Too much trub/hop residue in fermentor!

[godrick]

Don't know how to move this so I'm re-posting. Sorry.

Hi,
I've been making my full-mash IPA successfully for months now with one problem. The recipe uses 5 ounces of hops and when my wort is chilled & in the fermentor it quickly settles out to about two inches of trube/hop residue in the bottom. I transfer to a secondary fermentor @ 7 days, losing nearly a gallon of wort. Then when I transfer to a corney @ 3 weeks, I lose another half gallon. What is the best way to eliminate some of this gunk from my wort? I'm considering a large stainless strainer over my fermentor bucket(expensive), or perhaps some kind of bag that will hold the hop pellet residue. Ideas appreciated.
Thanks,
Frank

 

[fcwegnm0b]

Try using whole hops, if you can get them. I've noticed they're much easier to strain out than pellets... pellets just make a big mess, I think.

 

[fatherbigfoot]

you could try wirlpooling your wort and siphoning off near the edge where they is very little trub that would allow you to get more wort out

 

[mrk305]

Lots of people on HBT (including me) don't use a secondary. Every time you transfer beer, you leave some in the fermentor. It doesn't hurt anything to leave it in the primary for a month or so.

Also I use a book about 3/4" thick to tilt my bucket when siphoning.

 

[COLObrewer]

you could try wirlpooling your wort and siphoning off near the edge where they is very little trub that would allow you to get more wort out

+1, this helps, IPA's are hard because there is also dry hopping which soaks up more beer, I've started doing 6 gallon batches because of this.

 

[Tom]

Let it all settle out in the boil kettle. Whirlpooling can get the trub to settle in the middle of the kettle. Then transfer from the side.

 

[jwatkins56550]

Make a bigger batch to compensate for your loses.

 

[ryan0914]

So what about puting sanatized steel wool At the end if an auto siphon. I was thinking about doing this with mine. What does everyone think about this.

 

[godrick]

you could try wirlpooling your wort and siphoning off near the edge where they is very little trub that would allow you to get more wort out

Eh? Whirlpool with one hand and siphon, near the edge, with the other? WTF? There's something I'm missing here. I just want to filter out some trub/hop crap. This sounds way too complicated.

 

[godrick]

Make a bigger batch to compensate for your loses.

Already making a 6 gal batch. No more room in the fermenter.

 

[godrick]

So what about puting sanatized steel wool At the end if an auto siphon. I was thinking about doing this with mine. What does everyone think about this.

My trub/gunk is way too fine to be stopped by a bunch of steel wool. It would pass right through.

 

[Beezer94]

to whirpool: 1. cool wort
2. stir in circular motion for 1minute
3. let sit for 10-15 minutes
4. siphon from side (don't move siphon around or you stir up the "gunk")

using Irish moss or another boiled clarifying product will make this method much more successful.

You can then siphon through a paint strainer bag.

 

[WortMonger]

Eh? Whirlpool with one hand and siphon, near the edge, with the other? WTF? There's something I'm missing here. I just want to filter out some trub/hop crap. This sounds way too complicated.

Nope, not complicated at all. Whirlpooling is very effective in forming a sediment cone in the center of your boil kettle. Just do as Beezer94 has written and you will draw off very clear wort. This is how the bigger boys do it in their 15 bbl brew kettles and works just fine for them... well without the siphon hose of course.

 

[CaliBrewin]

Lots of people on HBT (including me) don't use a secondary. Every time you transfer beer, you leave some in the fermentor. It doesn't hurt anything to leave it in the primary for a month or so.

Also I use a book about 3/4" thick to tilt my bucket when siphoning.

THIS. :fro:

 

[thebamaking]

get yourself a bubble bag to strain through

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

I put a large, sanitized paint strainer bag into my fermenter when transferring my wort. Seems to work well for me. Wort makes it through, (most) hop particles do not.

Also, it is okay to squeeze the bag with this method to get out extra wort that was soaked up by the hops.

 

[blizz81]

I haven't tried whirlpooling yet. I do use a large grain bag from morebeer.com when I pour from the kettle into the fermentor. Probably wouldn't work well if you're going into a carboy and/or if you don't have a helper, but I manage to throw out a lot of hop gunk this way.

 

[PuNk]

I just used a nylon hop bag over the end of the auto-siphon. It worked great, very little hop residue.