Break material

Monster Mash vbmenu_register("postmenu_165250", true);
Senior Member

Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Castaic, CA
Posts: 248



To get the best utilization just throw them in the boil, if you don't want to hassle trying to keep them out of the fermenter use a bag.

I just throw them in and deal with them later.

I put screens on my pickup tube to filter and I whirlpool to get them in the center.

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That is a nice cone of break material there MM. My break material don't seem to adhere to each other to be able to form a cone like that. Rather it just settles to the bottom and I find I waste too much beer keeping the trub out of my fermenter.

Any hints you can pass along to me and the brotherhood to be able to get a nice break like this?

I whilpool as well to make sure I only get some cold break in the fermenter and no hot break or hops. This means I always have about 3-4qt of wort/trub. I strain that slurry through a paper towel in a big funnel. This wort will be stored in the freezer (in zip-top bags or 1 or 2 L soda bottless) until I'm using it for starters or for priming. I hardly ever have to buy DME. But since the wort is not sanitary anymore you will have to boil it before you use it.

BTW, commercial brewers may actually add this trub sludge to the lauter of a subsequent batch of the same beer. One of the problems with that is that livestock doesn't like the spent grains anymore due to the hops in them.

This is not really a practical solution for the home brewer since we just don't brew the same beer that often and frequent enough that it would justify the effort.

Kai

I've been doing 5 gallon mini-mashes, and i've had really good luck siphoning the wort through a fine nylon bag (like you get at Austin HB) into the primary. It aerates the wort and you get about a quart of nasty tasting hop particles and break material. Its worth it b/c you get an extra couple pints as you don't have to be as careful siphoning out of the primary.

UTDoug said:

I've been doing 5 gallon mini-mashes, and i've had really good luck siphoning the wort through a fine nylon bag (like you get at Austin HB) into the primary. It aerates the wort and you get about a quart of nasty tasting hop particles and break material. Its worth it b/c you get an extra couple pints as you don't have to be as careful siphoning out of the primary.

Click to expand...

I might just have to try this on my next brew, thanks.

Speaking of break....does anyone scoop off the hot break as it appears?

I use a simple method, a $2.75 fix! The LHBS has large fine-mesh bags that work like a charm and if you have an extra pot it couldn't really be any easier. This is what I use to filter my break material, gets it all too!



Near the end of my wort boil I add enough water to submerge the bag (not more than a quart or two is needed) and boil with the lid on for 10 minutes or so to create a sterile environment. I drain (be careful not to get a steam burn!) and stretch the bag on the outside of the pot, add more water and re-boil just to be safe. Once the wort is cooled, I pour into the strainer, remove bag and pour the clear wort into the carboy! Extra aeration and filtration of the ugly stuff.

Cleaning the bag is a pain, but I figure since I sanitize the hell out of it with heat, what's the big deal if a few hop particles are hanging around?

I brew 3 gallon batches, so the 4 gallon pot works beautifully, but I suppose a 6.5 gallon or greater plastic bucket would be just as good for larger volumes.