Help! Boiler tap clogged?

[NickW]

This is the flow I'm getting out of my boiler tap! It's getting slower and slower, It's now just dripping.

I forgot to use protofloc but I'm sure that isn't the reason...?

What are my options? Wait for the trub to settle and syphon?

I've tried nudging the trub around the hop strainer with a sanitised spoon and I get alittle more action from the tap, but then it slows right down again...

 

[pittsy]

If you can't get a spoon in or something then spray with star san and give it a good blow , better if you could put some tube on the tap instead of your mouth but needs must and spray it again , you should get away with it , just pitch yeast asap

 

[NickW]

Just did this, worked temporarily but its slowing again :hmm:

 

[pittsy]

your filter needs redesigning maybe , bloody nightmare at that stage though .

 

[NickW]

Haha.

Well I did it, just had to keep nudging trub with the spoon. Beer into the FV didn't come out as clear as I'd hoped but it hopefully should settle out now. Jeez!

Never had an issue with the hop strainer before... its usually worked great.

Perhaps It's because I forgot to add my protofloc and the trub didnt compact down enough?

Or....

Did I stir too much during the immersion chilling?

:wha:

 

[NickW]

This is my hop strainer... slits face down

 

[nobyipa]

and was you using pellets or whole hops?
prior to upgrading from this type



to this type





if using loads of hops or pellet hops it would stick and scraping the filter with a spoon would eventually clear it.
the new filter i made works with loads of hops even pellets no problem

 

[pittsy]

i think it's slits for mash , holes for hops or have i got that wrong ? anyway i use holes never had a problem , yours looks fine to me though .

 

[NickW]

Cheers guys, thanks for the help

A little shy on volume, perhaps a litre or so, think its due to the tap issue.

It MAY have been because I didnt put one of the copper connectors on the right way round , who knows.

Do you think it could have been due to the lack of protofloc?

 

[joe1002]

i think it's slits for mash , holes for hops or have i got that wrong ? anyway i use holes never had a problem , yours looks fine to me though .

Yep, that's right :thumb:

 

[NickW]

Damn. Even bigger loss of volume... look all that trub thats settled.. :cry:

 

[Runwell-Steve]

I've had that before when I used some really powdery hops. I ended up picking the boiler up and tipping out into the fermenter through a sieve.

 

[NickW]

Powdery hops you say? How do you mean? Quite interesting!

 

[mmaguy41]

I had this problem last week, turned out i forgot to put the hop strainer on though so not really the same issue. I ended tipping the whole thing straight into the fv and its turned out ok i think.

 

[NickW]

Think this may have been my issue. After closer inspection afterwards I think I hadnt fitted it properly.

 

[mmaguy41]

at least that means you dont need a new strainer

 

[pjc]

nobyipa - where did you get that mesh to make your strainer?

 

[nobyipa]

nobyipa - where did you get that mesh to make your strainer?

enough to make two 600x600mm

one 300x600mm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 1e82d35e4b

 

[pjc]

Excellent! Thank you. One more question... did you use anything to seal the edges or did you just fold the mesh over itself?

 

[nobyipa]

Excellent! Thank you. One more question... did you use anything to seal the edges or did you just fold the mesh over itself?

just folded and crimped with mole grips is far strong enough doesn't come apart very tough