recirculating (vorlauf)

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android

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did my 2nd all-grain yesterday, everything went pretty smooth. got 70% efficiency which is an improvement over the first time. i did the cream of 3 crops, ended up a little high on the OG (1.060), but I won't mind that. :)

the only bad part was my dip tube fell off before draining and i had to stick my hand in there to reconnect it, but i'm hopeful that won't cause any infection. i also found it's difficult to get the whole immersion chiller in the keggle with a dip tube in there.

i have a question about recirculating wort to clear the runnings. once you open the valve to start collecting the runnings, will shutting the valve and opening it again to collect the next 2 quarts make it foggy or should i just be leaving it open once the runnings are clear?
 
It might make the first ounce a little cloudier, but not much. You really shouldn't need to vorlauf more than 2 quarts.
 
similar question. I use a 2 cup measuring cup for vorlauffing so i have to open/close/open/close and it never seems to get perfectly clear. Is it because opening and closing? I could get a larger vessel for vorlauffing.
 
irregularpulse nailed it, that's exactly what i was trying to ask, and exactly what i do. i think maybe a larger pitcher is necessary so when it starts to run clear, you can just move the hose over to the kettle and dump the vorlauf back in the mash tun.
 
No one willing to help us out? We're doomed to cloudy beer grainy beer android. At least until one of us brews again and try a larger vessel. Hopefully I'll get to brew my This&That brew this weekend and try it out.
 
I vorlauf into a 4qt blowl. By the time its half way fill things are very clear. I stop, recirc, and vorlauf again. Stop, recirc, then begin to collect. The first 2-3 ounces may have a little junk in it, but is very clear in under a second normally. Everybody's equipment is different, try experimenting with yours.
 
I've never had much luck vorloufing, but I've gotten better. Adding a plastic lid or somethign else to pour back onto made a HUGE difference, and after about 3-4 quarts I'd get it running fairly clear, but still a little cloudy and a lot of husks would make it through the false bottom.

So yesterday I decided to add a foil coffee filter to the end of the hose before the kettle. I couldn't believe all the little bits of stuff it trapped. I think I'm going to rig something permanent up.
 
Ideally you wouldn't close the valve because when it is reopened it causes a sudden pull on the grain bed. The best way is to either pump it back through the grainbed or get two separate containers and swap them out...with a continues stream. Once it clears move the hose (without closing the valve) into the collection vessel. When pouring back through the top be sure to do so slowly and onto a diffuser of some sort as to not cause channeling. It will depend on your system...but it usually takes a few quarts before getting real clear.
 
I think this is what we were looking for. Thanks.

bingo. i'll definitely be moving the hose without stopping this time. i usually get clear runnings after 2 quarts, but it just seems like when i stop it they cloud up again and it makes sense that when you pull on the grain bed again, it would have the potential to get cloudy. gonna get me a big old pitcher too. thanks for the tips all.
 
And i was only using a 2 cupper, so it would never really clear. Maybe this is why most of my beers have a grainy background. Can't wait to try this next brew.
 
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