A hopback is an inline, sealed chamber packed with whole-cone hops that hot wort flows through on its way from the kettle to the heat exchanger. Because the vessel is sealed, the volatile aromatic oils extracted from the hops are trapped in the liquid rather than boiling off into the atmosphere. The whole hops also act as a natural filter bed, trapping trub and coagulated proteins before the wort is chilled.
Pack the hopback with Cascade and make sure the seals are tight before we start casting out.
Hopbacks require whole-cone hops; using pelletized hops will turn the vessel into a sludge trap and block the flow to the chiller.
Related terms
Whirlpooling
The process of spinning hot wort in a circular motion to force solid particles into a compact cone at the center.
Wort
The sweet, unfermented liquid extracted from mashed grains that serves as the basis for beer or whisky.
Trub
The layer of sediment that settles at the bottom of a brewing vessel after boiling or fermentation.