How to reduce sludge

[Stigmond13]

I have been brewing beer using extract kits for a number of years and started to make small batches of all grain using a simple set up with a stock pot, grain bag (brew in the bag) and adding hops via a small bag. Results are good but always end up with a huge amount of sludge in the fementer. Is there any way of filtering after the boil without buying expensive equipment? Would welcome any tips, thanks

 

[BSheridan]

You can pour through a sanitized strainer on the way into the fermenter. I've done that but they tend to clog up so you will need a sanitized spoon to clear clogs.

I just picked up some paint strainer bags from home depot and I think I'm going to try that next brew day

 

[VirginiaHops1]

For many batches I used to just dump it all into my carboy through a funnel. The last 2 batches I've wrapped a mesh bag around the funnel, to filter. Like BSheridan said, it can clog towards the end so can take some finesse getting the last gallon or so through. I have yet to taste these batches I filtered, but I did catch a lot of crap from going in. I'm not anticipating any difference in taste but my real motivation is making carboy to keg transfers easier with less clogging.

 

[KB12]

Are you dumping the whole pot from the boil into the fermenter? If so, you can try whirlpooling the hopped wort (gently stir it in circles for a few minutes) then letting the beer settle for about 10-15 minutes. Use a siphon on the side of the pot to draw the hopped wort into the fermenter. As you get to the very end you should see a trub pile in the middle of the kettle.

Keep in mind you're always going to have yeast-cake sludge in the bottom of your fermenter. I also think I've seen stuff somewhere that the trub can help with yeast growth, providing nutrition. If it isn't creating too much of an issue I wouldn't worry about it much.

 

[mongoose33]

What's the issue with the sludge (trub) that you're concerned with getting rid of it?

When I was brewing BIAB I just dumped it all in the fermenter. If I could leave some behind I would, but I wasn't fanatic about it. Unless it's interfering with racking into bottles or some such, I wouldn't worry about it. At all.

It's a feature, not a bug.

Brulosophy did an experiment a couple years ago--trub, and no trub. While I have my issues w/ their methodology, it moved me to try it myself, i.e., when I just dumped it all in, the beer changed....not at all.

 

[Dland]

I have been brewing beer using extract kits for a number of years and started to make small batches of all grain using a simple set up with a stock pot, grain bag (brew in the bag) and adding hops via a small bag. Results are good but always end up with a huge amount of sludge in the fementer. Is there any way of filtering after the boil without buying expensive equipment? Would welcome any tips, thanks

If the "sludge" is trub from the protein break of grain wort, you can whirlpool and siphon into another kettle before transferring to fermentor, taking care to leave settled trub on bottom of boil vessel. This is also a good time to add post boil hops(in second kettle).

The other type of trub is settled yeast and boil trub that made its way into fermetor. This can be removed by siphoning off carefully and leaving sludge on bottom behind.

Of course there are easier ways if you have the gear. In my opinion, the less trub or sludge, the better. For several reasons.