Hop is a common ingredient of beer that gives it an excellent flavor but could as well clog your homebrewing system. Therefore, if you want to get a clearer beer, it is essential that you invest in a good quality hop spider that is easy to use.
With this hop filter, you’ll save a lot of time that you could have spent cleaning your brewing kettle because it reduces the hoppy mess. Moreover, it improves the quality and clarity of your beer. If you’re not sure where to begin your search for the right hop spider, below, we’ll review the seven best hop spiders to help you make your buying decision.
The Best hop spider on the Market 2023
1. G Francis Stainless Steel Hopper Spider (Our Top Pick)
With the G Francis Steel Hopper Spider, you can avoid all the mess that results from dropping hops into your boil, as well as the cleaning involved. You don’t have to deal with more detritus fouling your fermentation process nor debris damaging your kettle filter.
Among the things that can’t go unnoticed is its stainless steel construction. It is tough enough to last without any potential wrinkles and damages. The frame is also firm for strength and longevity. On top of that, the piece will resist corrosion, heat, rust, and pressure while facilitating easy cleanup.
We appreciate its ease of use made possible by its two firm handles that securely hold the filter over your kettle’s edge during the boil. You can also quickly pour hops directly into the spider, making it ideal for standard electric brewing systems.
Also, this hop spider features easy storage due to its two hanging hooks integrated at the top end of the basket. The hooks offer user-friendliness, stability, and utmost versatility. For that reason, after you’re using it for your filtering process, you can place it somewhere safe for the next operation.
Taking care of this hop spider is also a breeze, unlike with most hops bags. If you have a dishwasher, place it inside without any soap or wash it with a garden hose, depending on what is more convenient. You won’t go wrong using a no-rinse cleaner as well.
Our only concern is that the spider is a little large for a five-gallon brew, and you might find it quite a waste of money if that’s what you use for your homebrew. Again, you might want to add a little extra wort for better absorption.
All in all, the filter works impressively and will serve you long enough due to its good quality. Besides, it simplifies everything, including cleaning and storage.
Pros
- The spider is super easy to clean
- It has a strong and durable stainless steel material
- It can serve as multi-purpose for other beverages
- It offers easy storage due to its two hanging hooks
- It is ideal for hop pellet capacity
Cons
- It is large for 5-gallons
- It might require additional wort for improved adsorption
2. Hop Spider for Beer Brewing Kettles by Strange Brew
You’ll undoubtedly love this outstanding kettle spider because it makes your brew day much easier and additions more efficient. The hop spider saves you a considerable amount of time and energy, making it an ideal choice.
When it comes to strength and durability, you have nothing to worry about with this particular piece. It is built with rigid arms to last long and to hold the brewing bag properly. So, if your biggest concern is attaching the bag, you’ve nothing to worry about.
We are genuinely hats off by its classic tripod design because it offers a stable suspension. We find this unique yet beneficial because you don’t have to deal with any messy issues during your homebrew operation. In fact, it makes your work a lot easier.
Also, we appreciate how it saves you from cleaning and sanitizing the steel mesh. Although it is not a very difficult thing to do, some homebrewers are not fond of it. However, if you want to get it cleaned up, you’re not limited.
Another feature we like is its adaptability. The hop spider fits most kettles while facilitating ease of use. Hence, it doesn’t matter the type and size of kettle you use for your brewing projects because this piece can accommodate most of them.
Nevertheless, we don’t like how it can be inconvenient to store this strange brew hop spider. Also, while it comes with anti-slip sleeves to hold the spider during the boil, it doesn’t include the bag itself. So, you will have to buy one separately.
Despite that, the spider is all accounted for in terms of strength and durability, making it an excellent choice for your next brewing operation. Besides, it can adapt to most brewing kettles.
Pros
- It saves you the time to clean and sanitize the steel mesh
- It is tough and durable to serve you without issues
- Includes anti-slip sleeves to prevent the spider from falling during the boil
- It is easy to use
- You can use it with most kettles
Cons
- Do not come with a bag
- It is not the most convenient hop spider to store
3. Gooday Stainless Steel Hop Spider
The Gooday Stainless Steel Hop Spider has a tank-like design, but it assures you of safety and a mess-free environment during the boiling process. It resembles the G Francis spider due to the hanging hooks.
Our favorite feature is its uniform porosity and its filtration precision that gives you the best results for your beer. It suspends the hops completely in the boil to offer you the flavor and aromatic-related benefits you need without a single mess.
We are amazed by its solid construction because it will last for an extended period. Since the hop spider features a 300-micron design, it is ideal for most kettle brewing systems. Besides, it is an excellent wear-resistant that deters corrosion, rust, pressure, and heat. You can also wash it repeatedly and still last long.
Moreover, cleaning is a breeze compared to beer cloth hops bags. All you need to use to get it cleaned up is a hose or flowing water, no-rinse cleaner, and a sponge wipe it after cleaning to ensure it is dry. Hence, you won’t waste much of your time following lengthy cleaning procedures.
The piece also features large capacity and multi-purpose. Its 6 by 14-inch size is big enough to accommodate up to 15-gallon batches with many hops. Additionally, it is suitable for brewing beer and great for making compost tea and filtering coffee.
The only drawback is that the hop filter is not available in different sizes. Also, it is only ideal for tall kettles that accommodate the wort length. Otherwise, only half of the screen will be submerged.
On the whole, this Gooday product is built with simplicity and effectively to make your life a lot easier and your beer a lot clearer. Its solid construction is also worth your money.
Pros
- It makes your beer turn out a lot clearer
- Offers stability and maximum security
- It cleans easily with only flowing water
- Has a solid construction
- It is large enough to accommodate big gallon batches
Cons
- You won’t find it in different sizes
- Only suitable for tall kettles
4. TIZZE Stainless Steel Hop Filter Strainer
TIZZE hop filter is an excellent choice for family brewing. Hence, if you’re a homebrew lover, this filter will do you good. It is both perfect for bucket fermenters and big brewing, so it meets all your purification requirements.
The filter has incredibly unique features. Firstly, we are genuinely impressed by this model’s steadiness because, during the boil, it allows you to hang it at the side of your brew kettle. It hangs effortlessly and provides proper stability.
Secondly, we appreciate that it provides good filtration by dramatically keeping the hop residues from getting into your brewing bucket. So, if you want more precise results of your favorite beer, then you won’t go wrong buying this outstanding brew filter.
The third feature that cannot go unrecognized is its convenience. The filter strainer works better than most beer cloth bags. Therefore, you can feel free to increase the amount of hops at any time. Besides, cleaning is pretty simple with a sprayer.
Most importantly, we give its premium quality a thumb up. It is built from durable stainless steel that is hot-resistant and rust-proof. And that’s why it has a long service life, freeing you from headaches of damage other quality issues.
The only thing that we find quite frustrating is that you might not get full hop utilization if you have large kettles with a smaller volume. Also, it can be challenging to clean the filter, especially when clogged with hops, thereby requiring you to use a brush.
Apart from these few shortcomings, we believe this TIZZE brand will meet your homebrew requirements, considering its steadiness, excellent filtration, and premium material quality.
Pros
- Excellent for big brewing
- It is very sturdy to ensure stability
- Offers long service life through its premium quality
- It is more convenient than beer cloth bags
- It offers good filtration
Cons
- Not ideal for large kettles with a smaller volume
- It might be not easy to clean when clogged with hops
5. ProMaker Stainless Steel Hop Strainer Micron Mesh Beer Filter
ProMaker stainless steel hop strainer is a great brand that will undoubtedly put a smile on every homebrew lover. It favors both low and high-temperature environments, making it exceptional.
From its remarkable features, we are indeed pleased by its first-rate quality. It is made of a heavy-duty 304 stainless steel material for durability. The filter has excellent heat resistance, corrosion resistance, pressure resistance, and good wear resistance to serve you well for several years.
When it comes to filtering performance, this hop spider is the best. It gives you precise filtration accuracy and stomata uniformity, which is quite notable. The filter can retain hop grains while boiling and still obtain maximum utilization of the hop pellets.
That aside, you’ll enjoy its ease of use and cleaning. You can easily hang the lid of the filter onto the edge of your brew kettle and, after that, use it to strain the fermentation wort. Once you’re done with the whole process, you can do the cleanup pretty fast at the sink.
Another great feature is its various usage. The mesh strainer works perfectly well for hop kegging equipment. Besides, you can use it for water filters, water pumps, air conditioning taps, vacuum cleaners, machine mounter, and so forth.
Our only gripe is that the hop filter can be difficult to screw the lid on. Also, it is not the best choice if you want to use a couple of ounces of hops because it might clog.
Overall, this is an excellent brand that is built to last. It can survive in harsh conditions, including low and high temperatures. Besides, it has an incredible filtering performance to meet all your needs.
Pros
- Offers remarkable filtering performance
- It is heavy-duty and durable
- It can serve as a multi-purpose for various usages
- It is easy to use and clean
- Suitable for homebrew bucket fermenter
Cons
- It can be challenging to screw the lid
- It might clog if you use a considerable amount of hops
6. Hop Spider with Adjustable Hook
If you operate your homebrewing project with smaller kettles, this Hop Spider with an adjustable hook is the one for you. Since smaller kettles are not able to handle bigger hop spiders, you can opt for one that is not too wide or tall, which is an excellent selection.
One of the features we love is its adjustability to allow you to put your chosen height. In fact, it is one of the most famous adjustable hop spiders to find on the market, considering its perfect flow between the liquid and the hops.
We appreciate that the spider is made from durable stainless steel, perfect for rust-resistant. So, you can use it without the fear of it wearing out in one of your homebrew projects. It is built to give you peace of mind without anything to worry about.
Besides, its 400-micron mesh will not crush or wrinkle easily. It is super strong, which is quite impressive considering its small size. For that reason, we believe that you’ll be happy to add it to your homebrew supplies.
When it comes to cleaning this unique hop spider, we’re happy to tell you that you’ll have an easy time. It is dishwasher safe, or you can use a hose without the need to use soap throughout your wash cycle.
On the downside, you might need to buy an extra hook for stability. Also, due to its lower capacity, you might want to consider other options. While the adjustment is a positive feature, learning how to use it might be tricky.
In summary, we would highly recommend this brand only if you have a smaller kettle for your boiling process. It is also possible to adjust the spider, but it will require your patient to learn how to go about it.
Pros
- The micron mesh will not wrinkle or bend easily
- Perfect choice for smaller kettles
- It is rust-resistant due to its stainless steel material
- Cleaning is a breeze and doesn’t require soap
- You can adjust it to facilitate taller kettles
Cons
- It can be tricky to adjust the hop spider
- You might need an extra hook to ensure its stable
7. Psler Wine & Beer Dry Hops Filter Brewing Hopper Spider
Here’s another uniquely designed hopper spider that you might want to take a look at. Psler might appear extremely large to you, but some homebrewers love its unit area, especially when dealing with a large flow of beer.
The defining feature of this product is its high quality and unique design. It has a robust stainless steel frame for strength and longevity. Besides, this excellent spider filter keeps your hops contained, anti-rust, non-toxic, alkali & acid-resisting. It is built to resist corrosion, pressure, and rust.
Psler is a multi-purpose brand that can keep debris out of your chillers, pumps, and finished beer to give the best results. So at the end of the day, your favorite beer will appear more transparent and taste incredibly impressive. On top of that, it is suitable for brewing beer and making compost tea, and filtering coffee.
We are genuinely impressed by how it is super easy to use. All you need to do is place the filter at the edge of your kettle as the beer boils. And after that, pour the hops directly to the spider or as you please. And if your concern is the pot’s size, don’t worry because the filter is ideal for all standard-sized boil pots.
Moreover, the product’s easy storage and care is another noteworthy feature. Unlike the beer, cloth hops bags; it is easier to store, remove, clean, and sanitize. Caring for this amazing spider is pretty simple because all you have to do is wash it using a garden hose. You can also opt to use a no-rinse cleaner.
The only criticism of this brand is its large size. It is pretty huge and might not be ideal for those with smaller boiling kettles. Also, unlike other smaller-sized hop spiders, this product is costly and requires a bigger budget plan.
Apart from being slightly wider and expensive than other models, Psler is rightfully designed for more significant homebrew projects. We also recommend the product for its unique construction that is great for strength and longevity.
Pros
- It has a high-quality, unique design meant for strength and longevity
- Resists corrosion, rust, and pressure
- It facilitates large flows
- It is easy to clean and sanitize using a hose
- Great for multi-purpose
Cons
- It is too huge
- It is relatively expensive compared to other models
What to consider when buying the best hop spider
Hop spiders come in different offerings, and your choice wholly depends on personal brewing tastes and the kind of system you use. However, it is essential that you keep the following factors in mind before making a purchase.
Quality
You might want to ensure that the hop spider you buy is made of high-quality construction to avoid breakage after a few days of use. While stainless steel is a must-have feature, you must look for strengthening features like sturdy mesh, side welds, and support bands.
Also, consider checking the product’s specifications to verify the type of build and material. A well-built hop spider allows recycling, and you can use it repeatedly in your homebrew operations and won’t break even after falling on the floor.
Hop utilization
Since you don’t want a filter that reduces the flavor, alpha acids, and isomerization that come out of the hops, you might want to consider hop utilization of the filter. The critical secret to an excellent hop spider is good utilization.
Choose a hop spider that can hold the amount of hops you use in your brewing operation. For instance, if you prefer hoppy IPAs, then consider buying an enormous hop spider. On the contrary, if you like brewing beers with fewer hops, get a smaller model.
Size
Hop spiders are available in different sizes. So, get one that can fit into your kettles and still move around freely. Like we’ve mentioned about hop utilization, get a hop spider that can hold the hops you use for brewing.
Cleaning
Another crucial factor that you should keep in mind is cleaning. You want a hop spider that makes cleanup much more manageable. Therefore, ensure that you can easily clean your spider.
Summary
While a hop spider might seem like a simple tool, it requires a bit of attention to purchase the best brand. Some of the crucial things that you should keep in mind are the spider’s size, quality, and whether it’s the right selection for your homebrewing system. Each product offers unique features from our picks above, but we highly recommend the G Francis hop spider.
We pick it as our winner brand because it has everything you could ask for in an excellent hop spider. It has quality construction, functions well, and an excellent value for money. Besides, taking care of this unit is pretty simple.
