When to filter

[medic20]

I'm seeing a lot of different questions about filtering the hops/sediment out of your wort, and I've seen some video's using strainers or funnels with strainers in the bottom.

My question is when to do so. Should I strain before going into the primary, secondary, or bottling bucket, or all three?

I don't plan on siphoning into the primary, so that doesn't seem like my best option, but if I hear that's the way to do it, I'm sure I can find a way.

 

[daksin]

I assume you mean just straining out the big clumps of stuff, and not micron filtering for perfect clarity. You should be doing this before you add your yeast.

If you're micron filtering, the only reason to do it is before it goes into your keg, under CO2. Otherwise you're removing all of the yeast you would otherwise use to carbonate your beer.

 

[SocalNat]

Why not just leave it and let it settle out during primary? Rack it right off the top of the sediment into the bottling bucket when the time comes.

 

[Calichusetts]

Boil to chiller: You can get a lot out of this if you use strainers/mesh screens or an actual device

Chiller to fermenter: This is you last chance to reduce trub...you might want to repeat the same steps you use for above

Fermentor to bottling bucket: This is your last chance to get out any hop sediment (dry-hopping?)

I use two-to-three stainers for boil to chiller...then a double strainer as I put it into the fermenter. Either use a hop bag or filter one last time...is this necessary? Maybe not...there are options such as longer primary use and cold crashing that can work very well...it really depends on your system and expectation of the results

 

[Calder]

I like to strain my hops as I pour into the fermenter because I like to harvest my yeast and re-use it. Straining the hops will make the the yeast harvest cleaner.

Many people just let the hops go into the fermenter. They just drop to the bottom and contrary to what calichusetts said, leaving them in the fermenter doesn't extend the time it takes to clear the beer. This is stuff that would drop to the bottom of the kettle, and will also drop to the bottom of the fermenter and not affect the clarity of the beer, or the time to clear.

 

[NineMilBill]

The easiest and quickest way is to do it after the wort has been chilled, and it being poured (filtered) into the primary.