Keep hop and break in BK

[rekoob]

Okay, after reading other threads and thinking about what I do I'm wondering what the easiest way is to keep the stuff in my BK and out of the fermenter.

I currently have a unrestricted pickup tube in my BK and use an IC with recirculation to cause a whirlpool.

The issue with my setup is my pickup tube sits pretty low in the keggle, I don't have much of any dead space so everything ends up in the fermenter.

Really haven't worried to much about all the trub in the fermenter but if I want to reuse the yeast (yeast washing) as talked about in the current Zymurgy I would like to minimize the amount of trub in the fermenter to make it easier to get the yeast.

What are people doing to keep dead space to a minimum and keep hop particales, hot break and cold break in the BK?

Let me know what you're doing and lets see some pictures.

 

[12pmmike]

There are several different ways to accomplish what you are after. Search this site or Google search filtering wort. You then have to decide what will be your best option. After cooling with a IC I whirlpool and let it rest for 15 min. Then slowly drain to primary.

 

[ndinh]

I'm in the same boat. I use to use a bazooka and a plate chiller but couldn't get a good whirlpool with the bazooka in the way. I'm now using a pick up tube and a CFC and getting alot of trub in my fermenter. I may get a hopback. People seem to like it for aroma and filtering.

 

[RM-MN]

Okay, after reading other threads and thinking about what I do I'm wondering what the easiest way is to keep the stuff in my BK and out of the fermenter.

I currently have a unrestricted pickup tube in my BK and use an IC with recirculation to cause a whirlpool.

The issue with my setup is my pickup tube sits pretty low in the keggle, I don't have much of any dead space so everything ends up in the fermenter.

Really haven't worried to much about all the trub in the fermenter but if I want to reuse the yeast (yeast washing) as talked about in the current Zymurgy I would like to minimize the amount of trub in the fermenter to make it easier to get the yeast.

What are people doing to keep dead space to a minimum and keep hop particales, hot break and cold break in the BK?

Let me know what you're doing and lets see some pictures.

There's been some recent research that says that for most of us, washing yeast is a waste of time. Scoop it out and dump it in the fermenter.

 

[helibrewer]

The best setup I have seen is a dip tube, almost flush with the bottom oriented where the wall and base meet (the 90 degree point). You get some trub but a clearing forms about 2 inches around the dip tube and no more trub enters it.

 

[rekoob]

The best setup I have seen is a dip tube, almost flush with the bottom oriented where the wall and base meet (the 90 degree point). You get some trub but a clearing forms about 2 inches around the dip tube and no more trub enters it.

I have thought about doing something like this or changing my current dip tube to get away from the bottom middle area of the keggle and after whirlpool let it sit for a while to let things settle to the bottom middle and then drain it out.

The only problem with that of course is leaving wort behind.

I suppose I can't have it both ways, leave trub behind and get all the wort if I'm going to use the keggle pickup tube.

 

[rekoob]

There's been some recent research that says that for most of us, washing yeast is a waste of time. Scoop it out and dump it in the fermenter.

yea I get that I guess when I said "washing" I really meant dumping out of the glass carboy into another container and then pouring off the dead yeast, keeping the viable yeast and dumping the hop/break material.

I'm not going to wash it really but reuse it nontheless.

I'm thinking if I can keep most of the hop gunk out of the fermenter I would be that much closer to just keeping the yeast.

 

[dobes]

I use a false bottom on a refurbed keg with a dip tube in the center. I also use a grain bag to help contain the hops. Now this can be tough with a IC and when whirlpooling, but I use a CFC. I used to use an IC and what I had was 2 stainless 4ways that fit inside the keg. One at the bottom and one towards the top to keep the bag fully open all the time. It worked good and had no trouble getting my IC in the keg.

 

[helibrewer]

I have thought about doing something like this or changing my current dip tube to get away from the bottom middle area of the keggle and after whirlpool let it sit for a while to let things settle to the bottom middle and then drain it out.

The only problem with that of course is leaving wort behind.

I suppose I can't have it both ways, leave trub behind and get all the wort if I'm going to use the keggle pickup tube.

To separate yeast from trub a 100-mesh screen is used, but you would wait all day for that last liter to drain through a mesh that small....

 

[jbaysurfer]

I have found that whirlpooling while the IC is still in the kettle prevents the "cone" you're looking for. Do everything the same, but pull the IC when it's chilled properly and then stir it like crazy and whirlpool for another 15-20 minutes without the IC. You'll get a nice cone.

Then drain the BK slowly so as to pick up only the clear wort from the edge of the kettle leaving the cone debris behind.

 

[bja]

I have thought about doing something like this or changing my current dip tube to get away from the bottom middle area of the keggle and after whirlpool let it sit for a while to let things settle to the bottom middle and then drain it out.

The only problem with that of course is leaving wort behind.

I suppose I can't have it both ways, leave trub behind and get all the wort if I'm going to use the keggle pickup tube.

Move your dip tube to the side of the kettle. I let it sit for an hour after chilling. The first couple ounces will have trub in it. Drain that into a cup and use it to check OG.

I always make an extra 2-3 quarts, sometimes a gallon of extra wort. I get nothing but clean wort into the fermenters and I then drain whats left into a jug, let it settle and use it to make my next starter.