A lot of wasted wort after transfering to fermertor ( hop trub )... any tip out there ?

[Dgallo]

I have not tried this method yet but a friend of mine will use his word chiller to rappidly drop the temps to 100* then he was transfer everything to a brew pal FV and place it in his keeZer to drop to 50 without pitching any yeast. The next morning when the Break material all has settled to the bottom, he will rack the crystal clear wort onto the yeast in his large mouth carboy.

 

[odie]

I have not tried this method yet but a friend of mine will use his word chiller to rappidly drop the temps to 100* then he was transfer everything to a brew pal FV and place it in his keeZer to drop to 50 without pitching any yeast. The next morning when the Break material all has settled to the bottom, he will rack the crystal clear wort onto the yeast in his large mouth carboy.

That works too. Many ways to get clean wort and no trub

 

[odie]

In the interests of science

Two different filters used. The cone filter is way faster than the screened funnel. Both produce exceptionally clean wort. This is about 25# total fermentables with BIAB. No socks or anything in the boil. Just all tossed in after the mash.

 

[odie]

been actively fermenting since Monday. Can’t even see a trub layer. My last beer racked all but a pint clear beer into the keg. The entire remaining yeast cake/beer filled a pint jar and maybe an extra 1/4 cup max discarded

 

[sicktght311]

I chased this dragon for a while, only to realize i was adding more complication during my brew day to extract a few extra ounces of liquid. I just scale up my brew size if i'm brewing something heavy in hop additions or additions to the fermenter that soak up liquids. Ill target 5.5 gallons if its just a simple clean beer, or 6-6.2gallons if its something ultra hop heavy. That way i can leave a little bit behind in the kettle to avoid trub/hop pickup, and then still have enough in the fermenter to account for losses when it gets to the keg.

The extra pennies in grain to compensate is a trade off for the hassle

 

[ncbrewer]

I pour everything from the kettle into the fermenter. When fermentation is finished, the trub is settled pretty tight, and I rack off of it.

 

[odie]

I’ve dumped everything in the fermenter a couple times. Made clear beer and made cloudy silty beer. If I didn’t want to harvest the yeast I would probably dump it all in every time. But yes, it’s kinda like watching paint dry. And it’s a few pints, not ounces that I consistently recover.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I pour everything from the kettle into the fermenter. When fermentation is finished, the trub is settled pretty tight, and I rack off of it.

I tried a split batch with clear wort in one fermenter and the rest of the trub (including hop material) in the other. The biggest difference was that the one with trub had a compact layer right up to the bottom of the spigot that makes it easy to transfer off, where I had to lift up and tilt the fermenter to get all the beer out.

Actually, the one with all the trub had slight more hop character, but I am sure that was just from the extra hop material that normally I try to leave behind in the kettle. I did not get any off flavors or even flavor differences that I would attribute to break material.

I find that trub takes up a little space in the fermenter which can be an issue depending on fermenter size, and less trub makes for cleaner yeast if you harvest from the fermenter, but the trub does compact down quite nice after fermentation.

 

[odie]

This particular beer I’m not saving the yeast. At well over 10% I don’t think there will be much viable yeast to save. Plus there is already oak chips and cacao nibs freely in the fermenter. I still filtered it all cause it’s really just a habit at this point. And whatever survivors are probably not gonna store for 6+ months until the next RIS or similar beer

 

[odie]

Trying something new on this batch. I found some bucket strainers that I bought years ago when I was making biodiesel. They fit 5 gal buckets and come in several micron sizes. I had a 200 micron one I forgot about. After letting the kettle settle a few hours i ran 4 gallons of clean wort thru it real fast before it dropped below the spigot and then was able to dump the entire 1+ gallons of bottom dregs all at once on top. This should screen the kettle trub pretty quick and keeps the clean wort in the fermenter sealed up nice and tight while it drips every last drop of sweet wort into the bucket. These are cleanable too unlike the fryer oil filter cones I was using. But this is only gonna work for bucket fermenters

 

[seajellie]

Odie, thanks for your continued updates to this. I'm a dedicated filter-er like you, but your latest info about the biodiesel bucket filters was new to me. That looks like a fantastic solution. How did the 200 micron version work for you? Do you think 400 or 100 would work better?

I see that the filters available for our standard carboy funnels are 400 micron, and those can clog quickly to a very slow drip - but the surface area is of course a small fraction of a biodiesel bucket filter. I find using a mix of leaf and pellet hops is ideal for setting a proper bed for that scenario.

To the naysayers, sure I agree with some of the points. It is a bit of fuss and extra cleaning and sanitization for (in my case) 3 - 4 quarts of super clean wort.

There are at least three reasons I do it. First is that for me, clear wort *does* make a flavor difference. Every year I do at least one side-by-side test of very clear wort vs. a transferring all but the last two quarts direct into the primary. Even leaving the thickest of the junk behind, I still get a difference in flavor and often clarity with these tests. I'll admit two things here: 1) Sometimes (maybe 20%) that difference is not huge and 2) that I've sometimes preferred the "dirty" batch ;-) but that seems to be mostly on the darkest maltier styles, which is only about 20% of what I brew. Don't quote me on that last point, as it could easily be a different factor related to the trub (e.g. yeast health, hops used, etc.).

Of course, if you repitch yeast, filtering is a big help.

And, I don't like the weight and extra heating & cooling time that an extra gallon of wort adds to my brew day.

 

[eric19312]

Early days when I was fermenting in buckets I did the filter. Found this really cool conical filter at a kitchen supply store and it did a nice job.

Strainer 2

• eric19312
• Mar 15, 2013

5oz hops and trub in 10" fine mesh conical strainer

Edited

Since then I've changed my process
1. got a spike kettle with a stepped bottom...my whirlpool is much more effective
2. I build my recipes to leave about 1.5 gallons in the kettle and just let it go
3. I added an AIH hop filter: https://www.homebrewing.org/400-Micron-Stainless-Hop-Filter-with-Adjustable-Hook--6-x-14_p_7116.html I managed to do a whirlpool with 13oz of hop pellets in there last week...was pretty tight but I'd stir it with a long spoon and then pull it out let it drain and lower it back in maybe 10 times

got nice clear wort into fermentor.

 

[seajellie]

Metal is nice too - being able to boil something always makes me more confident about sanitary conditions ;-)

I'll probably go with the biodiesel plastic option anyway, due to the large surface area and perfect fit; the latter helps with my thoughts for a sanitary cover while the filter does its work.

 

[odie]

I have no idea what my funnel screen micron ratings are. How did you get 400? Yes it's very slow because it's a small area. Takes me 2-3 days to filter a gallon-ish of bottom trub but I do get more than a few nice clean FREE pints of beer for my patience.

The 200 micron bucket insert worked great. took only a few hours to completely filter. But it was a smaller grain bill (less trub). If I was to buy one specifically for beer I probably would start with a 100 micron and try it. I only used 200 because I already had it (bought it years ago to filter used cooking oil to run my Mercedes diesels on).

I will be using the bucket insert from now on. If I'm using my carboys then back to the funnel or cones. it all depends on what fermenter is open at the time.

Plus the bucket insert really seals and protects the fresh wort. I bet I could even pitch yeast and leave it dripping until krausen starts to peak, then put the lid on and seal it with an airlock.

 

[dwhite60]

I've heard using a paint straining bag. Put the sanitized bag in your bucket, then transfer your wort in, then pull the bag. Never done it but it should work pretty well.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[seajellie]

On the more beer site, the rep answered a question about the screen size on the funnel filter. No idea if it applies to all of them or not.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/funnel-screen-fits-30-cm-35-funnels-be494-be478.html

Cool, I'm still on the fence about 100 vs 200. If you have other input after draining your beer off the yeast cake, please update us, cheers!

 

[Navy Guy]

I use my bag from BIAB to poor all the worth through into the fermenter. Make sure you sanitize it and also your hands. When making something with a lot of hops I often have to squeeze the back several times to clear it out.

 

[mkopec1]

Ive always used hop bags for my brews. I guess it goes back to the mid 90s when I started extract brewing and all additions of extra flavor grains and hops were always added in bags.Its the way I learned I guess some could argue you dont get the full affect of the hops when in a bag or a SS hop container, but I never found it to be an issue. You still get a bit of turb at the bottom, but obviously no where near the amount when you just free float your hops.

 

[monkeymath]

On my last brew, I strained the remaining hop sludge at the bottom of my grainfather through a coffee filter. It wasn't much; gave about 800ml of wort, which I froze for kraeusening come bottling time. Given the small filter size, it was a bit of work, but I honestly enjoy being resourceful. This is perfectly fine wort which I would have just dumped otherwise.

Takes me 2-3 days to filter a gallon-ish of bottom trub but I do get more than a few nice clean FREE pints of beer for my patience.

Two to three days is much longer than I'd be comfortable leaving sweet wort unprotected. Not saying it's wrong to do it this way, just advising some caution.

 

[odie]

I put a cover/sanitized bucket lid over the funnel. keeps anything floating in the air from landing in the trub. But the funnel itself does a great job of closing up the collection container. And as the container fills up I periodically dump it into the already fermenting wort.

If you are using a carboy you could just set the funnel in the neck and filter right into the carboy. Once it's all filtered just cap the carboy with an airlock.

 

[fun4stuff]

I just dump it all in! Saves the time and clean up. If i want to harvest yeast, i may wash it as described in another popular HBT thread..

 

[McKnuckle]

I'm another fan of those plastic bucket filters. I have one that's 200 micron and another that's 75. I use the 200 most of the time, since it catches all the hops and any stray grain. Break material passes right through, unless it somehow gets trapped on top of hop sludge. Not that I care about break material in the fermenter. I'm just looking to keep the hops out.

The 75 micron really slows to a crawl, so I have only used that for filtering a mash runoff, sort of an alternative vorlauf. Works well for that.

You can filter over a bucket, then just pour the collected wort through a funnel into another fermenter like a carboy or whatever. You don't have to be stuck with buckets just because you want to use this thing.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

There are at least three reasons I do it. First is that for me, clear wort *does* make a flavor difference. Every year I do at least one side-by-side test of very clear wort vs. a transferring all but the last two quarts direct into the primary. Even leaving the thickest of the junk behind, I still get a difference in flavor and often clarity with these tests. I'll admit two things here: 1) Sometimes (maybe 20%) that difference is not huge and 2) that I've sometimes preferred the "dirty" batch ;-) but that seems to be mostly on the darkest maltier styles, which is only about 20% of what I brew. Don't quote me on that last point, as it could easily be a different factor related to the trub (e.g. yeast health, hops used, etc.).

I am curious about your process for your experiment ("very clear wort vs. a transferring all but the last two quarts direct into the primary"). I don't have good data to back it up but I have a general feeling that 1) hop material from the boil will impart flavors (cannot say if those are good or bad...not sure if 60 min boil vs flameout vs whirlpool makes a difference) and 2) some hot and cold break (or whatever the other stuff that settles out) does not make a flavor difference. I have seen plenty of results indicating that some trub results in better clarity.

With my 5 gal batches I tend to let the kettle settle for a few minutes (maybe 10) after removing the chiller. I then transfer to my fermenter with an auto-siphon leaving the worst of the trub behind, but plenty settles out in the fermenter. With my smaller batches I tend to pour the wort through a coarse metal strainer that seems to remove the worst of the hop material.

I don't believe there would be any gain in the overall amount of beer from filtering before going into the fermenter vs just letting the trub compact in the bottom of the fermenter. The trub clearly takes up more room and makes for more stuff in harvested yeast, but differences in flavor or other quality of the beer would be interesting to me.

 

[seajellie]

Hey Cascades, my process was pretty simple. After building up enough yeast for two batches, I'd brew 8 - 10 gallons in a single kettle. After chilling and settling out, I'd just run the first half into one fermenter. This wort would be beautifully clear (to the eye). Then I'd run all/almost all of the remaining wort into the second fermenter, and it would get quite milky and cloudy for the last gallon (if not downright full of sediment).

I did these tests because as many have noted, trying to separate the trub can really be a bother on some systems. So I wanted to be sure that it was worthwhile. I've found a difference for the majority of times I've done this comparison over the years -- though there are internet studies & lots of opinions that say nope, I must be stupid because there is no difference

This was obviously not a rigorous test. I just wanted something good enough for my system. I don't have enough data to figure out a real trend or causation. I did test enough to prove to myself, it was worth keeping the thickest trub out at a minimum. There was one English Porter that was an outlier - I liked the "trubby" version better. I also made an English IPA with that yeast, and for that, the "clear" winner was the clear wort - no comparison in flavor or clarity. ymmv as always....

I did try out a 200 micron bucket filter out on a dunkel I just brewed. I took the last gallon, quickly swirled it, and poured it into the filter. One hour later it was all drained. It'll be another week before I rack it and get a look at the yeast; I expect that a fair bit of trub got through. Overall it seemed great. I like the fact the wort is going right into the primary, and the yeast can get to work on the oxygen that filtration introduces.... but that's another topic ;-)

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Hey Cascades, my process was pretty simple.

Thanks for the info. I did one "no trub vs lots of trub" experiment in 2019. My initial impression was that the "lots of trub" batch had just a tad more hop flavor...but unfortunately that batch was the second of two infected batches, so after a month both kegs developed a strong plastic/band aid flavor that overpowered any differences.

I have a "clear wort" Dark Mild in the fermenter now...but that was mostly to see how it impacted harvesting yeast, and I don't have a control to taste it against.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Hi guys,

Last night I brewed a Double IPA and after I transfered the wort in the fermenter I ended up with at least 8-10L of hops mixed with the wort. ( I brew 45L batch )

I would like to know if there is any technique to filter the last 5-10L wort after the transfer tothe fermenter to get the most beer possible ! Especialy when brewing beer with lots of hops...

Its not the first time that it is happening but I want to to figure out a way to improve that.

Thanks a lot !

Make a larger batch and account for loss (especially for massively hopped beers). I brew 12.5 gallons for a 10 gallon batch. I account for an extra gallon of junky stuff that stays in the kettle. 5.75g of clear wart goes in each fermentor. After fermentation I then have 5+ gallons in each carboy and only the trub free stuff ~5g goes into each keg.

 

[Sparge]

Make a larger batch and account for loss (especially for massively hopped beers). I brew 12.5 gallons for a 10 gallon batch. I account for an extra gallon of junky stuff that stays in the kettle. 5.75g of clear wart goes in each fermentor. After fermentation I then have 5+ gallons in each carboy and only the trub free stuff ~5g goes into each keg.

I do the same. I also use cheap hop bags. It works like a champ.

 

[seajellie]

For those interested in the biodiesel bucket filters, below is a yeast sample harvested from the dunkel I recently brewed. The final gallon of wort had been drained through a 200 micron bucket filter. Note that the wort was actually much darker than the liquid in the jar below, and the yeast was on its fourth generation and I had never washed it. I had used 2 oz of pellet and 0.5 oz of leaf hops in the batch. I would guess that the yeast cake was a bit larger than I would have expected, and that the filtered hop trub mix in the bucket filter was a bit less than I get in other methods, so that likely means more break got into the primary than in my usual method.

But, no big deal. For the ease of use, no doubt I'll be sticking with this method. I may get a 75 micron even though McKnuckle reports it gets really slow. In my case, it's going directly into the primary so time is not an issue. Thanks all who contributed info about these filters, this has made a real improvement in my brew day.

IMG_20200210_162255588

• seajellie
• Feb 10, 2020

Yeast cake saved from biodiesel bucket filtered wort.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

It's amazing to me that I never heard of a biodiesel bucket filter before this thread, yet it looks like the best solution to the problem. It perfectly fits brew buckets, yet brew shops don't even sell them?

 

[Genuine]

I've been thinking of getting the HopStopper 2.0 from The Electric Brewery as a way to filter the wort from the kettle to the fermenter...and more importantly, to stop my counterflow chiller from getting plugged up with hops during cooling.