Kettle Questions

[Mobie]

Hello All,

I am currently awaiting delivery of a 30BBL Brew House and would like some opinions regarding three Kettle items:

1. I will be using whole hops. The kettle is currently slated to have a 3.0" hop/hot break removal port. Is this large enough or will the hop cones plug it easily?

2. The draw port is 1.5" and I plan on inserting a screen (flat or phallic shaped) between the port and hard piping to contain any hop debris from entering the heat exchanger. Is there a better approach?

3. The Kettle's sight glass is a high temp polymer. What are other brewer's using here? Any high temp glass recommendations?

Thanks
-Trevor Brown
Lone Pint Brewery

[Matt Dog]

If your talking about those TC gaskets with built in screensforget it because they are worthless for what you want to do and will clog immediately. You want one of those GW kent strainers between the kettle and HX. As far as the 3" port I couldnt say as I havent used whole hops in a commercial brewery. I would think the bigger the better and 3" doesnt seem very big for a 30 Bbl full of whole hops.