Hop strainer making - help please!

[banjokat]

Hi all,
Forgive me if this has been asked before...

I'm starting to knock together the kit for AG brewing and my first project is the boiler, I've made a hop strainer like this one and I'm wondering if I should solder it together or if it needs to come apart for cleaning. It will be removable for cleaning so I was hoping to solder it up, unlees this is a big no - no.
Any help appreciated.

 

[shaunsbrew]

no dont bother soldering, use no solder fittings and just crimp end slightly so you get a little grip when you fix all the other pipes together :

 

[banjokat]

Bah! But I've gone and bought yorkshire fittings (with solder). Curses!

 

[jamesb]

Doesn't matter, just don't solder them and crimp slightly as shaunsbrew suggested.

 

[banjokat]

:thumb: That's what I wanted to hear!

 

[highwayman]

I made the same one as you and it worked .. ..although I found that the run off after boiling was very slow almost to a dibble..Then I saw the Round Hop Stopper from America which gave me an idea of my own :hmm:

I bought 2 sheets of Stainless Steel Mesh A4 size from Ebay. Using one sheet I made a pocket for the Hop Strainer (similar to the Amercian one) I folded it in half. I tapped down the sides and one end with a small hammer, making a pocket. I slipped the copper Hop strainer in to the pocket and then tapped down the other end and then came up with this:-
Top View

Bottom View

Its easy to do and it works really well...:thumb: After use I ran it under the tap to wash off the trub. No Hops entered the bag. Its smaller than H & G one..so you will have to trim the copper pipes down a bit

 

[Vossy1]

Very tidy hwm

 

[highwayman]

Thanks V .. I think you need to get your new brewery up and running
Not like you to have no beers on the go