Whirlfloc, excessive break, how much wort to use?

I used a half tablet (for the first time) for a 5 gal batch (my third) and instead of getting 4.5 gal in the fermenter I got 3.75. My final volume at the end of the boil was almost exactly 5 gallons and I got a good whirlpool-the trouble is the break (and there was a lot, the wort was very clear) was liquid. I stopped siphoning and left all break in the kettle--should I have carried some over into the fermenter? Would it have just settled out with the yeast and caused me no harm? I was also using leaf hops for the first time (that's all the EKG my LHBS had on hand), so I was afraid of carrying any of that over the primary. Should I have been? What is the right way to use whirlfloc?

The wort was very clear, and my first two brews never completely cleared.

With whirlfloc, just drop a whole tablet in at 10 minutes (before flameout). The cold break won't hurt a thing in your fermenter. If you can keep most of it out, fine. If not, it will settle out anyway and also provide a little nutrition for the yeast.
Try to leave most of the hops behind if you can. But again, if some get in, no sweat....

Mixed opinions exist on transfering trub / break to the fermenter. Some whirlpool and ferment trub free, while others transfer every drop from the kettle. YMMV

I'm one of those that dumps everything into the fermenter. It compacts down pretty well once fermentation is done, and I can rack off the top easily enough.

With whirlfloc, I've also noticed some pretty heft cold break. It all goes into the fermenter and I haven't noticed any off-flavor from it. It seems to precipitate and compact well after fermentation is complete.

Mixed opinions exist on transfering trub / break to the fermenter

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Not that much mixed actually/

Drop in the tab and transfer everything into the carboy - I strain out the hops but thats about all. Whirlfloc should not make you have less wort at all. I thik you are straining to much of the proteins out.

I put ALL the break into the fermentor. Plus you should have 5.5 gallons when finished with the boil. Finished product should be (for me), a little less then 5.

Would it have just settled out with the yeast and caused me no harm?

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Exactly correct.

I hate the thought that I poured out 6 pints of perfectly good wort, but I guess it's better than ruining a whole batch. Next time I'll research a thing befrore I dump it into my boil kettle.

Whirlfloc just precipitates proteins out that would otherwise cause haze in your finished brew.

I haven't seen any difference between dumping it all in vs leaving the break behind so I'm not afraid to dump it all in. If my efficiency rocks and I have extra wort I'll leave the hot break behind and rack all the wort with the cold break using a siphon, otherwise I will dump it all in rather than waste what would be good beer in the keg.

corncob said:

I hate the thought that I poured out 6 pints of perfectly good wort, but I guess it's better than ruining a whole batch. Next time I'll research a thing befrore I dump it into my boil kettle.

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Interesting.....

I'm a newbie.... I used to transfer everything into the carboy. Then this last time, I started "thinking" (usually a mistake) and I decided to let it sit for an hour and rack off just the clear and leave "all" the trub behind. I too noticed a big loss of "beer"..

Fementation was fine with almost no foam but I hated to lose all the beer.

Thanks to you question and the replies, I won't do that again... it will all go into the carboy from now on.

Thanks....

I also noticed, as I was reading up about this clarifier business, that John Palmer doesn't recommend the use of any in extract/specialty grain brews, due to the possible depletion of FAN. Any thoughts?

If there is any truth to that, then my yeast are surely suffering, since everything affected at all by the whirlfloc tablet got dumped. Not that I'm worried about my batch--just curious. From what I've read so far the general consensus seems to be go ahead and use it.