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Blichmann HopBlocker Product Review

Product Review for the Blichmann Hop Blocker:

 

I have been using a Blichmann HopBlocker since my first batch of all grain brewing. Blichmann is known in the home brewing community for quality and dependability and the Hop Blocker certainly helps them in maintaining that reputation. It is crafted entirely out of sturdy stainless steel and after more than twenty batches, it is still in “like new” condition.

 

What I like most about the HopBlocker is the two piece configuration that allows me to keep the hot break and hop material away from the kettle draw tube so I draw only clean wort into my fermenters. After the boil, I will typically whirlpool the brew kettle for a minute or two and then let the trub settle out and form a cone on the bottom of my kettle. This process usually takes about 15 minutes. Once the trub has settled, I slowly draw the wort, discarding the first few ounces to clear out any initial particulates that may have made their way into the hop blocker during the boil or whirlpooling process.

 

I then continue to slowly empty the wort from the brew kettle into the fermenter. Once the wort level has reached about the bottom 1/3 mark of the HopBlocker, I slow down the wort flow even further and remove the sliding metal band from the HopBlocker. At this point the HopBlocker is drawing in wort through its fine perforated filtering holes (visible in photo #1). I decrease the wort flow rate to help reduce the quantity of particulate matter drawn in to the HopBlocker and to help minimize the possibility of clogging the HopBlocker. The HopBlocker is effective at reducing about 90 to 95% of kettle trub if used properly, unlike standard screen tubes which tend to draw more trub and have a higher probability of clogging.

 

The one downside of the HopBlocker is that it does not play very nicely with whole hops. They can clog the filtration holes. When using whole hops, it is recommend that you either boil the hops in a bag or strain them from the wort prior to using the HopBlocker. The overwhelming majority of hops I use in the boil are pellet hops, so this has not been an issue for me.

 

If you are interested in purchasing a Blichmann HopBlocker, they can be found here:

 Click Here for Blichmann HopBlocker

 

 

Blichmann Hop Blocker photo #1 – Shows the HopBlocker with the screen down. The slot in the metal band slides over the kettle draw tube, but I wanted you to be able to see the small hole perforation, so I placed it at this angle.

 

Home Brewing Blichmann Hop Blocker

Home Brewing, Blichmann Hop Blocker

 

 

Photo #2 of the Blichmann HopBlocker – After the band had been removed and the last of the wort was being drawn from the kettle.

 

Beer Whirlpooing Trub Cone

Whirlpooing Trub Cone

 

 

 

 

5 Comments

  1. Eric

    Hi I have a similar set up. I am curious how you are whirl pooling, I can’t seem to get a cone like that.
    Cheers,
    Eric

    • Joe

      Hi Eric, a few minutes after flame out I will slowly stir the kettle with my mash paddle for a couple of minutes forming a moderate whirlpool action. After that I let the kettle rest for about 10 minutes before starting to drain it. I set the outflow at a slow pace with the ball valve maybe 15% / 20% open. I have had pretty good luck with that but sometimes the cone still collapses at the end. I hope that helps.

      Joe

  2. Paul Dailey

    I have a HopBlocker and Blichmann boilermaker kettle. After flame out, I slowly stir with my paddle as I cool the wort with a copper wort chiller (in my boil kettle). Once the temperature is lowered to 80 degrees (F), I remove the chiller and start to drain. However, I almost always have a significant amount of hops under/inside my HopBlocker resulting in it clogging up almost immediately. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. My HopBlocker sits flat in the kettle (as it should). I generally only use pellet hops. I don’t know if the hops are coming in through the large holes (while I whirlpool) or if they are coming in through the bottom, but no one else seems to have this problem that I have read. Any suggestions?

    • Joe

      In my experience, during the boil and whirlpool some of the pellet hops will sneak past the large holes in the HopBlocker. What I do is purge the first few ounces of wort when I am ready to transfer; that clears the HopBlocker and I am good to go after that. Just so that I understand, is it your 1/2″ valve and or tube that is getting clogged or something behind it clogging? I have never experience a HopBlocker, hose or valve clog using pellet hops.

  3. Paul

    I end up with a decent amount of hops inside the hop blocker, which clog up the dip tube. The hop blocker itself is not getting clogged, but all of the hops that end up inside (either by passing through the holes or slipping underneath) are my problem. Thanks for addressing. I just want to alter my process so that the hop blocker is effective.

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