Cooling wort questions

[modified232]

I've brewed a few batches now, and I have a question I haven't been able to find an answer for. When I'm cooling my wort, it takes about an hour (using a stainless steel immersion cooler). When it does cooling, I have a large amount of precipitates (both sediment-like precipitates at the bottom and 'soft floating precipitates' in the liquid). Since I've been trying to avoid racking these in to the primary as much as possible, I've been increasing my boil by a couple liters so I can leave behind as much as possible, but it definitely hurts my efficiency, and I end up taking a 0.5-1 liter of the stuff anyways to try and get enough volume in my primary. My questions are:
1 - should I just keep avoiding the sediments like I have been doing, or are they fine to rack in to the primary, or is there a way of preventing them earlier on in the brewing process? (I do use a tablet my brewing store calls irish moss with about 10 mins left in the boil)
2 - I would like to stir the cooling wort to help it cool faster, but this would disrupt the settling of sediments, would this adversely affect the beer?
3 - does the fact that it is taking an hour to cool my wort adversely affecting my beer? They have been good so far, but they have also all been very full bodied full flavoured beers. I am worried about the effect it might have on a lighter APA I want to try making tomorrow

Thanks in advance for the help, I really appreciate it

 

[BigFloyd]

You've got to stir when using an immersion chiller. Don't worry about mixing things up.

After you've chilled, remove the chiller, cover the kettle and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. A whole bunch of that stuff will settle into a layer at the bottom, especially if you use Irish Moss (or a Whirlfloc tab, which I like better) at 10 min.

 

[meltroha]

Search "whirlpool" in these forums

 

[cogsmithsfermentorium]

I have tried a few clearing techniques that worked quite well for me.

The first one was suggested in Brew Your Own and they suggested that you can use a carboy before racking (properly sanitized) and let it sit before pitching after its cooled down, with a bung or whatever to keep it free from things dropping in and after 12 hours rack to primary airate and pitch. that will get most of your cold break and residual hops to settle out

Another thing is secondary is where the clearing up takes place. if you have to use your bottling bucket as your primary and then your carboy as secondary.

It is always best to get your wort cooled as soon as possible. The cold break will settle out in the end. I use a gentle up and down with my wort chiller. the Irish Moss or Wirfloc tablets bind to the proteins and let them settle out in primary.

Go ahead and get the gunk in the primary just try and keep the excess hops out.

just what works for me give it a try but im a noob too