Is this a result of whirlfloc?

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drunkatuw

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I've never used whirlfloc before, but I saw it for relatively cheap at midwest supplies last weekend so I tried it in my batch this weekend.

This is what is in my carboys now:
IMG_8570_Small_.JPG


I added 2 whirlfloc tablets at 15 min left in the boil. I've never seen the floating stuff in any of my other batches (well, more like suspended rather than floating) and I was wondering if that was because of the recipe (BierMuncher's Helles Belles) or if it's because of the whirlfloc?
 
I may be wrong (I don't use whirlfloc) but aren't you only supposed to use 1/2 of one tablet for a 5 gallon batch? I know my irish moss tablets are that way and whirlfloc is supposed to be even better.
 
That's probably break material coagulated due to your use of Whirlfloc. It should settle out as time goes by. The instructions say to use one tablet per 5 gallons during the last 15 minutes of the boil, so I think you used it correctly.
 
I get a much better cold break with whirlfloc than with irish moss. You can probably get by with 1/2 tablet per 5 gal., but one tablet is just fine.
 
Whirlfloc does a great job. That is the way it clears up the wort, by making everything clump up and fall to the bottom.
 
I too was amazed at the ungodly amount of stuff that just appeared the first time I used a whirfloc in my beer. Just think, all that stuff is no longer in your final product. Hooray for clarity! :ban:
 
Whirfloc tablets work very well. There are a few things I can not really tell if it has an effect but after using these vs. irish moss it was apparent after my first use.
 
Got to love whirlfloc! Does a great job, and the tablet form is just about as easy as it gets (not that irish moss is exactly tedious to use, but still....)

It's kind of scary seeing such a huge amount of break material suspended in your wort at first, but it'll all be chewed up and/or settle out by the end leaving things quite clear.
 
I love Whirlfloc, too. I've used it on my last 3 beers and the improvement in clarity is notable. Irish Moss never did anything for me.
 
I'm hoping to wash and reuse this yeast, will the whirlfloc prevent that or make it any harder?

I didn't take a picture, but when I looked at the beer this morning, the junk in suspension had dropped about half way down, so I'm guessing in another day or two it will be sitting on the bottom of the carboy.
 
drunkatuw said:
I'm hoping to wash and reuse this yeast, will the whirlfloc prevent that or make it any harder?
No, it shouldn't effect your ability to harvest yeast.

BTW, I only use a half tab of whirlfoc per 10 gallon batch and it clears out beautifully.
 
You'll be able to wash the yeast just fine. I think one tablet is good for like 15 gallons. I use one on my 11 gallon batches and it does the trick. Also, it's best if used in the last 5 minutes of the boil. It looses its effectiveness if added earlier.
 
I don't use any special clearing agents and I see that as soon as the IC gets cold water running through it.
 
I think that this picture should be added to the wiki article for cold-break or for brewing additives.
 
A little over 24 hours later

IMG_8572.JPG


Krausen is forming and airlocks are starting to bubble. Probably should have started my starter more than 36 hours before pitching, but I think the yeasties will do their job. Lots of the cold break/whirlfloc stuff is dropping out of suspension.

Just to prove that it really is a light beer despite how dark it looks in the carboy, here's my hydro sample.

IMG_8578.JPG


I was shooting for somewhere around 1.049, but ended up at 1.046, not too bad, about 71% efficiency.
 
My 2-cents is that it's a combo of the whirfloc and the extreme cold ground water temp you used to chill.

I use Super Irish moss and the break depends on the time of year.

Here's a Kolsch from last February using the outdoor garden hose run through the IC.

Chiller_Filter_1.jpg
 
BierMuncher said:
My 2-cents is that it's a combo of the whirfloc and the extreme cold ground water temp you used to chill.

I use Super Irish moss and the break depends on the time of year.

Here's a Kolsch from last February using the outdoor garden hose run through the IC.

View attachment 4554

Holy cow that's a lot of junk. Was there any beer left? :drunk:
 
I too was amazed at the ungodly amount of stuff that just appeared the first time I used a whirfloc in my beer. Just think, all that stuff is no longer in your final product. Hooray for clarity! :ban:

I used it for the first time last night. When I transferred to my primary and started cleaning up ,I turned around and saw all the junk in suspension I almost panicked. Had to do a re-run of my brewing procedure in my head. Thought I had really messed up until I remembered adding the whirlfloc.
Watched the stuff settle in a couple hours. Now I can't wait to see the fished brew , should be crystal clear when done.
 
I used some whirlfloc this past weekend and was overwhelmed at the amount of cold break that I had after the boil! I thought to my self... I hope there is some beer in there some where!
 
I just used Whirlfloc for the first time, and it is still active since I started the fermentation. It has been about three days, fermentation is still active, but slowing down, and I still have the coagulated clumps 'whirling' all around in my cardboy, is this common, or is something off? I added 1 tablet to my 5 gallons of wort instead of 1/2 tablet. I really hope I didn't screw up! Will it settle when my fermentation ends?

Also, how do you separate the coagulation from the yeast once it has settled?

And hey, this is my first post on this forum, so cheers!
-Ben
 
No worries, it will settle out. I recently started using whirlfloc, and experienced the same thing. After the most active part of fermentation settles down, all of those clumps will drop to the bottom and form a nice layer of trub.
 
Thanks for the re-assurance! I guess I should follow the motto of 'Just relax, have a homebrew...'

So how do you separate the coagulation from the yeast once everything is settled? Do you just skim it off?
 
I just use a siphon to rack the clear beer off the top, and leave the yeast/trub behind. I usually do this by starting the siphon 3-4" off the bottom, then lowering it right above the trub as the level of beer gets lower. This ensures that 99% of the trub is left behind, and doesn't go to the secondary/keg/bottles.
 
I just used whirlfloc for the first time last week. I have traditionally used irish moss. After using the whirlfloc tab, the wort was the clearest I have ever seen from my boils. The OG sample was crystal clear, I wish I had taken a picture of it. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
 
I've been working on improving some details in my brewing process(adding a full boil, etc) as I've been having a problem with head retention. I've never used whirlfloc or any clearing agent, but I bought some and was thinking of using it. I listened to john and jamil talk about how important protiens from hops were in aiding head retention. would this have any effect of keeping some of those out, and have any effect on head retention, or are these completely different things?
 
it does work well this is from yesterdays brew it started to clump up while I was filling the second BB

coldbreak.JPG


this is how the second looked after 1-2 minutes when i came back to get it. I had put the first in the swamp cooler..

coldbreak1.JPG
 
I used Whirfloc for the first time yesterday, and my fermenter looked just like the ones in the pictures in this thread. I put the tablet in the kettle with 15 minutes left to boil. After chilling, I whirlpooled to get the trub to settle in a pile in the center of my kettle bottom. The trub never really settled. I siphoned from the side, like I always do, and all that gunk went into the fermenter. I'm contrasting this with using the Irish moss. I've never had the problem of the trub not settling after whirlpooling.

The beer I've made using Irish moss have always come out clear and without much trub making it to the fermenter. I've previously been able to siphon the wort to the fermenter with very little trub making it into the fermenter. Does the Whirlfloc cause more of a break? I thought the break was due to temperature. This just really surprised me.
 
I dont quite get why everyone that used a whirfloc tablet has so munch gunk in their fermenter? Isnt that the entire point of the tablet, so you DONT get all that gunk into your fermenter? Do you guys typically used a strainer when going from kettle to primary, or are you siphoning it out, trying to leave as much trub in the kettle? Just looking for some clarity on this issue. pun intended.
 
I dont quite get why everyone that used a whirfloc tablet has so munch gunk in their fermenter? Isnt that the entire point of the tablet, so you DONT get all that gunk into your fermenter? Do you guys typically used a strainer when going from kettle to primary, or are you siphoning it out, trying to leave as much trub in the kettle? Just looking for some clarity on this issue. pun intended.

note really . I let everything go into the fermenter I do use a hop sack so no hops but the cold and hot break go with the wort. I have found no difference in taste that I can pick up from when I strained the wort. The idea is that the Whirfloc is attaching to the proteins and dropping them out of the beer . It will settle out when fermentation is complete
 
I plan on trying Whirlfloc for the first toime on a Centenniel Blonde next weekend....

Normally I siphon out of the kettle into my primary to leave as much "junk" behind as possible....is this going to be possible with all of the cold break in suspension or will that just clog my siphon...i.e. should I just dump from kettle into primary?

Any advice based on your own experiences?
 
I plan on trying Whirlfloc for the first toime on a Centenniel Blonde next weekend....

Normally I siphon out of the kettle into my primary to leave as much "junk" behind as possible....is this going to be possible with all of the cold break in suspension or will that just clog my siphon...i.e. should I just dump from kettle into primary?

Any advice based on your own experiences?

If you leave your kettle sit(covered of course) for a good 30 minutes after chilling it will settle and the wort will be crystal clear, then siphon away. Or you can dump it, your prerogative.
 
I dont quite get why everyone that used a whirfloc tablet has so munch gunk in their fermenter? Isnt that the entire point of the tablet, so you DONT get all that gunk into your fermenter? Do you guys typically used a strainer when going from kettle to primary, or are you siphoning it out, trying to leave as much trub in the kettle? Just looking for some clarity on this issue. pun intended.

A strainer does nothing for this. I use a super fine chinois to remove hop material and I still get the badass break.

I plan on trying Whirlfloc for the first time on a Centenniel Blonde next weekend....

Normally I siphon out of the kettle into my primary to leave as much "junk" behind as possible....is this going to be possible with all of the cold break in suspension or will that just clog my siphon...i.e. should I just dump from kettle into primary?

Any advice based on your own experiences?

I tried whirlpooling and siphoning out of the BK but it just pissed me off so I don't bother. I get super clear beer. The break will not clog your siphon.
 
That is a ton of break material going into the fermenter. But yes 1/2 tablet is for 5 gallon batch. I try to leave as much break materiel as possible behind.
 
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