extract + Steep question

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kronin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
545
Reaction score
5
Location
Saskatoon, Canada
Hey guys, I am almost complete my steeping / sparge step before starting the boil up and I am wondering for later when I am ready to move it all into fermentor, do I need to use the filter/strainer thingy that came with my funnel?

I am moving it into the primary bucket, not a glass carboy so I am thinking just dumping it in will work fine right? no real need to filter?


cheers,
:mug:
 
I'm confused. What are you going to filter? Grain or wort?

You should strain out the grain before you boil...you'll want to filter out the hops and any other solids from the kettle before going into the primary.

Also, be sure to sanitize the strainer. I put mine in the kettle for a few minutes to boil off any nasties.
 
Yeah after sparging I am going to strain the grains, then start the boil.
but when I am all done and putting it all in primary, I am thinking I may not need to strain the wort since I am using a fine mesh hop bag?
 
:mug:Just use common sense, if there is anything solid that could plug up your blow off tube or airlock, then strain it. I always use a blow off tube any way. Every fermentation is different, even the krausen can be so thick that it will blow your airlock off. For such a simple procedure as sanitizing your strainer and pouring through, I would go ahead and do it. Might save you a big mess in the end.:mug:
 
When I used a hop bag, I just dumped the cooled wort into the bucket. When I just dumped the hops in and let the float freely in the boil, I strained.
 
The filter that came with my funnel was useless. It clogs within the first 1/2 gallon of wort. I use a strainer.
 
The filter that came with my funnel was useless. It clogs within the first 1/2 gallon of wort. I use a strainer.
And here I thought I was doing something wrong. Up until now, I've had a pitcher of star san sitting next to me and as it gets clogged - I stick my hand in the star san and then pull out the clumps of hops that are clogging it. I switched to using my racking cane, and it seems to clog a little less.
 
Just a thought, for my own education as well...even if you are using a hop bag, probably a good idea to strain, isn't that the whole point of cooling down fast to create the cold break? Solidify and strain out some of the impurities?
 
Just a thought, for my own education as well...even if you are using a hop bag, probably a good idea to strain, isn't that the whole point of cooling down fast to create the cold break? Solidify and strain out some of the impurities?


Technically yes, you are correct. The big boys all whirlpool and leave what falls out in the main brewpot. Many here don't remove anything, they just dump the entire contents into primary with good results. In my mind cooling quickly gives unwanted microbes less time to get into the wort.
 
Ditto, I didn't even get to half a gallon using pellets before the dang thing clogged.

I just bought a new funnel with a filter attachment. I brewed an amber ale today, and had no issues. If it clogs I just use my brew spoon to mix it up, then dump out the hops. As soon as it is mixed up it flows fine again. However, I'm using whole leaf hops, not pellets.
 
When I used a hop bag, I just dumped the cooled wort into the bucket. When I just dumped the hops in and let the float freely in the boil, I strained.

I boiled w/ hop pellets - straining doesn't really do much. Last time around about 1/2 the sludge ended up in the primary. I don't see this as too much of a problem. Other thoughts?:tank:
 
I have a funnel w/ strainer but I also have a paint strainer bag that stretches over a bucket.

What I do is pour from up high from my brew pot to the strainer lined bucket. I then pull the strainer bag out which takes almost all of the sludge with it.

After that I pour from the bucket through the funnel w/ strainer into my carboy. The combo of the 2 pours and the filters adds a lot of air to the wort also.
 
I just bought a new funnel with a filter attachment. I brewed an amber ale today, and had no issues. If it clogs I just use my brew spoon to mix it up, then dump out the hops. As soon as it is mixed up it flows fine again. However, I'm using whole leaf hops, not pellets.
Using the spoon to clear the filter is an option. In my case, I use pellets at the moment and the little bit of sediment that results I really dont care about, so I just removed the filter all together. In my case, in the end it all settles to the bottom of theprimary anyway. I dont use a secondary at the moment (most of the time), but if I was really worried about getting more out I would do that.
 
Back
Top