Dumping the trub

I'm new to the AG/Full boil thing. So far on every batch, when I'm transferring to the fermenter, my siphon has clogged, I've gotten frustrated, and I just dumped all of the wort through a strainer into the fermenter.

By doing this, am I defeating the purpose of Irish Moss and a good cold break by dumping all of the settled out trub into the fermenter? Or does it just all resettle once dumped?

Thanks for your help.

I used to dump from my boil kettle through a strainer as well. I noticed that most of my beers had a slight chill haze when I used that method. I have since picked up a keggle and now that I use a spigot and hose to transfer to primary my chill haze issue seems to have disappeared.

I'm sure that someone will come along shortly with a much more technial answer though.

I use a siphon so it can be done.

One of two methods you can use:

1) Once your wort is cooled, wrap a 5-gallon paint strainer around your immersion chiller. Dip the rig into your wort slowly. A clear pool of wort will be inside the chiller. Siphon from that pool.

2) After your wort has chilled...use a paddle to whirlpool the crap out of your wort and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Most of the gunk will form a cone in the bottom-center of the pot and you can rack from the edge...tipping the pot for the last pint or so.

In both these cases, you'll leave some sludge behind. I usually pour that sludge into a pot through a colander with a paper towel and give it 30-40 minutes to filter and then add to the fermenter.

Siphoning in the cold break is not an issue. It will get digested by the yeast and settle out very compacted.


Method 1:



Method 2:

BierMuncher said:

Once your wort is cooled, wrap a 5-gallon paint strainer around your immersion chiller. Dip the rig into your wort slowly. A clear pool of wort will be inside the chiller. Siphon from that pool.

Click to expand...

Neat idea! Siphoning my last brew was a nightmare, but I have a feeling my next one's going to be much much easier.

BierMuncher said:

I use a siphon so it can be done.

One of two methods you can use:

1) Once your wort is cooled, wrap a 5-gallon paint strainer around your immersion chiller. Dip the rig into your wort slowly. A clear pool of wort will be inside the chiller. Siphon from that pool.

Click to expand...

This is an interesting idea. It's mostly whole hops that give me problems. I have a large grain bag that I can try to use.

BierMuncher said:

2) After your wort has chilled...use a paddle to whirlpool the crap out of your wort and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Most of the gunk will form a cone in the bottom-center of the pot and you can rack from the edge...tipping the pot for the last pint or so.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, I've tried the whirlpool method...but I can't say that I've whirpooled the crap out of the wort. I've whirlpooled the heck and maybe even the bejesus, but I think the next step up would indeed be "whirlpooling the crap" out of it.

Thanks for the ideas!