J2W2

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Hi,

I'm getting ready to brew my sixth batch, but maybe I should be putting this in the beginners forum with a question like this.

With each batch, I try to improve my technique a little. My previous batch has been in a keg for a couple weeks now, and it's kind of cloudy, so I've been reading up on brewing clearer beer. One thing I've seen a few times is "whirlpooling" the wort to pull the dregs to the center, and then siphoning from the edge of the pot.

Siphoning the wort is not even something I had thought about before. I've always just dumped the entire pot right into the carboy. My funnel has a fine screen filter on it, so I never really worried about it. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I use an IC to cool the wort. And I do partial boils. I'm able to create around 3 gallons of wort in the boil, so I add a couple gallons of water each time.

What are your thoughts? Should I siphon the wort out of the pot after I chill it, or just dump it in the carboy? And if I siphon, should I try to whirlpool it first?

Thanks for your help!

Rosie75

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Are you using a secondary

kh54s10

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I never whirlpool, or siphon or strain. I just open the valve all the way and let 'er rip. If there is a lot of sludge I will leave a little of it in the pot. I do use Irish moss and ferment for about 3 weeks. Most of my beers are very clear

IanJ

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I siphoned mine for the first time from the kettle, and it was a bit easier. Having to dump 3 gallons of sticky wort always results in massive spilling over the edge of the pot, onto the floor, all over everything... so I've been trying to figure out a better method.

If I could get a bigger kettle, I'd love to find something with a valve like kh54 has, but nothing will fit on my stove... they're all 10 gallon pots.

So if that's not an option... what's better? I think both methods are fine. In theory (and probably practice) it shouldn't really impact the beer, just make sure to aerate it enough. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not that experienced either.

yewtah-brewha

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Irish moss for the last 15 min of boil will clear the beer!

yewtah-brewha

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the only time you dump it is after the boil. dump into your primary fermentor, it should be 65-70 degrees (ales) and then pitch the yeast, some give a 30 second shake, but the yeast know what do do from there! no shaking is really needed.

from there on out always siphon, you dont want o2 to mix in the wort,

J2W2

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Thanks for all the responses. They reinforce that I'm doing the right thing by dumping it. I consider it part of my aeration process - dumping the three gallons through the filter screen gets a good foam going in the carboy from the start.

I do use a secondary, so I figure racking from primary to secondary, then to a keg should take care of any sediment. Pretty much everything I read about clear beer mentions Irish moss, so I'm going to give that a try today if I can find some in town. Otherwise it will have to wait until the next batch.

ianskate, the funnel I have is large (I store it in my 5-gallon pail), and has a raised "splash guard" on the back side, as well as a plastic filter that snaps in place. It's very handy to fill my 6-gallon carboy, and it's large enough I can do a pretty aggressive pour from my kettle without spilling anything.

Thanks again for all your help. It's time to start brewing!

Arrheinous

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You could aerate while siphoning. Some folk put pinholes in the hose or cane to pull in air via the venturi effect.

From the title and first half of the post I thought you wanted to dump out your beer because it was turning out cloudy.

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J2W2

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Nope, I just close my eyes when I drink and it's all good!