need tips on transfering...

Started my second batch last night and for the most part it went well. I am having trouble getting the cooled wort into the primary, and need some advice to make it easier.

I tried to siphon from the brew kettle through a screened funnel into the bucket, but all the hops clogged that in about 5 seconds. I ended up dumping in whatever the funnel would hold, and srirring that with a spoon to help it pass through the screen, and repeating many times.

Surely, there must be an easier way! Does the wort need to be strained or filtered out as it goes to the primary? What do you do?

Once I get my wort cooled enough I just pour it slowly through a large strainer. It does clog up some but if you do it slow enough you get most of the brew through before the hops start umming up the works. Don't do it when the wort is too hot as that will lead to bad beer. Once it is cooled to almost pitching temps it should be fine.

A big strainer sitting on top of a big funnel. I used to use a conical colandar and funnel before I installed a bazooka screen in the kettle.

Bazooka screen? What is that?

Stirring for two minutes at the end of the boil will help 'whirlpool' the hops to the middle of the pot. That said, when I was doing extract brews, I eventually got over 'micro-filtering' my beer as it went into the fermenter. I began just using the standard kitchen strainer to pour the wort into. All the trub and 'gunk' falls to the bottom of the fermenter anyway after fermenting!

Now that I'm doing all grain, I use my Auto-Siphon.

All of the above. I use a BIG funnel and strainer (10" diameter), and like Rhoobarb said I auto-syphon the first couple of gallons. As for the hops clogging the syphon...you know that auto-syphon can be used as a pump, right? Just make sure the wort is cooled to pitching temp before doing that.

Bazookas

They are cylindrical screens that can be used instead of false bottoms, manifolds or external strainers. I use one in the mash tun (and suffer the slight decrease in efficiency) and one in the kettle to strain out the leaf hops.