Immersion chiller procedure ? to fix chill haze:

[jfdav]

I think this is my first post here, so I hope it isn't a stupid question.

I just picked up an immersion wort chiller and would like to use it to combat the chill haze I have been getting in all my brews. I understand that the rapid chilling will allow all the proteins to precipitate out of the wort and settle to the bottom of the brewpot.

My question is this: Do I then need to siphon the wort to the fermenter instead of pouring it in to take advantage of this effect? Or if I pour will the proteins just settle to the bottom of the fermenter as well?

Thanks all!

 

[JoeyChopps]

I confused by your question but I can tell you that pouring your brew from the kettle to the fermentor through a funnel is a great idea for aeration. I may be wrong but i thought chill haze came from over chilling the beer. I have noticed a chill haze before in my keg and raised the temp and it went away I may have just been lucky but that seemed to help in the past I hope this helped. Chopps

 

[shortyjacobs]

Pouring won't affect the proteins. Chill haze is from proteins still in *suspension*. Once they precipitate, they will settle to the bottom, regardless of how vigorously you pour.

 

[Yooper]

Pouring won't affect the proteins. Chill haze is from proteins still in *suspension*. Once they precipitate, they will settle to the bottom, regardless of how vigorously you pour.

Right. A good hot break is important too!

I'd suggest using a good kettle fining like whirfloc in the boil. It really does a great job of coagulating proteins and giving you clear wort without chill haze.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Right. A good hot break is important too!

I'd suggest using a good kettle fining like whirfloc in the boil. It really does a great job of coagulating proteins and giving you clear wort without chill haze.

How do you get a good hot break? Heat it as fast as possible?

 

[audger]

basicly yes. you want it to get to a boil quickly. if your burner or heating element, depending on what you use, isnt big enough for the pot/amount of liquid, you wont get a good hot break because it heats it all up so gradually.

 

[jfdav]

I think shortyjacobs answered my question. I was mostly worried about taking the effort using the chiller to get the proteins to drop out, and then just putting them back in by including the trub when pouring into the fermenter. Gotta admit that I don't fully understand the science behind it all, but it sounds like once they drop out of suspension, they stay out, even if included in the fermenter. Am I right?

I was also confused to hear that a lot of brewers siphon the wort from the kettle to the fermenter, but I guess it makes sense. I only use a 5 gallon boil pot (with less wort) , which is real easy to just pour into the fermenter. But if you are boiling the whole 5 gallons or more, I guess manhandling a hot pot for pouring might get difficult.

 

[BrewThruYou]

Gotta admit that I don't fully understand the science behind it all, but it sounds like once they drop out of suspension, they stay out, even if included in the fermenter. Am I right?

I listened to Dr. Charles Bamforth's podcast on chill haze and I still don't understand it.

But if you are boiling the whole 5 gallons or more, I guess manhandling a hot pot for pouring might get difficult.

Yes, you definitely don't want to risk picking up big pots full of liquid. Most people with big kettles have valves installed at the bottom of their kettle to drain the wort out. You can siphon it too if you're overly concerned about break material making it into your fermenter.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Yeah, once you precipitate them out you won't make them go back in. Technically we aren't precipitating, we're flocculating, which means "make bigger chunks out of smaller chunks". Agitation is actually beneficial to a flocculation process, so pouring vigorously can only HELP you crash out more proteins.

 

[bergman1118]

Let me just add that the benefit of quick cooling is mainly to prevent excessive DMS formation (cooked cabbage flavor). Plus, the quicker the wort is cooled and ready for yeast to be pitched, the lesser the chance of infection. I believe a "better" cold break is also achieved with fast cooling.

 

[artsbrew]

there is a hot and cold break. both are designed to remove the protein in the wort. get it hot, getting as much agiation in the wort and giving it a long time helps the protein combine in the bigger chunks so it will precipitate out of solution. that is the beige color deposits in the bottom of your fermentor at rack. so as hard a rolling boil for an hour is what is need for the hot break. it will not hurt to transfer the protein into the fermentor. now the irish moss is the negative charge and the protein is positive. so they attract and become bigger so they fall out of solution easier.

chill haze is called chill haze because the beer is clear until you get it cold so if it goes away because you warmed it that makes sense.

of course cooling quickly helps keep the nasties away from your brew also.

it is the hot boil that gets the protein together not just pouring it back and forth. in fact the primary fermentation will bust up the particles into smaller pieces so the sediment after primary will seem less but it is just more compact.

getting it cold around 32 degrees for a few weeks will also take the protein out of solution. there are other additives you can use but i would first try to make it work without them.