The Vorlauf, how to

[Cambriel]

Hm, yeah next time I'll have to do a better job. I suspect this batch is going to be a fairly opaque blonde ale :/

But hey, it was my first AG. Mistakes are how we learn, right?

 

[TVarmy]

Well, I didn't know that it was supposed to be that clear... I just did my vorlauf until it was clear of grain bits durring my first all grain (2 quarts). I had the ball-valve open just a hair, so that it would go slowly (the LHBS guy told me anything faster would risk a stock mash).

I got a nice cold break and all that, though. Will I have an opaque pale ale? What about tannic flavors?

 

[TheMan]

I'm glad this thread got bumped up again, because I wanted to think you for inspiring me to pay more attention on this front, with very good results. I had been vorlaufing 2 1/2 gallon 'sessions', interrupted, and have gone to a continuous 1 gallon vorlauf, and am getting much clearer wort going into the BK.
I've noticed an interesting phenomenon - there is a certain characteristic to the flow out of the tube, then a bit of a hiccup, and then the flow changes (I can't recall how, its just different) and after the change its much more clear.

There is another member here that helped me to improve this even more...only opening the valve halfway helped a bit as well.

As for the "how clear" question. You guys are doing things fine if you are just making sure it is relatively free of debris. I have heard that some debris is ok and even helps the protein bond together and settle out in the fermenter. I do not know how valid the claim is though.

Having said that, my own theory is, the clearer the wort you start with, the clearer it can be in the end. My wort looks like claudius' pics. I like it that way.

 

[Denny]

So for those using pitchers or something similar, how do you dump the runnings back into the tun without disturbing the bed? I did my first AG yesterday. I used a 1-qt container and filled it 4 times before the runnings got remotely clear. I tried pouring it back in against the side of the tun to hopefully disperse the flow a little but that probably did more harm than good. It never got totally clear although it did improve. There were still small particles floathing in the vorlauf but I decided to just move on with the sparge and the brew.

I just pour it gently back over the top...never takes more than 1-2 qt.

 

[Denny]

So quick silly question, because I might have done this wrong last weekend. When someone says the runnings should be "clear", does that mean literally crystal clear like water? I did my first all grain batch last saturday and was only looking for "free of debris". The wort I used ended up being a fairly light golden color. Looking at the beer in the carboy, it's pretty damn cloudy right now.

Clear means "no chunks". I've found that wort clarity has no bearing on beer clarity.

 

[gunner11]

One thing I find I have trouble with is disturbing the grain bed pouring back in. With the round 10G cooler it is hard to get my pitcher back in close enough to the grain and pour slowly from a close height to the bed. I tried to pour on top of a tupperware bowl lid and still seem to disturb the grain bed and get some channelling.

 

[Cambriel]

Tinfoil on top with some holes poked in it helps a lot to brunt the impact of the water. Or for the fancier method, sit/hold a strainer over the grain bed and pour the water through that.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I've seen some good suggestions here. This part of the process is very equipment dependent, so no one method or volume of recirculation will work for everyone. Thought I'd put in my $.02...

I use a 10 gal round cooler with a SS false bottom and continuous (fly) sparging technique. When I vorlauf, I open the valve about 70% and pour the recirculated wort over my mash paddle to not disturb the grain bed. Within about 1/2 gallon to a gallon my wort is crystal clear, and I close the valve to about 25% and start my sparge.

 

[rico567]

Clear means "no chunks". I've found that wort clarity has no bearing on beer clarity.

I agree with this. I don't get carried away with the vorlauf. Once it's running reasonably clear (maybe 1-2 qt on each vorlauf, I start opening up the valve. I use Whirlfloc or a 5 Star product called "Super Moss" and the finished product is nice and clear.

 

[BadgerBrewer]

I used to make a bigger deal out of the vorlauf process when I first started doing all grain. Lately I have done like rico and run a few quarts to get the big chunks out and let 'er roll to the boil keggle at 75% open valve. I just got a pump so I can't wait to simply hit the switch and let it circulate for 5 minutes. I still don't think I will care all that much about clarity because I am of the whirflock fan club. Makes crystal clear beer regardless of the clarity going into the boil kettle.

 

[leoglenwood]

I'm using a false bottom and the AG setup from N Brewer
I use three fat, fat handfuls of rice hulls and don't vorlauf because it runs clear from the get go... I start the lauter slowly... I skim the hot break dutifully, and use Whirlfloc, and then the chiller which gets me a good cold break - and it's clear...

so maybe it's the rice hulls...

 

[HodgsonsBrewer]

I will give that a try and see if my running become clearer. Thanks for the info. I don't have an issue now but improvements are welcome.

 

[Sudz]

So for those using pitchers or something similar, how do you dump the runnings back into the tun without disturbing the bed?

I found an aluminum cake pan about two inches deep which fits snuggly in the top of my rectangular picnic cooler tun. I just poked a bunch of holes in the bottom at a random distribution across the bottom surface of this pan. The pan basically sits on top of the mash and disperses the energy of the pouring from the pitcher so that it does not disturb the grain bed. Kinda simple but works well.

 

[rico567]

I don't seem to have that much of a problem just pouring the wort -slowly- back into the MLT. A previous post where a guy just used a sheet of aluminum foil would seem to work as well as anything, if you don't have a cake pan to spare to punch holes in.

 

[Killervector]

I take a small bucket lid, and set it on top of the grain bed. I pour a 1 gallon bucket back into the mash on top of that lid to distribute the wort evenly and not to disturb the grain bed. It works for me.

 

[cincyjrod]

I am pretty darn clear after just a .5 Gal. A lot depends on your mash temps. And grain selection.

 

[BioBrew]

This hopefully helps with me having the same problem. Thanks!

 

[spokaniac]

Saw something on one of the electric brewing set ups where they were using a herms. They just ran a hose that laid on top of the bed that was big enough that the return did not jet out of it. They claimed it worked as well as any sparge arm for keeping the bed set.
Was thinking for my 5 gal cooler set up to use a bottling bucket above the ton with the hose dropped down and resting on the surface of the bed. The dumping the vorlauf and sparge water into the bucket and letting it drain slowly into the tun.

 

[Breck09]

To those of you on this thread that talk about using a pump, are you taking about a March Pump? Since I use a cooler I was thinking about getting a fountain pump since it is a lot cheaper but not sure if it would work. Thoughts?

 

[Sudz]

To those of you on this thread that talk about using a pump, are you taking about a March Pump? Since I use a cooler I was thinking about getting a fountain pump since it is a lot cheaper but not sure if it would work. Thoughts?

I would think keeping a fountain pump clean would be an effort in futility. I use a fountain pump for sanitizing bottles and it's super for that. But... general brew work will require access to the impeller and housing for cleaning, debris removal, and sanitation. I haven't seen a fountain pump that would permit this. They may be out there, but I haven't seen one.

Also, most situations for using a brew pump require a isolated input connection, which again is not possible on the fountain pumps I've seen.

 

[Breck09]

I would think keeping a fountain pump clean would be an effort in futility. I use a fountain pump for sanitizing bottles and it's super for that. But... general brew work will require access to the impeller and housing for cleaning, debris removal, and sanitation. I haven't seen a fountain pump that would permit this. They may be out there, but I haven't seen one.

Also, most situations for using a brew pump require a isolated input connection, which again is not possible on the fountain pumps I've seen.

That makes sense. Figured I would ask in case it was a cheap way to make life easier.