Cleaning Hop Spiders

[Dazzelknight]

Hi all
Is there a trade secret to cleaning hop spiders at the end of a brew day. They’re a pain in the arse !. Iv resorted to squeezing the outflow pipe of my wort chiller to do a “mini power wash”. Any of u knowledgable people got a easier method to do it.

 

[The Baron]

I use a hose pipe and then put it in the dishwasher then dry really well so any hop debris if any can be brushed out.
It is used on the hot side so it will be sterilised by the hot wort

 

[DocAnna]

When using an oxy or in my case an alkaline cleaner in the boiler afterwards, I put the spider in and thoroughly coat it in the cleaner then after a soak will rinse it and put in the dishwasher. I'd love to find a good alternative to a hop spider since yes they are really annoying. I've experimented with mesh bags but they aren't much better.

 

[hoppyscotty]

I use a hose pipe, wash out as much as I can by directing into the spider, then for the more stubborn bits direct from the outside in and chase the hop matter out. I find I can get nearly all of it out by directing the hose into the spider if there is a good powerful flow.

I don't actually use the hop spider for hops, but instead use it as a filter when pitching into the fermenter as it filters out any hop matter that gets past the false bottom and through the pump but also does a good job of aerating the wort as it goes into the fermenter.

 

[Dazzelknight]

So Im doing pretty much same as everyone else with the mini power wash thing. Thought there might have been a easier way.

 

[The Baron]

I use it for both Hoppyscotty
for hop additions then rinse out and use as you do to filter the wort as it is transferred to the FV

 

[Slid]

I just rinse out the mesh hop spider and the mesh bags. Once dry, pretty much all hop debris just flakes off and they are going to be put back into boiling wort in any event.

 

[Thatscold]

I use Muslin hop bags from ebay, they're only just over £5 for 10 bags. Just throw them away after each use.

50 here for £15
https://www.biggerjugs.co.uk/products/muslin-bags-trade-pack-of-50?_pos=2&_sid=aeb8579ba&_ss=r

 

[Redwulf]

The first thing I do with my Hop Spider is dump out all the crud as soon as it comes out of the kettle and then its hosed it off in the garden while the grainfather is doing its cleaning cycle. If its particularly stubborn I use the pressure washer.

 

[The Baron]

Yes you must remove and rinse the crud as soon as it is taken out of the kettle

 

[itry]

i find it you hose it off literally as soon as you finsish before it bakes on is the best policy. Also if your spider is a little brown and manked up , boil up the mash tun chuck in sodium percarbonate and leave it boil for a while. every thing comes out like new. probably needs to be a health warning or some thing here , dont breathe it. dont put your hand in it . rinse it after. but you get the picture

 

[RoomWithABrew]

As above, dump the crud, hose pipe spray then found if it goes in hot PBW or homemade alternative it comes up like new.
Noticed this when half immersed in hot pbw and saw a definite tideline on it.
I try and avoid using hop spider now and just use the trubtrapper and have the hops free floating.

 

[sifty]

Yep hose off as soon as out of the kettle, then a rinse/wipe down in the hot water I save from chilling in big plastic tubs, with a bit of pbw in them. Use the same water to clean all other bits...

They also fit in the dishwasher..

 

[-Bezza-]

I just turn it upside down and give it a blast with the garden hose, using a normal spray gun on the jet setting. Can't say I've found that to be an issue at all. I don't worry about getting it spotlessly clean as it's part of the boil process.