Hi All,
I've been saddled with a convex-bottomed 7bbl kettle which has left me grasping for answers about hop and trub separation post boil. A convex bottom seems totally contrary to what i've learned about brewhouse design but supposedly BBT and a few others have made similar vessels. The tank's previous life was as a batch pasteuriser in the dairy biz, in case anyone cares.
The plan for knockout is thus: Kettle>Pump>Hopback>Basket Strainer>HEX. The hopback necessitates the use of whole hops, which has me worried about not having some trub and hop removal prior to the pump and having the pump jam. This concern comes from my thinking that whirlpool separation in the kettle is basically pointless because of that kettle bottom. It looks like I really need some sort of screen or 'hop dam' covering the kettle outlet or I risk plugging up the works. Does anyone have suggestions for a simple solution or an off-the-shelf product? The best I've come up with is adding another basket filter or a perforated SS gate contraption covering the kettle outlet.
Perhaps I'm worrying unnecessarily, or my beer is DOOMED.
I've been saddled with a convex-bottomed 7bbl kettle which has left me grasping for answers about hop and trub separation post boil. A convex bottom seems totally contrary to what i've learned about brewhouse design but supposedly BBT and a few others have made similar vessels. The tank's previous life was as a batch pasteuriser in the dairy biz, in case anyone cares.
The plan for knockout is thus: Kettle>Pump>Hopback>Basket Strainer>HEX. The hopback necessitates the use of whole hops, which has me worried about not having some trub and hop removal prior to the pump and having the pump jam. This concern comes from my thinking that whirlpool separation in the kettle is basically pointless because of that kettle bottom. It looks like I really need some sort of screen or 'hop dam' covering the kettle outlet or I risk plugging up the works. Does anyone have suggestions for a simple solution or an off-the-shelf product? The best I've come up with is adding another basket filter or a perforated SS gate contraption covering the kettle outlet.
Perhaps I'm worrying unnecessarily, or my beer is DOOMED.
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