Straining wort before fermentation

How important is it to strain the wort before fermentation and what would not doing so add to the final result? Cloudy beer? Bitter taste? other off flavors?

When I brewed my first batch I didn't strain the wort before I poured it into my fermentation vessel. I am drinking the beer now and it's very tasty a bit bitter but it is an IPA so i don't find it over board. I noticed that it lacks in the hop flavor and aroma departments thought, and wonder if that is in part due to leaving the hop particulates from the boil in the fermenter.

I realize that straining should happen but i guess i'm trying to figure out the flavor impact of leaving the hop particulates in. and how it differs from dry hopping?

I strained mine (just did my first brew a few weeks ago) and I wouldn't want all that crud in there. I think it just makes sense to strain it and get it out. Less stuff floating in your beer. Plus straining aerates that wort nicely which is definitely needed for fermentation.

Grimm said:

How important is it to strain the wort before fermentation and what would not doing so add to the final result? Cloudy beer? Bitter taste? other off flavors?

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I strained a few times but it doesn't seem worth the effort. You still get a layer of crud in the bottom (yeast, particulates that don't strain out) that you have to be careful with anyway. I haven't noticed a difference in final result. All my problems with cloudiness/bitterness were due to other mistakes, like forgetting the Irish moss or hopping too early.

I've done both and can't say I notice any difference. You certainly end up with more trub in the fermentor if you don't strain, but I'm not sure if/how that affects the end product (it certainly hasn't in any way that I can detect).

I would think it would only be a problem if you were planning on using the cake to brew a bigger beer. I have done this also and can not notice any changes in taste or look.

One thing I noticed in strained vs. unstrained wort is that unstrained trub is much looser and more likely to drift into the siphon during racking. I think the hop matter doesn't compact as well as the yeast by itself and acts as a sort of trub lubricant. I plan on straining everything from now on so that I get nice packed yeast cakes that don't want to stir up and float into the siphon.

I leave it in. The last 2 to 5 minutes of your boil you're adding aroma hops. It won't hurt anything to leave it in, but it may not give you the aroma you want. That's my two cents.

Dont worry about straining...if you transfer your beer to a secondary fermenter after the initial fermentation dies down and let it sit in the secondary for a week or two you can siphon off almost perfectly clear beer into your bottling bucket.

I dont strain anything, and with time in the secondary and careful siphoning my beer is nice and clear when it's drinkin time.

I siphon from the brew pot to the fermentor. I started doing it when I started using whole hops whenever I could find the ones I wanted.

What ever the siphon sucks up would get through a strainer anyway.

This "begs" the question: For those who are straining, what are you using to strain the wort?

I use this. It threads into my weldless ball valve.

I have a funnel with a screen that I got from the LHBS when I got the carboy. If you purt really slow most of the break stays at the bottom

BendBrewer said:

I use this. It threads into my weldless ball valve.

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Do you use pellet or whole hops? I have a KettleValve and am considering one of those, but I wonder if it will get clogged with pellet hops.

I use mostly whole hops and have not used this for any brews with pellets.

I think it said that it might clog if using a lot of pellets. I think you could keep it unclogged with a little attention and a sanitized spoon though.

From their site:

"Turn any pot into a mash tun. This all stainless screen screw into the threaded back inlet the Brewer's Edge KettleValve, allowing you to mash or strain out whole hops from the boil (these tend to clog when using a lot of pellet hops)."

yesterday I got a funnel that has a screen, before that i also had a re-usable coffee filter. but i haven't used either yet.

I strain every batch with one of these:



Just sanitze and place on bucket when trasnferring to fermenter. It couldn't be easier.

Grimm said:

yesterday I got a funnel that has a screen, before that i also had a re-usable coffee filter. but i haven't used either yet.

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I used the funnel and insert strainer/screen that came with it. Once.

Pretty fine filter that clogged pretty quickly with a very small amount of pellets. I didn't expect that at all and ended up losing some wort to the kitchen floor.

I must have been so pissed that I threw the little screen away as I can't find it anywhere but I'm ok with that.

I don't strain my wort. Hot break is hard to strain, and now I have a counter flow chiller, so the cold break goes into the fermenter. The only reason I try to minimize the hops particles is so that my pump doesn't get clogged up.

I did try to strain through a strainer before I got the CFC just to minimize the amount of hops debris, especially when using several ounces of leaf hops.

<Shrug> It didn't seem to matter either way. I wouldn't bother. It'll all compact down in the end anyway.

jmkratt: What is that ? It looks like it fits on the bucket perfectly. I was using a bazooka T screen, but the location of my ball valve height caused me to leave about a gallon of wort in the brew kettle, which I didn't like.

Frank99 said:

jmkratt: What is that ? It looks like it fits on the bucket perfectly. I was using a bazooka T screen, but the location of my ball valve height caused me to leave about a gallon of wort in the brew kettle, which I didn't like.

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Sorry I could hav explained it a little better.

It is a strainer about 3" deep that is made to fit 5 gallon buckets. It fits my Ale Pails and True Brew buckets perfectly.

They sell different sized screens, too.

Here is who I buy from:

http://shop.ebay.com/dudadiesel/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

jmkratt said:

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

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Sold, getting one right now. My 10" strainer gets clogged near the end of the dump. Thanks!

NorCalAngler said:

Sold, getting one right now. My 10" strainer gets clogged near the end of the dump. Thanks!

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I have a very similar filter which works pretty well w/ cold break as well as hop trub.

Just so you know, if you have a lot of material, it does get "stuck" towards the end of straining. I use a sanitized spoon to move the break material around into clumps so the wort can continue passing on through.

BendBrewer said:

I used the funnel and insert strainer/screen that came with it. Once.

Pretty fine filter that clogged pretty quickly with a very small amount of pellets. I didn't expect that at all and ended up losing some wort to the kitchen floor.

I must have been so pissed that I threw the little screen away as I can't find it anywhere but I'm ok with that.

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Thank you, You probably saved me from doing exactly the same thing.

Bert1097 said:

I have a very similar filter which works pretty well w/ cold break as well as hop trub.

Just so you know, if you have a lot of material, it does get "stuck" towards the end of straining. I use a sanitized spoon to move the break material around into clumps so the wort can continue passing on through.

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This is true, I'd get the larger sized strainer. It really helps.

grabbed up one of those bucket strainers, too. thanks.

After poking around I discovered the 600u (micron) filter is the best for wort. The others are way too fine mesh and would clog easily. The guy linked above sells five different micron sizes so be careful which one you order.

I just ordered the variety pack of bucket filters from that ebay shop lol. I found out the hard way that a cheap, FLAT dollar store splatter screen was not going to do the trick when the muck piled up on top of it and some wort spilled on the floor.

jmkratt said:

Sorry I could hav explained it a little better.

It is a strainer about 3" deep that is made to fit 5 gallon buckets. It fits my Ale Pails and True Brew buckets perfectly.

They sell different sized screens, too.

Here is who I buy from:

http://shop.ebay.com/dudadiesel/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

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SOLD! Ordering a 5 pack now.

I'm using a normal kitchen strainer with a somewhat fine mesh.

Erythro73 said:

I'm using a normal kitchen strainer with a somewhat fine mesh.

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That's what I used before the bucket strainer. I found the kitchen strainer cumbersome to control both the kettle, strainer, and fermenter at the same time.

I've got an 'oversized' kitchen strainer - it's big enough and has a small 'handle' of sorts on the opposite side so that it sits on top of the bucket. Works really well, if too much of the break ends up dumping in, it's a little slow to drain, but i don't think it could run over unless i really just wasn't paying attention - it's pretty deep - probably about 8 inches deep. Got it at the LHBS - was a little pricey there, but much larger than anything i could find at regular stores for general kitchen use.

jmkratt said:

That's what I used before the bucket strainer. I found the kitchen strainer cumbersome to control both the kettle, strainer, and fermenter at the same time.

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Yeah, I had the problem. The last batch I made, I used a table, I put the handle of the strainer on the table before putting dictionaries on the handle. This way, the strainer stay in place no matter what and I have my two hands to control the kettle.

But yeah, the bucket strainer is way easier and this is a very good idea.

I use nylon paint strainers. You can find them at home depot/lowes for 5gal buckets. They fit well on my 7 gal ale pail. The best part is I pick up my kettle real high (like chest level) and can pour the wort VERY aggressively into the bucket. Between the mesh and the vigorous pour, I get great aeration. Then I just take the nylon bag off, and lift it out with all the sludge.
Some sludge will make it through, but I have made crystal clear beers this way, as it all falls out during fermentation.

Any suggestions for straining when pouring into a carboy? Or do you then pour your bucket into a carboy? I can't imagine holding the strainer, funnel and kettle trying to control the pour?

I do primary in a bucket, siphon into secondary carboy.
I guess if you are doing primary in a carboy, siphoning from the kettle would work, and it would help you with straining (keep the siphon off the sludge on the bottom). Just make sure you aerate carefully and well enough. Otherwise, I would think a large funnel with a screen on it would be best.

I used to strain with a fine screen that fits into my funnel but found that it clogged up way too many times towards the end of the pour and i ended up leaving too much beer in the boiling pot. Moved to a kitchen strainer and get the larger particles now without clogging. As Yooper said its difficult to strain out the Hot Break and it won't affect your brew to have it in your primary.

unionrdr said:

I use a fine mesh strainer (10-11")

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+1 same here

I do it twice: From kettle to chill pot, and from chill pot to fermenter

I use two strainers coming into my chill pot...a large gauge mesh with a fine mesh strainer on top.

Then I use a fine mesh strainer with a double funnel underneath...there is a screen inbetween the two funnels.

This really aerates the wort.

As for clogging, I never understood this. I just stop and dump out the strainer then continue. I pull out about a pint of hop material, orange peels, etc from when I transfer to the chill pot, and about a half pint of a slurry of cold break when I transfer to fermenter.

And it is useful, I get almost an inch less trub in the carboy, which of course makes ales less likely to blow out or climb all the way up and clog your airlock with karusen. The trub before I bottle is very tight and does not stir up much.

I remember how loose and easy it was to stir up the trub (even after 4 weeks) before I did this method.

NuclearRich said:

I use nylon paint strainers. You can find them at home depot/lowes for 5gal buckets. They fit well on my 7 gal ale pail. The best part is I pick up my kettle real high (like chest level) and can pour the wort VERY aggressively into the bucket. Between the mesh and the vigorous pour, I get great aeration. Then I just take the nylon bag off, and lift it out with all the sludge.
Some sludge will make it through, but I have made crystal clear beers this way, as it all falls out during fermentation.

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I use a paint strainer, as well. It takes out a LOT of sludge. It also tends to hold a lot of wort in the sludge, so I squeeze the bag rather than lose the 1/2 gallon of wort.

Two questions, though:

1. Does this take out most, if not all, of the effect of a 0 minute hops? Should I dry hop instead of 0 minute if I'm doing this straining?
2. Following up on the "crystal clear beers" comment, do people still find a need for Whirlfloc or Irish Moss if they are straining?