[roguejim]

Assuming you're boiling in a converted keg, or other vessel of a similar height, do the strainer bags reach the bottom?  How close to the bottom.  I'm wondering how FWHing would work.

[denny]

That will depend a lot on what size bag you use.

[denny]

Will galvanized carriage bolts be ok?

Yep, zinc is actually a yeast nutrient, so having that in the boil would be a good thing!

I dunno....for one thing, there's seldom a need for additional zinc.  For another, I'm pretty certain I heard galvanized in the kettle could be poisonous.  I'll see if I can confirm that.

ETA:  According to the FDA, (http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/retailfoodprotection/foodcode/foodcode2009/ucm188064.htm)

4-101.15 Galvanized Metal, Use Limitation.

Galvanized metal may not be used for utensils or food-contact surfaces of equipment that are used in contact with acidic food.

Apparently the issue is that the low pH will dissolve the zinc and lead to zinc poisoning.

[bluesman]

Will galvanized carriage bolts be ok?

Yep, zinc is actually a yeast nutrient, so having that in the boil would be a good thing!

I dunno....for one thing, there's seldom a need for additional zinc.  For another, I'm pretty certain I heard galvanized in the kettle could be poisonous.  I'll see if I can confirm that.

ETA:  According to the FDA, (http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/retailfoodprotection/foodcode/foodcode2009/ucm188064.htm)

4-101.15 Galvanized Metal, Use Limitation.

Galvanized metal may not be used for utensils or food-contact surfaces of equipment that are used in contact with acidic food.

Apparently the issue is that the low pH will dissolve the zinc and lead to zinc poisoning.

+1

...not to mention that the boiling action will accelerate the dissolution process.

[Hokerer]

Will galvanized carriage bolts be ok?

Galvanized and food are generally a no-no

[kgs]

Will galvanized carriage bolts be ok?

Galvanized and food are generally a no-no

I've looked at dozens of images of hop spiders, and the bolts aren't coming anywhere near the wort. By design, the bolts are slightly above the top of the kettle, as they are supported by the lip of the kettle. If your kettle were even close to being that full, you'd have other problems.  Unless the steam of the boil were able to boil off enough zinc to be a problem (is this possible?), this feels like a non-issue. (I think the person who posted that zinc is a nutrient was being facetious.)

[denny]

I agree that it's likely a non issue in this case, but I'd avoid galvanized even in this situation if possible.


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[anday6]

I know I wouldn't want the steam to condense on the bolts and fall back into the kettle.  Between the risk of poison and the potential for a ferrous off-flavor, that's enough of a reason to stainless for me.

[weithman5]

I used one once and noticed that too - decrease in hop utilization. Of course disclaimer here my brewing partner made it and had three aluminum legs that went down into the kettle. It was more like a hop crab. We never really got the boil where we wanted it and our FG suffered a lot 1.036!

not sure why your fg suffered from this unless you are suggesting there was not the expected boil off/concentration?

do many of you use a spider, hop bag?  i usually just throw them in the boil, but i am not pumping my wort yet and just pour it through a strainer

[saintpierre]

I just throw the pellets into the kettle as well.  Whole hops I put in a nylon bag and loosely tie the string to the kettle handle.  I siphon my wort off into the fermenter.  Now that I started to up my finish volume I have never had cleaner looking wort.

[skrag6713]

i'm now inspired to build a hop spider!  any other fun gadgets like this that would help out a beginning extract brewer?

[FirstStateBrewer]

Why not just buy 3 of these 5" stainless eye bolts for spider legs?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=221490-1277-V2161&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3167909&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

[kgs]

Why not just buy 3 of these 5" stainless eye bolts for spider legs?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=221490-1277-V2161&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3167909&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

They would need to be longer than 5 inches (they do offer 8"), but that would work -- at least one of the designs use these. I may do that at lunch today (and return the carriage bolts).

[FirstStateBrewer]

Why not just buy 3 of these 5" stainless eye bolts for spider legs?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=221490-1277-V2161&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3167909&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

They would need to be longer than 5 inches (they do offer 8"), but that would work -- at least one of the designs use these. I may do that at lunch today (and return the carriage bolts).

I think the ones I bought were longer than 5 inches. 

[Slowbrew]

Copper pipe works too.  You don't have to use the exact design they published.

Paul