Hops are fantastic, wonderful pods of green heaven... I think most of us agree on that. However after a 60 minute boil they are a mess of green goop that most brewers like to filter out. Filtering the hops will clarify your home brew and cause you less trouble in your fermenter, keg or bottling wand.

Hops are fantastic, wonderful pods of green heaven... I think most of us agree on that. However after a 60 minute boil they are a mess of green goop that most brewers like to filter out. Filtering the hops will clarify your home brew and cause you less trouble in your fermenter, keg or bottling wand.

Here are some ways suggested to filter your home brew.

 

  1. Hop StopperHop Stopper

    The hop stopper proved to be a very popular choice for a while. The biggest draw back is that it is on the pricey side. Unlike the bazooka screen, it will suck up almost every last drop of wort. This is a great option for filtering, however because of the cost maybe you could make one.




  2. Bazooka ScreenBazooka Screen

    Although more common in mash tuns, bazooka screens are also used as hop filters in boil kettles. They can however clog with hop pellets, and are better used with whole leaf hops. They are elevated from the bottom of the mash tun or kettle so usually leave behind wort.




  3.  False BottomFalse Bottom

    A false bottom is a metal perforated disk that allows liquid below but keeps solids on top. So basically, a screen. Like the bazooka screen, false bottoms are common in mash tuns but can also be used for filtering hops. Also like the bazooka, they work best with whole hops.




  4. Copper ScourerCopper Pot Scrubber

    A cheap  solution, the copper scrubber works well if you have a pickup tube on your kettle. Pop one on the end of the tube and it will filter out most of the hops. This device is often used in conjunction with the whirlpool method, where the wort is stirred to collect the hops and other sediment in the middle of the kettle. Then the wort is sucked out from the side of the sediment with the pickup tube (and scrubber).




  5. Mesh StrainerMesh Strainer

    The mesh strainer is the simplest solution to filtering hops and its a fairly inexpensive option - many of you would already have one in the kitchen. They also work better with whole hops as many times you are brewing alone and holding the strainer and making sure pellet sludge doesnt clog the strainer can be a pain. Pellets are especially sludgy and will quickly clog the strainer. Especially if you're a hop head that likes dem hops...




  6. Hop BagHop Bag

    The hop bag and mesh strainer are the two most common filtering methods. The cheaper hop bags are muslin and the more expensive ones are nylon mesh. Hop bags do a great job of filtering, but the con against them is decreased hop utilization. Many have found that these bags cut down on hop character, so prefer to let the hops move freely. The bags also have an annoying habit of coming open. There are fine nylon bags that can be used and you can purchase these from many stores selling ladies under garments :) They have a zipper that makes tying unnecessary. 





  7. Paint Strainer BagsHop Filter Bag Using a Paint Strainer Bags

    A more recent addition to the filter family is using a paint strainer and hop bag. It allows the hops to move freely but still filters the hops well. They say necessity is the mother of invention and this is the best of all worlds. When the boil is over you simply remove the filter and all the hop gunk is inside the hop bag. Hopefully there is someone who can post video of this in action..



    Let us know if you have ways not mentioned here :)