Filtering Hops Question

[thomaswilder]

In the past, when brewing I would transfer all the boiled wort (once cooled) to my fermenting vessel. All of it. Even all the trub from the hops. Recently I upgraded my equipment and started all grain brewing. My brew kettle has a spout on it to drain the wort through a home made heat exchanger. However all the hop trub caused the line to clog. Then it occured to me, is that mess supposed to ferment with the beer? Someone please fill me in.

 

[samc]

I don't like transferring hops but the cold break material is fine and some say beneficial to the yeast health. After all it is protein and logically should be good for feeding.

 

[thomaswilder]

I'm specifically referring to the green sludge sitting at the bottom of the kettle after 60 min. What is the downfall to omitting it from the fermenting vessel and dumping it out? Everything else goes in. At this point hasn't the hops already done their job? Aside from the dry that gets added later of course.

 

[redman67]

Have you ever gotten an off taste from this procedure?

I do everything in my power to keep the sludge out, including sacrificing some wort

 

[Xaphoeous]

I just pour straight from the kettle into the primary...but with a 5-gallon paint strainer bag in the primary to catch the hops.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Pretty cheap, reusable, cheap, easy, and cheap. Just a couple bucks for 2. I use one for my grains and one for straining the hops out of wort when going to primary.

Might not work too well if you primary in a carboy...

 

[Yooper]

Have you ever gotten an off taste from this procedure?

I do everything in my power to keep the sludge out, including sacrificing some wort

Nope. Never an off-taste from dumping in all of the sludge into the fermenter, even after 250+ batches. The only reason I strain anything at all now is because leaf hops clog up my pump. Pellets go through just fine, but just a few leaf hops will clog up my pump system that goes to my chiller.

 

[Xaphoeous]

My primary reason for straining them out is to not lose as much beer to trub. Sure, it's not a lot, but I wouldn't pour a perfectly good beer down the drain, so why would I want to lose any to hops? I know I lose some to the yeast cake anyway, but hey, every little bit counts in my book!

 

[Yooper]

My primary reason for straining them out is to not lose as much beer to trub. Sure, it's not a lot, but I wouldn't pour a perfectly good beer down the drain, so why would I want to lose any to hops? I know I lose some to the yeast cake anyway, but hey, every little bit counts in my book!

But what's the difference? What's the difference if you rack off of it after fermentation, or dump it out (strain it) from the boil kettle? It's the same amount. It's not like more wort magically appears in the fermenter.

 

[Xaphoeous]

No, I'm not saying more wort appears...it just seems that I lose less beer to the trub after primary than before I started straining it. It seemed as though I was losing a good 32oz or more of beer more than what I lose now. Perhaps it's all perception, but it seems real enough for me.

Also, I have started harvesting and washing my yeast to save a few more dollars per batch, and not having to deal with all the hops just makes that whole process a bit easier.

 

[thomaswilder]

This is my first thread on this site. Thanks for the help guys. I'm gonna plan to strain the hop sludge out. After working a bit in the microbrewery near by I noticed they do not ferment with any hop trub. So neither will I. I primary in a Carboy when it's open. I have buckets though if it's occupied. I have a really awesome finely knit mesh bag that I was thinking about putting in the boil kettle while the beer cooks it's 60min. Then pulling it out before transferring the wort. That would pull all the green trub out before sending hot wort through heat exchanger and keep the sludge from clogging my tubes. Thanks guys!

Cheers!