Whirlpool setup

[beerme70]

I am in the process of upgrading some of my equipment. I will be going with a single tier 3 vessel, consisting of two 15 gallon pots and a 15 gallon insulated mash tun. I want to set up a whirlpool in my BK, and I am just looking for some advice on the best way to do it, preferably accompanied with some pictures. I have bargain fittings and brewhardware bookmarked already, and have made several purchases through them in the past, and I that's where I planned to buy all the stuff.

 

[Hammy71]

I bought mine from Bargain Fittings. I've been very happy with the results, especially the decrease in chilling times using my IC. It was super easy to install. I simply use camlocks and high temp tubing from the drain valve of my BK and pump the wort back through another ball lock valve to the whirlpool fitting in the kettle. The first picture is an above shot of the kettle and the second is an outside view. The hoses are set up for recirculating the mash in the picture.

 

[Monkey-BB]

I love my whirlpool from bargin fittings... I followed his recommendation on placement and it works amazing...
I have attaches a couple of pics, the one with the little "puck" was a test with 12 gallons of water and everything I could shake out of my grain mill.
Go for it!
Good luck

 

[Anticlimaddox]

Hey Hammy -

Just confirming what I think is accurate - the decrease in chilling with your IC is due to the wort moving around the coils more correct? Is it substantial? What kind of decrease from boil to tap temp?

Much appreciated.
// brian

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Hey Hammy -

Just confirming what I think is accurate - the decrease in chilling with your IC is due to the wort moving around the coils more correct? Is it substantial? What kind of decrease from boil to tap temp?

Much appreciated.
// brian

Brian-

I can attest that whirlpooling while chilling with an immersion chiller made a dramatic difference in cooling time for me. It generally cut my time by 50%. It helps to prevent temperature stratification in the kettle and that is what helps drop the time down so much.

 

[Hammy71]

Hey Hammy -

Just confirming what I think is accurate - the decrease in chilling with your IC is due to the wort moving around the coils more correct? Is it substantial? What kind of decrease from boil to tap temp?

Much appreciated.
// brian

Yep, what Sandy said. It increases the amount of wort coming into contact with the chiller. I'd say about 50% more efficiency with the whirlpool too.

 

[BackAlley]

Been also thinking about doing this (already use a pump for moving water around) but am paranoid of infection. Right now, I can see (and clean) everything the wort touches.

Is the concern misplaced? For those that whirlpool, what's your process during boil, for the cold side and for cleanup to prevent problems.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[atoughram]

Been also thinking about doing this (already use a pump for moving water around) but am paranoid of infection. Right now, I can see (and clean) everything the wort touches.

Is the concern misplaced? For those that whirlpool, what's your process during boil, for the cold side and for cleanup to prevent problems.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I start my whirlpool while still boiling to sanitize everything

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I do not cool while I whirlpool. I chill with a plate chiller inline to the fermenter. That means that during my 20-30 minute whirlpool I am circulating near boiling wort. That is a long enough contact time to kill any problems. During cleanup I cycle hot pbw (135 degrees) through the hex and the wort pump for 45 minutes. no infections. No problems.

 

[Gavin C]

I have not yet plucked up the courage to drill a hole in my kettle for a whirlpool but get a decent one going with my tubing, positioned correctly and clamped in place. Not sure it would meet your requirements

 

[beerme70]

Thanks for the replies and pix. I plan on putting a SS coil in my hlt for the purpose of cooling rather than heating. Here's what I plan on doing things:

1) heat strike water in hlt
2) pump to mlt
3) dough in
4) upon mash completion, circulate mash in mlt to vorlauf and set grain bed
5) pump to bk
6) batch sparge with water from hlt
7) circulate again to vorlauf and set grain bed
8) pump to bk
9) after boil, pump through coil in hlt, that now contains ice water, and whirlpool back into bk
10) pump to fermenter

If at sometime down the road I decide to go HERMS, I am set up for that. I don't plan on a HERMS anytime soon, however. I like to be more involved in the process.