Wort stuck in boiler!

[TheLastSuppa]

Can anyone help me? The last four brews I have done I have got the last gallon of wort stuck in the boiler with the hops and break material. I must be doing something wrong. Any ideas?

Two brews ago I bought a bigger valve for my boiler discharge and made a double ender hop stopper (to replace the single end one), but I still can't get the last gallon out. I put a tube on my tap because I thought it was a siphon issue and I taped up all the joints with ptfe tape to stop air leaks, but to no avail. Its just getting blocked, but I don't know why. This never used to happen.

I'm using whole hops from thriftyshopper. I add a level teaspoon of protafloc rehydrated in cold water 20 mins from the end of the boil. I cool from boil to 20C in 40 minutes with an immersion coil. I leave it to settle for about 20 minutes after the end of the boil before run off. The first 3 gallons run off like a race horse taking a leak. The fourth gallon slows to a stop.

I have to strain the fifth gallon by hand which is a PITA and takes best part of an hour.



This is my new hop stopper. I am a bit limited on design because my heating element is quite central on the base of my boiler.

[Scroogemonster]

You've got nowhere near enough surface area there to strain the wort through!

If you look at some pictures on here, you'll see most people have a rectangular copper tube setup with dozens of holes and slots in it.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=32442

I'm not surprised that towards the end of the draining process, the volume of hops and trub in the boiler is such that it blocks up those two very small mesh ends.

I'd try a different design if I were you

Regards
Kevin

[TheLastSuppa]

Thanks Kevin - Think I need to have a rethink!

[Frothy]

have you tried the simple stainless pan scourer pushed in the back of your tap? It works so long as you can get it in far enough for it not to fall out.

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Post a picture of the inside of your boiler and then the ingenious folks on here can come up with a hop strainer design for you.

[Kev888]

Heres one idea, although there are many options. It could be relatively simple to extend the strainer, something like this maybe:


The stainless braid was cut off a 900mm flexible hose tap connector thing I got from screwfix for three or four pounds, though it was a bit tough to saw through it a hacksaw did the job. They seem to have stopped the exact model of hose I used but there are many alternatives and other suppliers too - just make sure its not the mock stainless braid you get on some, which is actually nylon!

Cheers
kev

[CJBrew]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20716&p=361898&hili ... er#p361898

Mine works a treat and it's really easy to do... (although you probably do need a copper soldering kit, it would be possible to jam it all together with screw fittings -- it just wouldn't be as efficient)

[mat69]

Post a picture of the inside of your boiler and then the ingenious folks on here can come up with a hop strainer design for you.

this makes sense as we are all guessing at the moment..
by the way that is the ugliest hop strainer iv'e ever seen

[TheLastSuppa]

Post a picture of the inside of your boiler and then the ingenious folks on here can come up with a hop strainer design for you.

this makes sense as we are all guessing at the moment..
by the way that is the ugliest hop strainer iv'e ever seen

Thanks mat69 I'll take that as a compliment.

I used to have one like CJbrew's with my last boiler which had an underneath element, but on this one my element is central and right in the way.

[bigdave]

How about something along these lines:

[Kev888]

Easy with photoshop - though I suspect even CS5 is missing a 'make it so' button

Cheers
Kev

[TheLastSuppa]

Thanks bigdave. Think I'll make one like yours!

[oxford brewer]

It its likely being caused by the U shape you have in the copper arrangement.Are the fittings air tight? if the fittings are pushed together they will let air in which will stop the flow through the pipework.
If your filter works well for 3 gallons,struggles for the 4th and then stops at the 5th then it seems there is no problem with the filters themselves!
I would look at shortening the tube(doing away with the U bend) to drop between the wall and the element closest to the tap.It will also help to have the outflow from the tap lower than the boiler, creating a syphon effect.

[TheLastSuppa]

Thanks Kev888. I did it and it works well on water - just over 1/2 pint left in the bottom.

I'll see how it works on wort at the weekend.

[Kev888]

Good stuff!

Just looking at your picture - did you manage to find a way of getting the braid off and still leaving the fittings on the end, or is the rubber bit still inside and somehow punctured?

Cheers
kev