only reason (IMHO) to recirculate, and really slow is fine. At boiling everything is sanitized almost instantaneously - only takes seconds.

Kal

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We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
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TTodd




Joined: 11 May 2013
Posts: 22



PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This weekend was my first use of the Hopstopper 2.0 and I am completely happy with it's performance. Years ago I had tried the original hopstopper and I had absolutely no luck whatsoever. I abandoned it and went a solution where I installed a whirlpool arm and configured the pickup tube to pick up near the kettle wall. This was a time intensive solution that required a lot of time to chill with immersion chiller, whirlpool and let the hop pile settle. I always wound up leaving a decent volume or wort in the BK.

Now with the new Hopstopper, I set up the counterflow chiller and let it rip. No problems whatsoever. In the fermenter went nice clean wort with a wonderful hop aroma. Eventually I heard the pump sound like it was drying up and very little coming thru the hose. I turned the pump off and checked out the BK and was happily surprised to see the BK bone dry with hops fully compacted up against the filter. I almost have too much wort in my fermenter. The cleanup of the BK witht he compacted hops was a breeze.

So the only problem was that I obviously had it flowing thru the counterflow chiller too fast as the wort temp was over 110F. I was reading that best results when going fast. Long story but I was brewing alone and needed to hold the hose at the fermenter to prevent it from coming loose and spraying wort all over the place so I couldn't monitor temperature. So next time will rig something up where I attach the hose with a fitting and fill thru the drain port of my conical. This will allow me to adjust the pump valve to get the temperature at the desired level. So my question is, is it important that near the end (when the wort level approaches the top of the filter) that it be flowing through relatively fast? If it's only important at that point was thinking of maybe running nice and slow at the beginning, getting a large volume of really cool wort into the fermenter. Then later with the last bit cranking up the pace (which would mean that the last n-gallons are a little hotter), such that the end result is the entire contents of the fermenter would be hopefully in the near 80F range.

So basically looking to feedback on importance of flow rate thru the hopstopper to ensure I can replicate this awesome performance.

Thanks much!
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TTodd wrote:
This weekend was my first use of the Hopstopper 2.0 and I am completely happy with it's performance.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Quote:
Now with the new Hopstopper, I set up the counterflow chiller and let it rip. No problems whatsoever.

Keep in mind the max flow rates recommended - see the manual (available through the order pages).

Quote:
So the only problem was that I obviously had it flowing thru the counterflow chiller too fast as the wort temp was over 110F. I was reading that best results when going fast.

Best results for what? The slower you go, the closer the wort temp will be to your cooling water temp. I tend to slow it down a lot in the summer as the ground water's much warmer. Though sometimes I still go fast and only chill to around 80F and then take the wort the rest of the way in my fermentation fridges.

Quote:
So my question is, is it important that near the end (when the wort level approaches the top of the filter) that it be flowing through relatively fast?

No. Not sure where you read this. Do you have a link? Normally I do no adjust the speed and make sure to keep it under 1 GPM.

Quote:
So basically looking to feedback on importance of flow rate thru the hopstopper to ensure I can replicate this awesome performance.

Go with whatever flow rate gives you the wort temp you want, and make sure not to go too fast (under 1 GPM per the instructions in the manual and on the order page).

Cheers!

Kal

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TTodd




Joined: 11 May 2013
Posts: 22



PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for getting back to me Kal. I thought that the 1 gal per minute rate was for during whirlpooling only. I think that I read on a paper that was included with the packaging.

Regarding the flow rate and performance, I guess after doing some reading earlier before when trying to decide on purchasing, I was just left with the impression that it was important to pull thru quickly. So - I don't have a link or anything to support this. I'm guessing it was just an incorrect conclusion that I came to.

Well good to know going forward that I can pull at the rate I need to get the desired temperature in the fermenter (which I'm sure will be below the 1 Gallon/minute rate). I look forward to using it again. This is a real game-changer for me!
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