Straining wort before fermentation

[Grimm]

How important is it to strain the wort before fermentation and what would not doing so add to the final result? Cloudy beer? Bitter taste? other off flavors?

When I brewed my first batch I didn't strain the wort before I poured it into my fermentation vessel. I am drinking the beer now and it's very tasty a bit bitter but it is an IPA so i don't find it over board. I noticed that it lacks in the hop flavor and aroma departments thought, and wonder if that is in part due to leaving the hop particulates from the boil in the fermenter.

I realize that straining should happen but i guess i'm trying to figure out the flavor impact of leaving the hop particulates in. and how it differs from dry hopping?

 

[kryznic]

I strained mine (just did my first brew a few weeks ago) and I wouldn't want all that crud in there. I think it just makes sense to strain it and get it out. Less stuff floating in your beer. Plus straining aerates that wort nicely which is definitely needed for fermentation.

 

[billvon]

How important is it to strain the wort before fermentation and what would not doing so add to the final result? Cloudy beer? Bitter taste? other off flavors?

I strained a few times but it doesn't seem worth the effort. You still get a layer of crud in the bottom (yeast, particulates that don't strain out) that you have to be careful with anyway. I haven't noticed a difference in final result. All my problems with cloudiness/bitterness were due to other mistakes, like forgetting the Irish moss or hopping too early.

 

[RedGlass]

I've done both and can't say I notice any difference. You certainly end up with more trub in the fermentor if you don't strain, but I'm not sure if/how that affects the end product (it certainly hasn't in any way that I can detect).

 

[FreeM80s]

I would think it would only be a problem if you were planning on using the cake to brew a bigger beer. I have done this also and can not notice any changes in taste or look.

 

[NorCalAngler]

One thing I noticed in strained vs. unstrained wort is that unstrained trub is much looser and more likely to drift into the siphon during racking. I think the hop matter doesn't compact as well as the yeast by itself and acts as a sort of trub lubricant. I plan on straining everything from now on so that I get nice packed yeast cakes that don't want to stir up and float into the siphon.

 

[Slim]

I leave it in. The last 2 to 5 minutes of your boil you're adding aroma hops. It won't hurt anything to leave it in, but it may not give you the aroma you want. That's my two cents.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

Dont worry about straining...if you transfer your beer to a secondary fermenter after the initial fermentation dies down and let it sit in the secondary for a week or two you can siphon off almost perfectly clear beer into your bottling bucket.

I dont strain anything, and with time in the secondary and careful siphoning my beer is nice and clear when it's drinkin time.

 

[Beernik]

I siphon from the brew pot to the fermentor. I started doing it when I started using whole hops whenever I could find the ones I wanted.

What ever the siphon sucks up would get through a strainer anyway.

 

[Frank99]

This "begs" the question: For those who are straining, what are you using to strain the wort?

 

[BendBrewer]

I use this. It threads into my weldless ball valve.

 

[FreeM80s]

I have a funnel with a screen that I got from the LHBS when I got the carboy. If you purt really slow most of the break stays at the bottom

 

[Buffman]

I use this. It threads into my weldless ball valve.

Do you use pellet or whole hops? I have a KettleValve and am considering one of those, but I wonder if it will get clogged with pellet hops.

 

[BendBrewer]

I use mostly whole hops and have not used this for any brews with pellets.

I think it said that it might clog if using a lot of pellets. I think you could keep it unclogged with a little attention and a sanitized spoon though.

From their site:

"Turn any pot into a mash tun. This all stainless screen screw into the threaded back inlet the Brewer's Edge KettleValve, allowing you to mash or strain out whole hops from the boil (these tend to clog when using a lot of pellet hops)."

 

[Grimm]

yesterday I got a funnel that has a screen, before that i also had a re-usable coffee filter. but i haven't used either yet.

 

[jmkratt]

I strain every batch with one of these:

Just sanitze and place on bucket when trasnferring to fermenter. It couldn't be easier.

 

[BendBrewer]

yesterday I got a funnel that has a screen, before that i also had a re-usable coffee filter. but i haven't used either yet.

I used the funnel and insert strainer/screen that came with it. Once.

Pretty fine filter that clogged pretty quickly with a very small amount of pellets. I didn't expect that at all and ended up losing some wort to the kitchen floor.

I must have been so pissed that I threw the little screen away as I can't find it anywhere but I'm ok with that.

 

[Yooper]

I don't strain my wort. Hot break is hard to strain, and now I have a counter flow chiller, so the cold break goes into the fermenter. The only reason I try to minimize the hops particles is so that my pump doesn't get clogged up.

I did try to strain through a strainer before I got the CFC just to minimize the amount of hops debris, especially when using several ounces of leaf hops.

<Shrug> It didn't seem to matter either way. I wouldn't bother. It'll all compact down in the end anyway.

 

[Frank99]

jmkratt: What is that ? It looks like it fits on the bucket perfectly. I was using a bazooka T screen, but the location of my ball valve height caused me to leave about a gallon of wort in the brew kettle, which I didn't like.

 

[jmkratt]

jmkratt: What is that ? It looks like it fits on the bucket perfectly. I was using a bazooka T screen, but the location of my ball valve height caused me to leave about a gallon of wort in the brew kettle, which I didn't like.

Sorry I could hav explained it a little better.

It is a strainer about 3" deep that is made to fit 5 gallon buckets. It fits my Ale Pails and True Brew buckets perfectly.

They sell different sized screens, too.

Here is who I buy from:

http://shop.ebay.com/dudadiesel/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

 

[NorCalAngler]

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

Sold, getting one right now. My 10" strainer gets clogged near the end of the dump. Thanks!

 

[Bert1097]

Sold, getting one right now. My 10" strainer gets clogged near the end of the dump. Thanks!

I have a very similar filter which works pretty well w/ cold break as well as hop trub.

Just so you know, if you have a lot of material, it does get "stuck" towards the end of straining. I use a sanitized spoon to move the break material around into clumps so the wort can continue passing on through.

 

[Grimm]

I used the funnel and insert strainer/screen that came with it. Once.

Pretty fine filter that clogged pretty quickly with a very small amount of pellets. I didn't expect that at all and ended up losing some wort to the kitchen floor.

I must have been so pissed that I threw the little screen away as I can't find it anywhere but I'm ok with that.

Thank you, You probably saved me from doing exactly the same thing.

 

[jmkratt]

I have a very similar filter which works pretty well w/ cold break as well as hop trub.

Just so you know, if you have a lot of material, it does get "stuck" towards the end of straining. I use a sanitized spoon to move the break material around into clumps so the wort can continue passing on through.

This is true, I'd get the larger sized strainer. It really helps.

 

[chefchris]

grabbed up one of those bucket strainers, too. thanks.

 

[NorCalAngler]

After poking around I discovered the 600u (micron) filter is the best for wort. The others are way too fine mesh and would clog easily. The guy linked above sells five different micron sizes so be careful which one you order.

 

[kryznic]

I just ordered the variety pack of bucket filters from that ebay shop lol. I found out the hard way that a cheap, FLAT dollar store splatter screen was not going to do the trick when the muck piled up on top of it and some wort spilled on the floor.

 

[Grimster]

Sorry I could hav explained it a little better.

It is a strainer about 3" deep that is made to fit 5 gallon buckets. It fits my Ale Pails and True Brew buckets perfectly.

They sell different sized screens, too.

Here is who I buy from:

http://shop.ebay.com/dudadiesel/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

I love how easy it is to use and clean. I just dump straight from the kettle into the fermenter with the strainer in place. Done.

SOLD! Ordering a 5 pack now.

 

[Erythro73]

I'm using a normal kitchen strainer with a somewhat fine mesh.

 

[jmkratt]

I'm using a normal kitchen strainer with a somewhat fine mesh.

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.