Elec Elements and Whrilpool - can you get trub cone

[BrewKaiser]

I am in the designing stages of a 3 keggle electric brewery. One aspect of the electric brewing set up that has me concerned is that every element I've seen hangs in the middle of the kettle approximately where trub/hop cone would sit after whirlpool.

I use a plate chiller and wish to continue to do so. I like to whirlpool for 3 reasons:
1) hop stands
2) generate trub and hop cone to avoid transfer to fermenter
3) ensure wort is at correct temp before transferring to fermenter

I plan to convert kegs upside down keeping sanke fitting on bottom for ease of clean out. I plan to add a wort-out port on bottom of keg about 2" from side wall in radius of bottom (fittings will be welded).

My question is if anyone using electric elements is able to achieve a whirlpool cone or if the element impedes flow and prevents cone from forming?

 

[30Bones]

Bottom drain, you will want to run a false bottom in the BK I would think?? That was my plan when I had a 3 vessel bottom drain system in my future build

 

[BrewKaiser]

Actually I am thinking of designing a custom hop/trub screen and pick up tube that will lay on bottom perimeter of the keggle leaving the middle open. The Sanke fitting opening is about 2" (roughly same as carboy neck) so dumping trub and hop material out of the bottom should be easy.

I'm really just wondering how much the standard electric elements impede formation of cone during whirlpool. If significant, I may have a custom circular element made or perhaps an electric element that mounts to the bottom, outside surface of the keggle.

 

[HumulusHead]

I think blichmanm makes circular shaped coils. Boilermaker maybe?

 

[preinke]

Boil Coil
Boilermaker is what you drink at a younger age!

 

[Bellybuster]

I have a standard element and it does allow a cone to form with whirlpool. I don't tend to worry too much about it anymore though as I no longer use a plate chiller

 

[HumulusHead]

Boil Coil

Boilermaker is what you drink at a younger age!

Ha my brain sometimes partially doesn't always fully work

 

[November]

I whirlpool with an element in my BK. I dont have any problems forming a trub cone. I also run a PC, though I have a trub filter in front of it. That said though, I clean very little debris out of my trub filter after each day.

As an aside, I always whirlpool and have become a big fan of hops added at whirlpool.

 

[jcav]

I am in the middle of my build and my element sits a few inches off the bottom of my keggle. My whirlpool arm sits below the element also. I have yet to test this out, but I think because the element is higher the cone will still form below the element and it should work fine. I will find out soon though and have to make adjustments somehow if it interferes with it......

John

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I am in the middle of my build and my element sits a few inches off the bottom of my keggle. My whirlpool arm sits below the element also. I have yet to test this out, but I think because the element is higher the cone will still form below the element and it should work fine. I will find out soon though and have to make adjustments somehow if it interferes with it......

John

You'll be fine with it above or below, more than a few of us do it and have no real problem.

 

[rudylyon57]

For the same concerns as the OP, I did a visualization of how hops form a cone by simulating circulation with water and coffee grinds. My element sits about an inch off the base of the kettle. What I saw was more disruption to the cone formation from the pick up tube turbulence than the element. In my case, the pickup tube was about 40% out toward the kettle center. There is very little velocity in the "cone zone"...that's why the hops drop out. I think that is also why there is little turbulence imparted by the element. My take away was to move the pickup closer to the kettle periphery and/or use a blocking shield like the Blichmann product.

 

[jcav]

You'll be fine with it above or below, more than a few of us do it and have no real problem.

Good to know, thanks!

John