Does vorlauf give clear worts?

[abrewhal]

I have been running into issues of having really muddy wort since I started brewing biab, I been thinking about giving my grain a good vorlauf after mashing by pouring out of kettle onto a secondary container through the grain

Do you think that will give me clearer wort?

 

[passedpawn]

I've never worried about what went into the fermentor. But I do have the ability to cold-crash the fermentor, and that, with an addition of gelatin, always makes clear beer.

There might be some advantage to clear wort. Perhaps try whirlfloc (irish moss) in the boil and whirlpooling?

 

[Miraculix]

Wort clarity has nothing to do with beer clarity.

 

[z-bob]

Some of that crap is probably good for your yeast, and it all settles out leaving clear beer. But I do think I leave a lot more beer behind in the fermenter because the flour doesn't always compress and compact down. (especially when I use literal flour in my grist) I also sometimes end up with more sediment in my bottles. None of this hurts the quality of the beer.

 

[mashdar]

Are you sure you're getting complete conversion?

 

[Dland]

Vorlauf does help make for clearer wort. It may not even be a normal step in BIAB, but in three vessel rig with fly sparging, I always do it to clear up wort and get mash bed primed for sparge. This results in little or no grist getting out of mash tun and into pump and torpedo screen in BK during sparge.

As to whether clear wort is necessary for good, clear beer, probably not, but in my opinion it helps make traditionally clear styles more to my liking, possibly resulting from less protien or something in the fermentor. Most likely less difference in heavier bodied beers, or hazy types.

Edit; Does not pertain to clear worts, but another reason to vorlauf, or recirculate, is to equalize temperature in mash for better conversion. Again something that might not apply to most BIAB rigs, as there is usually a smaller vessel and volume of mash involved.

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

BIAB since 2016. There is no reason you can't make a clear beer. Yeast choice. Whirfloc or Irish moss in the boil. Whirlpool and allow to settle after chilling.
Cold crashing will give you a clear beer. If it is still not clear enough for you, gelatin will finish it. There is also time. It will clear up with time.
If the issue is a chill haze, clean up your processes.
Like the Bells Brewery bumper sticker states, If God wanted us to filter beer, he wouldn't have given us a liver.

 

[hottpeper13]

I pull the bag ,let it drain for 10 or so min then squeeze it bone dry. My wort looks like the Milwaukee River I live next to. I also have a 3 vessel system with a bag tn the tun (MIAB) that I vorlaugh. I use whirlflok at 15 min left in the boil. Letting the wort rest for 2-6 hrs gives me clear wort into fermenter. I do get some sediment from what is in the CFC and hoses that I think the yeast enjoy.
The only difference for me is I use an induction burner and the BIAB batches leave more gunk on the kettle bottom where the 6" element is.

 

[chthon]

I think that worts are always hazy after lautering, but after fermentation my beers become clear. I do vorlauf, but I think it serves only two purposes: filter tiny bits from the wort, and improve efficiency somewhat.

 

[Bobby_M]

Certainly more experimentation needs to be conducted to determine if boiling those extra fines causes any discernable:
1. final beer clarity.
2. flavor difference.
3. preference if 2 is true.

Without knowing the above, it would be counter productive to possibly damage the wort via oxygen by pouring through a filter.

The way that I would run the experiment is to make a common hazy wort in the kettle, remove the bag, let it settle long enough for the top half to be mostly clear and siphon that top wort over to another kettle. Of course this would create a relatively clear wort and one that has even more fines than the whole batch.

Anecdotally, the most accomplished homebrewer I know (several back to back best of show wins, medals at NHC, etc) uses BIAB and boils cloudy wort.

 

[TheBluePhantom]

exBEERiment | The Great Trub exBEERiment

results of the brulosophy test are here. Worth a read.

 

[mashdar]

exBEERiment | The Great Trub exBEERiment

results of the brulosophy test are here. Worth a read.

OP is asking about preboil muck from mash. That exbeeriment appears to touch on post-boil break/hops.

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

just pulled the bag on this Mexican style lager. Looks reasonably clear to me.

 

[Bobby_M]

just pulled the bag on this Mexican style lager. Looks reasonably clear to me.

True, but the degree to which the bag gets squeezed has a big impact on cloudiness.

 

[hottpeper13]

Squeeze it like you stole it!

 

[odie]

all those cloudy squeezings will drop out when you cold crash anyway.

 

[franknbeans]

@kaffeenjunkie did you squeeze the bag at all? I have been with my BIAB just trying to squeeze every bit out of it, but the reality is it leaves more muck in the kettle to have to be siphoned around. Not entirely sure it really helps anything

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

@kaffeenjunkie did you squeeze the bag at all? I have been with my BIAB just trying to squeeze every bit out of it, but the reality is it leaves more muck in the kettle to have to be siphoned around. Not entirely sure it really helps anything

I don't usually bother. I usually get what I am supposed to have in the kettle. Every once in a while, I need to wring a little more wort out.

 

[odie]

well I assume all the squeesings will drop out.

has anyone ever done a clarity comparison of the finnished beer? squeeze vs no squeeze?