Blichmann Hop Rocket

[breyton]

Tasty,

Few Questions:

1: Whats the point of running the Hop rocket Upside down? Do you need gravity to keep the hops on top of the screen so they compact and filter trub more efficiently?
2: You mention that you perceive no added hop flavor or aroma with a hop back compared to late hopping/whirlpooling. My assumption in your setup is that you do not use a hop back at all and instead use whirlpool hops.
3: Do you cut back on your whirlpool hop amounts when you use the Hop Rocket. I would guess you are getting some level of hop flavor/aroma from the hops in the Hop Rocket trub filter.
4: You are hanging the hop rocket from the boil kettle valve. Are you concerned it is stressing the coupling on the kettle too much? Are you getting alot of deflection from the weight of the hop rocket when its full of liquid. I would be worried over time that the coupling will develop a crack and leak?

[TastyMcD]

Tasty,

Few Questions:

1: Whats the point of running the Hop rocket Upside down? Do you need gravity to keep the hops on top of the screen so they compact and filter trub more efficiently?
2: You mention that you perceive no added hop flavor or aroma with a hop back compared to late hopping/whirlpooling. My assumption in your setup is that you do not use a hop back at all and instead use whirlpool hops.
3: Do you cut back on your whirlpool hop amounts when you use the Hop Rocket. I would guess you are getting some level of hop flavor/aroma from the hops in the Hop Rocket trub filter.
4: You are hanging the hop rocket from the boil kettle valve. Are you concerned it is stressing the coupling on the kettle too much? Are you getting alot of deflection from the weight of the hop rocket when its full of liquid. I would be worried over time that the coupling will develop a crack and leak?

1. The Hop Rocket has one fine screen and that's at the top (my bottom) so I reverse the flow. Yes, I want my hops, which are in a hopsack by the way, to pull down against that screen. Pushing wort from the bottom just won't do that at normal chilling flow rates. The March pump on the cold side of the plate chiller is able to pull down the hops against the screen. And yes, gravity helps.
2. Depending on the recipe, sometimes I do both a whirlpool addition and a hopback. In any case, if I'm using a hopback, the recipe typically has lots of late additions so all I'm saying is that amongst all that hop flavor and aroma, I'm not noticing that much of a difference even though there probably is some. The Hop Rocket used in its intended configuration might impart more aroma and flavor than the way I'm using it.
3. No, I don't reduce the the whirlpoool additions when I use a hopback. No doubt the hopback adds something. After a 20-30 minute whirlpool rest, the wort is down to 190F or so before it gets to the hopback. I expect I'm getting far better hop oil extraction during the whirlpool and there's probably some saturation issue in play.
4. I use a MoreBeer heavy duty kettle and I don't worry about the deflection. Nonetheless, because the HR is heavier than my hopback and holds more wort, and because it will look very cool, I'm going to be hard piping the Hop Rocket to the Therminator. In non-hopbacked beers like lagers, I'm experimenting with using rice hulls in a hopsack as a trub filter.

Tasty

[breyton]

Tasty,

Nonetheless, because the HR is heavier than my hopback and holds more wort, and because it will look very cool, I'm going to be hard piping the Hop Rocket to the Therminator. In non-hopbacked beers like lagers, I'm experimenting with using rice hulls in a hopsack as a trub filter.

Tasty

Rice Hulls... great idea.

[Cliff]

Tasty,

I'm experimenting with using rice hulls in a hopsack as a trub filter.

Tasty

I'll be most interested in how this works out for you.

[dunleav1]

Tasty,

Few Questions:

1: Whats the point of running the Hop rocket Upside down? Do you need gravity to keep the hops on top of the screen so they compact and filter trub more efficiently?
2: You mention that you perceive no added hop flavor or aroma with a hop back compared to late hopping/whirlpooling. My assumption in your setup is that you do not use a hop back at all and instead use whirlpool hops.
3: Do you cut back on your whirlpool hop amounts when you use the Hop Rocket. I would guess you are getting some level of hop flavor/aroma from the hops in the Hop Rocket trub filter.
4: You are hanging the hop rocket from the boil kettle valve. Are you concerned it is stressing the coupling on the kettle too much? Are you getting alot of deflection from the weight of the hop rocket when its full of liquid. I would be worried over time that the coupling will develop a crack and leak?

1. The Hop Rocket has one fine screen and that's at the top (my bottom) so I reverse the flow. Yes, I want my hops, which are in a hopsack by the way, to pull down against that screen. Pushing wort from the bottom just won't do that at normal chilling flow rates. The March pump on the cold side of the plate chiller is able to pull down the hops against the screen. And yes, gravity helps.
2. Depending on the recipe, sometimes I do both a whirlpool addition and a hopback. In any case, if I'm using a hopback, the recipe typically has lots of late additions so all I'm saying is that amongst all that hop flavor and aroma, I'm not noticing that much of a difference even though there probably is some. The Hop Rocket used in its intended configuration might impart more aroma and flavor than the way I'm using it.
3. No, I don't reduce the the whirlpoool additions when I use a hopback. No doubt the hopback adds something. After a 20-30 minute whirlpool rest, the wort is down to 190F or so before it gets to the hopback. I expect I'm getting far better hop oil extraction during the whirlpool and there's probably some saturation issue in play.
4. I use a MoreBeer heavy duty kettle and I don't worry about the deflection. Nonetheless, because the HR is heavier than my hopback and holds more wort, and because it will look very cool, I'm going to be hard piping the Hop Rocket to the Therminator. In non-hopbacked beers like lagers, I'm experimenting with using rice hulls in a hopsack as a trub filter.

Tasty

Tasty,
Have you hard piped the Hop Rocket to the Therminator yet? Do you just take the Hop Rocket off to clean the Therminator? (ie) How do you clean the Therminator?

Why do put the hops in a hopsack in the hopback? Do you get less flow and more filtering that way?

Thanks,
JD

[TastyMcD]

Tasty,

I'm experimenting with using rice hulls in a hopsack as a trub filter.

Tasty

I'll be most interested in how this works out for you.

It worked great. I haven't tasted the beer yet but I don't really expect any flavor in an IPA from a half pound of rice hulls in a hopsack. I'll try it on a light lager soon.

Tasty

[Hoser]

Tasty,
How do you prime your hop rocket? I finally got to use mine this weekend after months of waiting. I set it up the way Blichmann suggested only to have it air lock on me with 4oz. of citra in the rocket I tried throttling the pump flow to no avail. Got a big brew planned in two weeks and want the kinks worked out by then so I am not pulling out my hair on brew day.

[28paws]

hey hoser,

I've been using my hop rocket for about seven batches now.
I had trouble the first four times with it getting stopped up.
What I have found is that I have to leave some room in there and not fill the hr completely up (which is my natural inclanation). I also have to start sloooow. If you have too much flow it will stop it up.

Good luck!

Tasty,
How do you prime your hop rocket? I finally got to use mine this weekend after months of waiting. I set it up the way Blichmann suggested only to have it air lock on me with 4oz. of citra in the rocket I tried throttling the pump flow to no avail. Got a big brew planned in two weeks and want the kinks worked out by then so I am not pulling out my hair on brew day.