Hopback

Evo · Post by **Evo** » Monday Nov 15, 2004 9:24 pm

In the quest for more toys (he who dies with the most toys wins) and maybe slightly in the quest to brew a better beer, I was thinking of making a HOPBACK. Now, only having a slight notion of what a hopback is exactly, I was thinking of making my own version.

Here's what I'm thinking. It will be mainly for dry hopping at this stage. Instead of chucking hops into my secondary and smelling that sweet smell bubble out of my airlock, I was thinking of some kind of "inline container" with a fine gauze filter in the centre of my syphon hose. So when I syphon my beer from my secondary into my keg, it goes through the hopback which is filled with hop flowers (or pellets if I have to). This sweet hoppy nectar then goes into the keg which is quickly sealed and gassed up, retaining all that aroma.

Alright. So give it to me straight. Don't worry about my feelings. Good idea? Bad idea? Might work if...? Lay it on me.

Oats · Post by **Oats** » Tuesday Nov 16, 2004 1:21 pm

Evo,

Great idea...already been done. Megaswill breweries do the very same thing...not sure about the potency of the aroma etc.

I visited a website the other day that had a pictorial page showing how to make an in-line hopback out of stainless steel and the in-line container to hold the hops. Just cant find it now...it was non-Aussie website but hey someone out there will have it in their favourites?

This isnt the site i saw but its a variation...

http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/in ... 9191318951

Cheers

Evo · Post by **Evo** » Wednesday Nov 17, 2004 8:57 pm

Yeah, I didn't think I'd invented the wheel on this one. Just thought it'd be a good way of accumulating more much needed equipment. Had a look at that link and a few others and have now pretty much got the plans all drawn up. God bless the internet.

Another question, anyone know of anywhere to get whole hop flowers other than the pride of ringhole variety? Actually, anyone know of where I could buy hops plants? I've grown my own in the past. It'd be fun doing it legally

Post by **Oliver** » Thursday Nov 18, 2004 3:22 pm

Thanks to db for this link (from a previous post):

https://www.grumpys.com.au/phpshop/?pag ... 72f7ee6b65

They've got 15 varieties, including the dreaded "Pride of Ringhole".

However, it appears they're no longer taking orders for this year. Maybe next year.

Cheers,

Oliver

db · Post by db » Friday Nov 19, 2004 9:33 am

i recently bought some seeds on ebay from the US.. think i paid $6 (aust. incl. postage) for 50 seeds.. something similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... eName=WD2V
they werent able to tell me what type they were, & theres a bit of hassle with stratification then sexing (only female plants produce flowers) but for $6 i thought i'd give it a go.. if they fail i'll fork out $35 for rhizomes next year

db · Post by db » Friday Nov 19, 2004 9:48 am

this looks alright too.. alot cheaper (& i love the cascade):

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/AB160500 ... 29&CATID=8

Evo · Post by **Evo** » Saturday Nov 20, 2004 1:00 pm

Yeah, nice. Good work guys. Might wait and see what Grumpy's has to offer. I'm thinking it may be too late to plant hops seeds this year. By the time I get them over here and by the time customs officers release me for breaking quarantine laws

that is.

Was just talking to the guy at my HBS about growing hops and he showed me photos of his effort. The vines were about three metres high. He said they grew like wild fire. So next spring, green fingers here I come. Maybe I should apologise to my neighbours in advance.

Is it true that most hops grown in Australia comes from Tasmania ? Might be worth another trip to the apple isle.

Post by **Oliver** » Monday Nov 22, 2004 8:10 pm

Aussie hope are grown in Tasmania and the alpine areas of Victoria, too, I believe.

Cheers,

Oliver