HERMS system cloudy wort

[huzahhdahdaddda]

I recently moved to a 3 vessel two pump single tier HERMS system using a More Beer false bottom/boil kettle screen with 3/32 perforated holes. The issue is: when I draining the mash tun (with a pump), I get really cloudy wort. During the recirculation/heating phase, the wort is quite cloudy too. I have done three batches so far on this system and I would really like to reduce the material that gets into the kettle. Ideally I should just drain the kettle w/out the pump, but with a single tier system I don't want to be lifting 10 gallons of 165F wort. Should I give it a long (30+) minute wait? Any suggestions?

 

[jekeane]

How long are you mashing for? I assume you are recirculating the entire time? How fine are you grinding your grain? Are you allowing the grain bed to set to some degree before opening your valves wide?

I have a setup similar to the electric brewery using a blichmann mash tun I'm slightly cloudy at 10 minutes in when I check ph and crystal clear by 30 minutes. I previously had a V2 Spike kettle with a jaybird falsbottom that took a good bit longer to run clear but eventually did as well.

 

[RoadKing]

Make sure your False bottom fits fairly tight.
Whenever you mash in or stir, make sure the pump is off, or you'll pull draff into/under the bottom.
Also wait 10 minutes after mash in to run the pump to let the grain hydrate and alot of the starch break down,
(this will make the mash more fluid help eliminate stuck sparge), After 10 minutes run the pump, but it doesn't need to be full bore, just enough to maintain temps and keep enzymes dispersed.

 

[RM-MN]

Many people are worried about cloudy wort. Stop! In the end product it makes no difference. The purpose of lautering is to keep out the majority of the grain particles, not to get clear wort. I BIAB and my wort is really cloudy. It still makes clear beer.

 

[SilverZero]

Many people are worried about cloudy wort. Stop! In the end product it makes no difference. The purpose of lautering is to keep out the majority of the grain particles, not to get clear wort. I BIAB and my wort is really cloudy. It still makes clear beer.

True enough, but you do need to plan ahead for the extra trub losses that will occur with that much more grain material (flour, basically) getting into the BK.

 

[stevehaun]

I use a combination manifold/stainless braid in the bottom of my mash tun and I get clear wort in less than 15 min. I open my pump valve to give low flow for the first 5-10 min to set the grain bed and then open my valve about 1/2 way for the rest of the mash.

 

[jrcrilly]

Once the grain bed is set, the wort should be flowing very clear due to filtration through the bed. If it isn't clear, it is likely that the grain bed has been prevented from setting for some reason. As suggested above, you should permit the bed to settle before starting the recirc pump, and then ruin it at low volume until the wort clears before increasing the flow rate.