[AmandaK]

I use the Hop Stopper: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/hop-stopper

It's really quite a nice product. I tried just throwing pellets in & whirlpooling, then bagging them, then bazooka screens. This thing works EXCELLENT and will drain all but maybe 1/4 gallon from my kettle. I've used probably 10oz of pellets in the kettle once and it didn't even bat an eye. I have a feeling that it'll handle twice that. Best upgrade I've made in a long time.

[DrewG]

I use the Hop Stopper: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/hop-stopper

It's really quite a nice product. I tried just throwing pellets in & whirlpooling, then bagging them, then bazooka screens. This thing works EXCELLENT and will drain all but maybe 1/4 gallon from my kettle. I've used probably 10oz of pellets in the kettle once and it didn't even bat an eye. I have a feeling that it'll handle twice that. Best upgrade I've made in a long time.

I like the looks of that. Is it good at filtering break material as well as hops?

[alcaponejunior]

For hop pellets there is no reason not to put the directly in the kettle. No bag or gadgets needed!!!

The issue some of us have experienced with pellets is that when enough of them are used they will clog up just about any filter used in the kettle, including a false bottom. If you are using a filter device in your kettle the paint strainer bags are the way to go for larger quantities, and every system is different. For my false bottom setup I can just throw smaller pellet loads in, but for larger quantities I need to mix in some whole hops so a filter bed is set up. My new kettle will have a side pickup and I'll be whirlpooling to settle the debris in the center before draining rather than using a filter or false bottom. That said I'll continue to use the debris filter outside of the kettle so the gunk into the pump and chillers is reduced.

I have found that whole hops are easier to filter out at the end.  I use a big double strainer setup I got from a LHBS.  Works great with either, but pellets might fill it up once, thus you have to dump, re-sanitize, then finish the pour.  I've gone with and without hop bags.  Honestly, pellets or whole hops, it's easier to just dump 'em in the boil.  Even unfiltered, the hops debris settles with the trub.  If you rack carefully, you can still get pretty clear beer.  Maybe not perfect, but who brews homebrew to be perfect anyway?

[AmandaK]

I use the Hop Stopper: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/hop-stopper

It's really quite a nice product. I tried just throwing pellets in & whirlpooling, then bagging them, then bazooka screens. This thing works EXCELLENT and will drain all but maybe 1/4 gallon from my kettle. I've used probably 10oz of pellets in the kettle once and it didn't even bat an eye. I have a feeling that it'll handle twice that. Best upgrade I've made in a long time.

I like the looks of that. Is it good at filtering break material as well as hops?

The break material is filtered out by the green mass that the hops form on the screen, so my wort coming out of the chiller is quite clear. I don't have to loose wort/beer in my fermenter either. After using that thing for about 7 months, the only downside I could find was that it was slightly pricey, but it is all stainless. Probably the best hot-side improvement I've found for me.

[ynotbrusum]

I harvest yeast for direct pitching, so I employ 3 lines of filtration - I use a coarse nylon mesh bag inside another coarse nylon mesh bag for the hops in the boil (I suspend the bags with a clamp and they freely float in the boil; this filters probably 40-50% with no noticeable effect on IBU's utilized - though I cannot say that I have my beer tested).  Then I have a standard SS screen in the bottom of my keg with a dip tube running through the center of it (I'd guess that filters another 20-25%).  Finally, I use a double SS meshed colander sitting inside another SS colander to catch any break material and hops that might get through.  I rarely have any noticeable vegetal materials in my fermenter and my yeast harvest is nice and clean for the next batch.  I typically brew 10 gallon lager batches and it seems to make a difference with minimal extra cleaning.  I remove the hop bags as the wort cools, so the bags are done being cleaned before the wort is transferred.  The rest cleans up easily, as everything is removable. 

The Hop Stopper looks pretty effective, though, so I may give it a try and dispense with the bags and boil screen in the kettle, as it would serve that function rather nicely, or so it seems.

[blatz]

The Hop Stopper looks pretty effective, though, so I may give it a try and dispense with the bags and boil screen in the kettle, as it would serve that function rather nicely, or so it seems.

looks can be deceiving.  I have not had much luck with it, nor have several others on the electricbrewery.com forum.  YMMV

[bierview]

Wow those are some hop filled photos.  I have always used pellets and like everyone said they do settle out in primary.  25 ounces of hops?  What does that taste like?

[AmandaK]

The Hop Stopper looks pretty effective, though, so I may give it a try and dispense with the bags and boil screen in the kettle, as it would serve that function rather nicely, or so it seems.

looks can be deceiving.  I have not had much luck with it, nor have several others on the electricbrewery.com forum.  YMMV

What was your issue, out of curiosity?

[blatz]

The Hop Stopper looks pretty effective, though, so I may give it a try and dispense with the bags and boil screen in the kettle, as it would serve that function rather nicely, or so it seems.

looks can be deceiving.  I have not had much luck with it, nor have several others on the electricbrewery.com forum.  YMMV

What was your issue, out of curiosity?

protein break and hop sludge clogging the screen severely slowing down or impeding the suction.  I tried having the ball valve barely open, but after 3 fails with 1-2gal of wort left in the kettle, I'm done with it.

[bluesman]

The Hop Stopper looks pretty effective, though, so I may give it a try and dispense with the bags and boil screen in the kettle, as it would serve that function rather nicely, or so it seems.

looks can be deceiving.  I have not had much luck with it, nor have several others on the electricbrewery.com forum.  YMMV

What was your issue, out of curiosity?

protein break and hop sludge clogging the screen severely slowing down or impeding the suction.  I tried having the ball valve barely open, but after 3 fails with 1-2gal of wort left in the kettle, I'm done with it.

Were you doing a whirlpool along with the hop stopper (installed)? Do you use a bazooka screen regularly?

[Jimmy K]

I have a stainless braid around the bottom of my kettle. It works well in conjuction with whirlpooling.
 

[blatz]

Were you doing a whirlpool along with the hop stopper (installed)? Do you use a bazooka screen regularly?

recirculating to sanitize chiller etc.  which you are not supposed to do.

I've not been using a bazooka screen.