Whirlpooling

[arborman]

I have read some conflicting information about whirlpooling. Today, I want to give it a try for the first time, mainly because the brew I am making has tons of hop additions.

I plan to stir between my immersion chiller while cooling, mainly to move the water across the chiller and get the wort temp down quicker. I realize this could be whirlpooling, but the sediment really wont be able to get to the center due to the chiller being in the kettle.

Is it fair practice to whirlpool after I cool, once the chiller is removed? I have read both yes and no on this...I do not want to damage my wort at this point..

Id appreciate any input from the veterans here. Thanks again for the help

 

[Yooper]

I have read some conflicting information about whirlpooling. Today, I want to give it a try for the first time, mainly because the brew I am making has tons of hop additions.

I plan to stir between my immersion chiller while cooling, mainly to move the water across the chiller and get the wort temp down quicker. I realize this could be whirlpooling, but the sediment really wont be able to get to the center due to the chiller being in the kettle.

Is it fair practice to whirlpool after I cool, once the chiller is removed? I have read both yes and no on this...I do not want to damage my wort at this point..

Id appreciate any input from the veterans here. Thanks again for the help

Yes, you'd have to remove the chiller and stir the wort in a circle to get the cone of debris to form in the middle. With the chiller in there, it won't get a nice vortex.

 

[billl]

Definitely won't work with the chiller in. Without the chiller - probably won't work either. It certainly won't hurt the beer though to give it a try.

Those incredible cones you see online are usually from people using a pump. They are running it like a professional brewer would and getting a perfect whirlpool for an extended period of time. I've tried it a half dozen times by hand and have never gotten anything more than a slight bump of hops with whirfloc and cold break mess still covering the whole bottom. If you can get a perfect cone, more power to ya!

A much simpler way is to get a 5 gallon paint straining bag from one of the box stores. Pour the wort though that and you'll catch all the hops and big pieces without the extended settling time. It doesn't look as cool, but it sure is a whole lot faster and easier.

 

[Ridire]

A much simpler way is to get a 5 gallon paint straining bag from one of the box stores. Pour the wort though that and you'll catch all the hops and big pieces without the extended settling time. It doesn't look as cool, but it sure is a whole lot faster and easier.

I am an idiot for not having thought of the strainer bag to remove trub...

I seem to have one of these "how did I not think of that before" moments about once a week on this board.

 

[HenryMoon]

Definitely won't work with the chiller in. Without the chiller - probably won't work either. It certainly won't hurt the beer though to give it a try.

Those incredible cones you see online are usually from people using a pump. They are running it like a professional brewer would and getting a perfect whirlpool for an extended period of time. I've tried it a half dozen times by hand and have never gotten anything more than a slight bump of hops with whirfloc and cold break mess still covering the whole bottom. If you can get a perfect cone, more power to ya!

A much simpler way is to get a 5 gallon paint straining bag from one of the box stores. Pour the wort though that and you'll catch all the hops and big pieces without the extended settling time. It doesn't look as cool, but it sure is a whole lot faster and easier.

Thank you for saying this. I've been brewing beer for several years and I've never had any luck at all with a whirlpool. I still end up with a fluffy 1/2 to 1 inch settling of materials in the bottom of my brewpot, perfectly distributed evenly across the entire bottom. I use the straining bag myself, just be sure to dip it in your sanitizing solution before using!

 

[arborman]

Thanks for the tips. I do have some straining bags, but they won't fit inside my carboy. I have both 1 and 5 gallon..... Maybe the one gallon can be put inside, and tied to the neck so I can pull it out? Anyone ever do this?

 

[TyTanium]

Do you have a 5g food-grade plastic bucket? Line the bucket with the 5 gallon bag and pour into that first, remove the bag, then into the carboy. That's what I do, works great.

I wouldn't do the bag inside the carboy if you use more than an ounce or two of hops...it'll be tough to squeeze through the carboy neck.

 

[bobbrews]

Whirlpool Plan:

1- After the boil, use the wort chiller immediately and quickly to bring the wort down from boiling to 160-170 F.

2- Remove wort chiller and give the wort a strong whirlpool. May require 2-3 separate stirs.

3- Add whirlpool hops (if using), and slow-chill with ice in your sink (or a basin set at counter height) down to 60 F.

4- When cooled, gently siphon from the side of the kettle, avoiding the cone of debris.

Additional Measures to Reduce Trub:

*Use a mesh bag for your kettle hops. Bagging your whirlpool hops (if using) can help too.
*A mesh bag can also be placed around the auto-siphon when racking.
*Another mesh bag can be placed around the primary bucket opening if you want to be super cautious.