Straining wort before fermentation

[MikeP]

I've got an 'oversized' kitchen strainer - it's big enough and has a small 'handle' of sorts on the opposite side so that it sits on top of the bucket. Works really well, if too much of the break ends up dumping in, it's a little slow to drain, but i don't think it could run over unless i really just wasn't paying attention - it's pretty deep - probably about 8 inches deep. Got it at the LHBS - was a little pricey there, but much larger than anything i could find at regular stores for general kitchen use.

 

[Erythro73]

That's what I used before the bucket strainer. I found the kitchen strainer cumbersome to control both the kettle, strainer, and fermenter at the same time.

Yeah, I had the problem. The last batch I made, I used a table, I put the handle of the strainer on the table before putting dictionaries on the handle. This way, the strainer stay in place no matter what and I have my two hands to control the kettle.

But yeah, the bucket strainer is way easier and this is a very good idea.

 

[NuclearRich]

I use nylon paint strainers. You can find them at home depot/lowes for 5gal buckets. They fit well on my 7 gal ale pail. The best part is I pick up my kettle real high (like chest level) and can pour the wort VERY aggressively into the bucket. Between the mesh and the vigorous pour, I get great aeration. Then I just take the nylon bag off, and lift it out with all the sludge.
Some sludge will make it through, but I have made crystal clear beers this way, as it all falls out during fermentation.

 

[Grimm]

Any suggestions for straining when pouring into a carboy? Or do you then pour your bucket into a carboy? I can't imagine holding the strainer, funnel and kettle trying to control the pour?

 

[NuclearRich]

I do primary in a bucket, siphon into secondary carboy.
I guess if you are doing primary in a carboy, siphoning from the kettle would work, and it would help you with straining (keep the siphon off the sludge on the bottom). Just make sure you aerate carefully and well enough. Otherwise, I would think a large funnel with a screen on it would be best.

 

[HopHeadHarry]

I used to strain with a fine screen that fits into my funnel but found that it clogged up way too many times towards the end of the pour and i ended up leaving too much beer in the boiling pot. Moved to a kitchen strainer and get the larger particles now without clogging. As Yooper said its difficult to strain out the Hot Break and it won't affect your brew to have it in your primary.

 

[unionrdr]

I use a fine mesh strainer (10-11") I got from Midwest. It aerates really well as I pour the chilled wort & top off water through it. The larger grainy stuff,cold break,& hops get strained out. But no the real fine floury stuff. Also,when pouring the chilled wort from the BK in,I stop when I get to the silty stuff at the bottom. I rinse that out in the sink. Then finish topping off.
With the last brew I just bottled last night,I had maybe a 1/4-5/16" of trub at the bottom of primary. If I hadn't needed the extra hydro samples,I'd have gotten 65 bottles out of the batch. Only slightly misty going into the bottles since I messed up when tilting the FV to get the most beer out. Just a tiny bit of yeast got in. I think maybe I should put a non skid pad of some sort under the FV's so they don't slip & slosh that lil bit.
Otherwise,the yeast cake is packed down pretty good from straining.

 

[BamaRooster]

I use a fine mesh strainer (10-11")

+1 same here

 

[Calichusetts]

I do it twice: From kettle to chill pot, and from chill pot to fermenter

I use two strainers coming into my chill pot...a large gauge mesh with a fine mesh strainer on top.

Then I use a fine mesh strainer with a double funnel underneath...there is a screen inbetween the two funnels.

This really aerates the wort.

As for clogging, I never understood this. I just stop and dump out the strainer then continue. I pull out about a pint of hop material, orange peels, etc from when I transfer to the chill pot, and about a half pint of a slurry of cold break when I transfer to fermenter.

And it is useful, I get almost an inch less trub in the carboy, which of course makes ales less likely to blow out or climb all the way up and clog your airlock with karusen. The trub before I bottle is very tight and does not stir up much.

I remember how loose and easy it was to stir up the trub (even after 4 weeks) before I did this method.

 

[smyrnaquince]

I use nylon paint strainers. You can find them at home depot/lowes for 5gal buckets. They fit well on my 7 gal ale pail. The best part is I pick up my kettle real high (like chest level) and can pour the wort VERY aggressively into the bucket. Between the mesh and the vigorous pour, I get great aeration. Then I just take the nylon bag off, and lift it out with all the sludge.
Some sludge will make it through, but I have made crystal clear beers this way, as it all falls out during fermentation.

I use a paint strainer, as well. It takes out a LOT of sludge. It also tends to hold a lot of wort in the sludge, so I squeeze the bag rather than lose the 1/2 gallon of wort.

Two questions, though:

1. Does this take out most, if not all, of the effect of a 0 minute hops? Should I dry hop instead of 0 minute if I'm doing this straining?
2. Following up on the "crystal clear beers" comment, do people still find a need for Whirlfloc or Irish Moss if they are straining?

 

[unionrdr]

I use a paint strainer, as well. It takes out a LOT of sludge. It also tends to hold a lot of wort in the sludge, so I squeeze the bag rather than lose the 1/2 gallon of wort.

Two questions, though:

1. Does this take out most, if not all, of the effect of a 0 minute hops? Should I dry hop instead of 0 minute if I'm doing this straining?
2. Following up on the "crystal clear beers" comment, do people still find a need for Whirlfloc or Irish Moss if they are straining?

1) No,I don't believe it does,since the 0 min hops should be in there during steeping of late extract additions & chilling.
2) I didn't need whirlflock,etc even before I started straining. Just get the wort chilled down to pitch temp in 20 mins or less,& no chill haze or very little at fridge time.
And giving the beer 3-7 days after FG is reached to settle out more before transfering to bottling bucket. The beer will clear in a couple days in the bottles. Little dusting of yeast trub at fridge time. Clear as a bell beer.

 

[chainsmoke]

I use nylon paint strainers. You can find them at home depot/lowes for 5gal buckets. They fit well on my 7 gal ale pail. The best part is I pick up my kettle real high (like chest level) and can pour the wort VERY aggressively into the bucket. Between the mesh and the vigorous pour, I get great aeration. Then I just take the nylon bag off, and lift it out with all the sludge.
Some sludge will make it through, but I have made crystal clear beers this way, as it all falls out during fermentation.

I was going to buy these today but the guy at my LHBS told me that nylon bags can melt above 160 steeping temps. After reading the above comment I went to the internet! According to wikipedia nylon has a melting point of 374–663 °F.

 

[unionrdr]

I use the muslin grain & hop sacks myself. Easy to clean good as new. The nylon ones should soak clean after being emptied & rinsed under the faucet in a PBW soak. Then rinse dry & store.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I always strain my wort through a stainless steel seive into the fermenter. Pulls ourt hopps and aerates, althougn I have nboticed my spiced beer ( pumpkin and christmas ale) have little to no spice flavor.

 

[unionrdr]

Either you're not adding enough spices,or not boiling them long enough. !0-15 minutesat the end of the boil is a good average. You can put them in a hop sack in secondary as well. Some do both. But I love using my big SS fine mesh strainer. Aerates real well,& gets all but the floury silty stuff.