Whirlpool obstacles

[ILMSTMF]

Hello,

TL;DR version - how can I whirlpool when I'm used to dunking IC in boiling wort to sanitize it?

I have a 15 gallon kettle with a dip tube/ball valve. Normally, I'll put my IC into kettle 10 minutes from flame out to sanitize it. This obstructs my ability to start a whirlpool.

Normally, I won't whirlpool. I chill the wort and dump the full volume into fermenter then pitch. See? I don't even use the dip tube to get the wort out. Trub into fermenter has not been a big concern but lately have been brewing recipes with bigger hop bills. It's resulting in a big cake in fermenter at packaging. In fact, last batch was a target 5 gallons packaged... fermenter had 4 gallons of beer in it. I think I could have hit my target volume if less trub made it into fermenter.

Also, the method here would be manually stirring the wort into a vortex and letting it spin about for, what, 20 minutes?

Thanks!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

If you're using the whirlpool just to settle the trub and hops into the middle of your boil kettle, just wait until you take your chiller out, stir it into a decent velocity whirlpool, then wait 20-30 minutes before you drain (no dumping!).

 

[NSMikeD]

If you're using the whirlpool just to settle the trub and hops into the middle of your boil kettle, just wait until you take your chiller out, stir it into a decent velocity whirlpool, then wait 20-30 minutes before you drain (no dumping!).

^ this

 

[Konadog]

Black Island Brewer pretty much covered it! If your using a pump to push your wort around, just run it along the side of your kettle, between the wall and your chiller.

 

[ILMSTMF]

Yeah but... once I pull the IC out of the wort, won't it lose its sanitized status?
I know, why prioritize keeping the IC sanitized over the whirlpool... for one, I don't have a vat of Star San to dunk the IC into.
Also, not using a pump.

So, what, then, do y'all suggest? Get a vortex going, scrub the IC with a Star San soaked rag (annoying. And what if I'm not thorough enough?), then put the IC in to begin cooling?

Thanks!

 

[Jtk78]

They are saying to chill the wort with the immersion chiller to your desired temps, pull it, then whirlpool to create the vortex, and let it sit for 20 minutes.

 

[ILMSTMF]

1 - Oh ****, I hadn't considered that! Safe though? Rule of thumb - cool fast as possible after flame out. But...ok to wait to pitch?

2 - During vortex, can I cover the kettle to keep the wort safe from airborn stuff?

3 - Oh one more. Maybe it's because I don't have a perfect understanding of hop stands. Some recipes I've done call for hop stand additions at, for example, 170F. For x minutes. Well, I'd have to stop cooling the wort to adhere to recipe. So, keep the IC in there... or pull it and begin vortex?

Thanks!

 

[Jtk78]

Go ahead and cover it. I would wash with cleaner, rinse, and spray the cover with starsan before putting it on.

I just did a NEIPA that required a 170 degree hop addition. I left the chiller in. I also use a homemade hop spider. This stayed in as well. I was able to move the hop spider a bit, and still got decent movement in the wort. Was able to get spoon between chiller and kettle, and did some stirring in the middle of the chiller.

I would not put a chiller back into a batch after I've pulled it. Others may have a different opinion.

 

[ILMSTMF]

I just did a NEIPA that required a 170 degree hop addition. I left the chiller in. I also use a homemade hop spider. This stayed in as well. I was able to move the hop spider a bit, and still got decent movement in the wort. Was able to get spoon between chiller and kettle, and did some stirring in the middle of the chiller.

I would not put a chiller back into a batch after I've pulled it. Others may have a different opinion.

Yes, exactly! I had done a NEIPA recently that asked for a 170 addition. This brings me back to my original concern - the IC is so very in the way that stirring in the middle of the IC is pretty much futile. I can't get a vortex going in there.

I agree about not reintroducing the IC to the kettle after removing it. Again, if I had a vat of Star San to dunk it in, I might reconsider.

F it. Think I'm just gonna go with the following procedure (unless the consensus votes otherwise):

• Put IC in kettle 10 minutes from flame out.
• Begin chilling.
• If there are temperature-based hop additions, pause chilling.
• Once wort has reached pitching temp, remove IC from kettle.
• Vortex like a motherF'r.
• Cover kettle with sanitized lid.
• After 20 minutes, open valve to let the wort "pee" into fermenter (I don't have hose to connect to valve).
• Pitch yeast, voila.

 

[FoCobrewguy]

Fill a bucket with water from the run off of using the IC than add a little star san and you got a "Vat of star san". I do it every brew day just to have sanitizer around and to clean things up when I am done. I 5 gallon bucket should fit your IC fine. Even if you are just lowering to 170 degrees for a hop stand you should have enough run off to fill a bucket.

 

[IslandLizard]

Fill a bucket with water from the run off of using the IC than add a little star san and you got a "Vat of star san". I do it every brew day just to have sanitizer around and to clean things up when I am done. I 5 gallon bucket should fit your IC fine. Even if you are just lowering to 170 degrees for a hop stand you should have enough run off to fill a bucket.

I think having a 5 or 6 gallon bucket with Starsan around when brewing or handling beer is no luxury anyway.

Cover the bucket with a lid when done and it's ready for the next time of use. Just make sure to sanitize the headspace and the lid before putting it on and do it again about every week or mold may grow in the headspace and underneath the lid, visible by the formation of black dots.

Now I wouldn't use the water coming out of that IC for a Starsan solution. All the crap and mold that grows inside that thing over time, no thanks!

[Edit]
Needless to say, for safety reasons, if you have small children or pets around, do not leave open buckets around where they can ever get to it.

 

[Jtk78]

Agree with IslandLizard 100%

 

[IslandLizard]

Go ahead and cover it. I would wash with cleaner, rinse, and spray the cover with starsan before putting it on.

Excellent advice, often overlooked!
Also clean and mop that kettle rim.

I just did a NEIPA that required a 170 degree hop addition. I left the chiller in. I also use a homemade hop spider. This stayed in as well. I was able to move the hop spider a bit, and still got decent movement in the wort. Was able to get spoon between chiller and kettle, and did some stirring in the middle of the chiller.

If you can get some movement in the wort with all the stuff in there that's great. But you can remove the chiller to give you more room to stir.

I would not put a chiller back into a batch after I've pulled it. Others may have a different opinion.

As long as you can keep the IC sanitized during that time it's fine, like in that bucket with Starsan. Just dunk it into a bucket with water first to rinse the wort off. Starsan doesn't have much buffering power, it should be kept clean, IMO.