Filter idea

[Bert1097]

Hey guys....been brewing since this past December and have 8 batches under my belt......doing my 1st lager this Sunday. I had an idea for trub/cold break material filtering: Why not put a filter in the fermenting bucket as I'm transferring from brew pot to fermenter? I use the standard Ale Pale as my fermenter.

Through some googling, I found this http://www.dudadiesel.com/filters.php and ordered two 600 micron filters. I'm gonna try it out on Sunday and get back to the forum w/ a report. In the mean time what do you guys think?

 

[EvilGnome6]

I've been thinking of ways to filter out more of the cold break lately (I already use a paint strainer as a hop sack). I already tried to recirculate the wort into the hop sack while chilling and that just resulted in a big 5 gallon wort balloon. The cold break clogged the entire bag and it took forever to get it to all drain through.

I suspect that putting a big filter in the fermenting bucket would result in the same kind of wort balloon.

My latest idea was to chill in the kettle as usual, line my bottling bucket with a sanitized paint strainer and dump all the wort in. Then I can put on the lid, set it on a counter, open the spigot and let it slowly drain into my fermenter. I haven't tested the concept, yet but I might try it out this Sunday.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I've been thinking of ways to filter out more of the cold break lately (I already use a paint strainer as a hop sack). I already tried to recirculate the wort into the hop sack while chilling and that just resulted in a big 5 gallon wort balloon. The cold break clogged the entire bag and it took forever to get it to all drain through.

I suspect that putting a big filter in the fermenting bucket would result in the same kind of wort balloon.

My latest idea was to chill in the kettle as usual, line my bottling bucket with a sanitized paint strainer and dump all the wort in. Then I can put on the lid, set it on a counter, open the spigot and let it slowly drain into my fermenter. I haven't tested the concept, yet but I might try it out this Sunday.

Hop back, rice hulls, steamer basket to hold the hulls in place. That is my approach after having the same bag issues you have had.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Hop back, rice hulls, steamer basket to hold the hulls in place. That is my approach after having the same bag issues you have had.

So you're putting a steamer basket on top of your fermenter loaded up with rice hulls and pouring the chilled wort through it? I'm just trying to visualize what you're describing...

Do you have to worry about sanitizing the rice hulls?

 

[malkore]

I don't bother filtering anything. Hops and break material regularly goes into my primary.

The beer turns out just fine, so I'm not interested in changing my habits

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So you're putting a steamer basket on top of your fermenter loaded up with rice hulls and pouring the chilled wort through it? I'm just trying to visualize what you're describing...

Do you have to worry about sanitizing the rice hulls?

No, No, No. I have a grant with a false bottom. A hop back.

I load the HB with rice hulls and use the steamer basket over top to hold those in place as I run my hot, boiled wort through that to trap the pellet hop debris and hot break.

I further recirculate through the whole system to cause the filter system to trap any cold break that has formed. Once I reach target pitch temp I go straight into the fermenter with crystal clear wort.

 

[EvilGnome6]

No, No, No. I have a grant with a false bottom. A hop back.

I load the HB with rice hulls and use the steamer basket over top to hold those in place as I run my hot, boiled wort through that to trap the pellet hop debris and hot break.

I further recirculate through the whole system to cause the filter system to trap any cold break that has formed. Once I reach target pitch temp I go straight into the fermenter with crystal clear wort.

Aha! Got it now.

 

[EvilGnome6]

My latest idea was to chill in the kettle as usual, line my bottling bucket with a sanitized paint strainer and dump all the wort in. Then I can put on the lid, set it on a counter, open the spigot and let it slowly drain into my fermenter. I haven't tested the concept, yet but I might try it out this Sunday.

Well, I gave this a shot and it didn't work. Very little cold break was trapped in the paint strainer... I'll have to figure something else out.

 

[Bert1097]

Well, brew day came as well as the new 'trub filter' and it worked pretty well. Didn't catch all the cold break that I wanted it to but caught a fair amount of the trub. There was a bit of the 'balloonning' described above. I used a sanitized spoon to move the trub around toward the end the allow the rest of the wort to flow through. I think that I will keep using this technique in the future.

 

[Bert1097]

Brewed up an Amber Ale today and used bags for the hops. I filtered as I had on the previous brew but w/o all the hops to filter. I must say I am suitably impressed by the cold break that it collected. (i think that's what it is...never having seen pictures of those mysterious coagulated proteins)

I would love to hear from the more experienced brewers on the forum to see what they have to say. Like: "you shouldn't filter that out b/c:......."

Kinda curious if I will see an appreciable difference in beer clarity. Here's the pic:

 

[CDbrews]

wirlpool like hell after chilling and siphon it off leaving just a bit of wort in the very bottom of the kettle, i used to strain the wort going into the fermenter but lately i have been getting so little in the strainer that i dont bother with it anymore

 

[mr_bell]

I've heard Chris White (White labs) say trub is good for the yeast. They use it to build cell walls. I try to keep some of the break material and hop sludge out, but if some gets in no worries, for ales anyway. I don't lager--just heard for lagers that you do want to get as much break material out as possible.