Hopstopper 2.0 brew kettle filtration Product Review

Full kettle hopping without a hop spider, only utilizing the hop stopper 2.0 from Innovative Homebrew Solutions. Are you tired of Trub in your fermenter, check out this video for a solution to your trub problem.
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[@TheElectricBrewery]

Thanks for the review and glad to hear you're loving the Hop Stopper 2.0! A few clarifications: - The dip tube that is provided by the Hop Stopper is custom made to be the right size for the specific kettle it's used in, and will already be notched. You do not have to cut it. The only time you have to cut or notch a dip tube is if you're supplying your own. - Whirlpooling is not recommended or required when using the Hop Stopper. That's one of the huge benefits: After the boil there is no need to whirlpool or recirculate and then allow your trub and hops to settle in a cone before draining the kettle as the Hop Stopper will simply filter for you. You can start draining immediately after the boil. Flame (or element) off and start chilling immediately. This not only saves time, but also helps locks in those bright late addition hop flavours instead of simply adding more bitterness. Hop oil extraction is more a function of temperature and contact time. You can still do massive hop stands after the boil (I do these all the time with my IPAs/NEIPAs with stands anywhere from 30 to 90 mins) but you just toss the hops in and let them steep. There's no need or benefit to recirculating. The wort will also be pulled through hop cake bed when you drain so you know there's nothing left behind in terms of oils. - Low volumes of hops can actually be harder to filter than large volumes as the hot break and other fine particulates that settle out can form a thin layer on whatever filter you're using which in turn blocks the flow. When you mix in large volumes of hops flow can actually be better. Neither is a concern with the Hop Stopper 2.0 however. - Where the Hop Stopper fits inside a flat bottomed kettle doesn't matter as the wort will all be pulled through the Hop Stopper regardless of position. For the domed bottom keggles the Hop Stopper dip tube is purposely sized to have it sit in the middle of the keggle (at the lowest point). Cheers! Kal TheElectricBrewery.com

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

Hi Kal thanks for the addendum, Here is the issue with not whirlpooling, most of us in the south with high ground water temps have to recirculate to cool the wort to about half the temperature differential to allow either the plate chiller or counter flow chiller to be able to get close to pitching temps . So although you don’t recommend it, it is necessary to get to pitching temps. Thanks again for promoting this product, Cheers!

[@kalwallner]

@@chubbymermaidbrewing Sure! That’s one approach. If you don't want to recirc/whirlpool one option is to simply one-pass it through the chiller into the fermenters and then let the fermenting fridge (or whatever you’re using) take it right of the way before pitching. I often do this as in the summer the ground water’s fairly warm and even though it’s not as warm as in southern states, it’s still not anywhere near pitch temp for things like lagers. Often I’m more interested in getting it below 80-90F as quick as possible to lock in the late addition hop flavours. Then the fridges take the fermenters the rest of the way. Cheers!

[@irishgroundhogbrewer3066]

Holy trub Batman! I’ve had my eye on these for quite sometime now. Seeing how happy you are with it has sold me on it. I can’t believe how much it filtered out 🤯. Great video Gary cheers 🍻

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

Thanks Man! Yeah sometimes something comes a long and really works , the whole trub in the fermenter has been a eating away at my OCD for awhile. Cheers!

[@Beerjunkieguy]

I've been thinking about getting one of those. You may have sold me. Very impressive.

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

I was reluctant because they are a bit pricey, also you will receive an e-mail from Dennis about the exact dimensions of your kettle what type of pick up tube you will need, the height of the lowest element in the kettle. he wont ship until you provide all the details, so the cost is basically the item and the custom service they provide. Cheers

[@johnrankin6044]

Nice! Good point about the recirc. I recirc before chilling to pasteurize hoses so that may be difficult. I’m still trying to find a good way to dry hop in the keg and am thinking about the mini version of this.

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

Hi John yeah i still recirc, just at a much slower flow rate, so yeah i still run the counterflow and recirc the last 1 minute of the boil to burp the air and pasteurize everything. I was still able to do this with the hopstopper, cheers

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

***Disclaimer*** After speaking with the vendor, the diptube should NEVER have to be cut, in my case i have a custom design and possibly provided the wrong measurements. The manufacturer will provide the correct diptube per your kettle measurements or per off the shelf kettle design. The manufacturer does not want you to have to cut the diptube.

[@moedogger21]

Well a year or so later how's it working for you? Thinking about picking one up

[@clivebrooker1]

Must admit I’m slightly puzzled as to how it works so well. When you had it sitting on the table it clearly didn’t sit completely flat and therefore looked like it couldn’t form a complete seal around its bottom edge circumference; presumably the weight of the hops pushes it flat and the suction forms a seal, but isn’t the seal is likely to break as the weight of the wort decreases? Cheers.

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

its completely one unit it has its own bottom think of a screen shaped as a ball then being squished flat, with a dip tube in the middle of the "ball" it does not have to sit full flat. i was skeptical as well, as it is a bit pricey, Cheers!

[@MicroSessionsBrewing]

Oooooh ... this might be a next purchase.

[@MaximAvs]

Jeez zzz!!

[@chubbymermaidbrewing]

right!! Hey Sean how are things

[@MaximAvs]

@@chubbymermaidbrewing Doing really well. I am designing a new Bar/brewing area for my house!! Going to film the process as much as I can. Maybe ask for feedback from the BrewTuber Community!