Idea for the pro/con sticky

Tell me if this is stupid and pointless. And if it's not, give me suggestions to improve this before I PM a mod.

Methods for transferring wort from the kettle into the fermenter
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Method 1 -- Pour it all in

Pros:
- Simplest by far
- No added equipment, other than a funnel if you are using a carboy
- Many people claim excellent results
- Getting all of the cold break material should in theory improve head retention

Cons:
- Results in maximum trub, which can mean wasted beer
- May take longer to clear
- Some people claim grassy flavors from the used hops sitting in the trub (IIRC? Am I right about this?)
- Whole hops floating in the kraeusen just look really nasty


Method 2 -- Decant the wort, leaving as much of the hops and break material behind as possible

Pros:
- No added equipment (except maybe the funnel)
- If done right, virtually no whole hops and not much break material gets into the fermenter, resulting in less trub
- No risk of clogs

Cons:
- Pellet hops can still get in the fermenter
- It's easy to leave too much wort in the kettle, resulting in lower yield (or lower OG if you top off to the original recipe volume)
- If not done right, can easily become Method #1 unintentionally


Method 3 - Pour through a strainer or sieve of some kind

Pros:
- Keeps 100% of the hops and other solids out (less trub)
- Keeps the bulk of the break material out, especially if it is also getting filtered through whole hops (also less trub)

Cons:
- Clogs easily, especially if using pellet hops
- Extra equipment that you may not need for any other purpose


Method 4 - Rack into the fermenter using a siphon

Pros:
- If done right, keeps out 100% of whole hops, and the majority of pellet hops and break material
- If you are a homebrewer then you already have a siphon for racking anyway
- If you want to suck up some cold break material for head retention, you have perfect control over that
- Revvy says he is able to perch the auto-siphon on the 2nd-to-last rung of the wort chiller and thereby avoid all the trub, hassle-free

Cons:
- You have to sanitize your siphon (and any related equipment)
- Can become clogged if you aren't careful


Method 5 - Drain through kettle spigot

Pros:
- No whole hops can make it through
- Very little break material and other sludge makes it through, especially if you whirlpool or use a screen
- Very easy, since it does not require lifting and pouring a several gallon brew kettle, or starting a siphon

Cons:
- You need to have a kettle spigot, which may not be an option for some people


I've done each of the first three, and having not been happy with any of them, I'll be doing the siphon on my next batch. So I may not have the pros and cons right for that method. In any case, any comments? Worth it for the pro/con sticky?

I personally, pour my wort thru a funnel with a strainer on it...unless there is something I want from the boil that might get taken out by straining!

SD-SLIM said:

I personally, pour my wort thru a funnel with a strainer on it...unless there is something I want from the boil that might get taken out by straining!

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Yah, Method #3. That's what I did the first few times I brewed. I just find it wants to clog too easily, it was just too frustrating for me.

Anything to add about the pros and cons of that method?

I use a large, sanitized mesh nylon grain bag to line the bucket, pour, and remove the bag. I then either transfer to a carboy or pitch right in the bucket. Filters out most of the trub, and it's fast, so no clogs.

Method 5, or method 4b, drain from spigot. If you whirlpool or let material settle you will keep most of it out of your fermenter. The con is that depending on how good of a cone you get or how low your spigot is to the bottom of the kettle you might get a bit of material transfer. The good is that it is easy, doesn't require heavy lifting or messing with dip tubes, and when the kettle is almost empty you can gently tilt it to get the maximize how much clean wort you get before shutting down the valve.

I drain through my kettle valve, which is attached to a kettle screen. Between the screen and the dead space underneath it, most of the hop particles that escaped the hop bags and the break material is left behind. While I used to just dump everything into the fermentor, I have since come to appreciate the value of a clean wort - less off-flavors, faster turnaround, easier yeast washing, less potential to end up with trub in the keg, etc.

Bensiff said:

Method 5, or method 4b, drain from spigot.

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Good call, I had forgotten this because it's not an option for me. I will add it.

Don't see this getting stickied. There are as many ways to transfer wort as there are brew setups. You've got recirculating systems, Plate chiller transfers, CFC transfers, inline oxygenation, ect.

I use Method #2. Leave as much behind as possible. Everything else just settles out anyway.

NRS

IrregularPulse said:

Don't see this getting stickied. There are as many ways to transfer wort as there are brew setups. You've got recirculating systems, Plate chiller transfers, CFC transfers, inline oxygenation, ect.

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I suppose that is a problem... it is a frequently asked question though: Not ten minutes after I posted this thread, this other thread appeared.

this is the million dollar question !!!!! just yesterday i brewed a Belgian dark strong ale and after a long moment decided I'd strain with a funnel. I could not have been more pissed off with this method !!!! The damn thing clogged every time it toook a good 30-40 minutes to transfer from kettle to carboy. This method might work better if using whole hops I was using pellets. Next time I will try the siphon method.