Why use a settling bucket?

[MrSmug]

My beginners kit instructions mention using a settling bucket after cooling down the wort and before it gets to the fermenter. What's the purpose of the settling bucket? Is this just so some of the hops and other matter fall below the spigot and thus don't end up in the fermenter? If so, couldn't you instead strain the hops through a mesh bag of some sort.. ie, tie a grain bag around the fermenter so when you pour the wort from the kettle into the fermenter you can simply strain it out?

Thanks

 

[boist]

I have never heard of a settling bucket. It sounds like a patently bad idea as it is one more place that the wort can get infected. Anything that can settle in the bucket can settle in the fermentor and be left there when you bottle.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

My beginners kit instructions mention using a settling bucket after cooling down the wort and before it gets to the fermenter. What's the purpose of the settling bucket? Is this just so some of the hops and other matter fall below the spigot and thus don't end up in the fermenter? If so, couldn't you instead strain the hops through a mesh bag of some sort.. ie, tie a grain bag around the fermenter so when you pour the wort from the kettle into the fermenter you can simply strain it out?

Thanks

i just let the wort 'settle' in the kettle. all the hops and break material should be settled or coagulated in the time it takes to chill, then just rack the clear wort. or you can strain the wort going into the fermenter, a five gal paint strainer should do the trick to get the hops material out.

 

[unionrdr]

I use a big,fine mesh strainer I got from Midwest. I strain the chilled wort & top off water going into primary. It aerates it well,& strains out all but the fine floury size stuff. Makes for less trub at bottling time. I get about 5/16" of compacted trub when it's time to rack to the bottling bucket.

 

[Revvy]

You must be reading some ancient instructions or misreading something. I've never come across the discussion of a "settling bucket" in any contemporary homebrewing literature. I'd like to see what you've been reading.

 

[unionrdr]

I'm thinking it's an antiquated word for bright tank,or secondary. Def a new one to me...

 

[Grinder12000]

Never heard of it before. I just dump everything into the carboy.

 

[bleme]

I don't think it is talking about a secondary. I think it is talking about pre-primary. On my first batch, before I had a strainer or a decent funnel, I poured my wort from the kettle into my bottling bucket, then used the spigot to get it into my carboy. When I did that, all the hops and junk 'settled' below the spigot level. For me, it was a happy accident, but I could see instructions directing a new brewer to do something like that on purpose.

 

[unionrdr]

What I meant was it's using the secondary (known commercially as a bright tank) before going into primary. I'd rather just strain all into primary to clean things up & aerate it good.

 

[jsv1204]

Settling bucket is a new one for me. Normally, I see a lot of settling in the kettle during cooling. I try to leave as much of that out of the primary as possible. I would think that a good strainer would accomplish everything a "settling bucket" would accomplish. Besides, the strainer will help aerate.

 

[MrSmug]

From detailed instructions I received from my beginners kit.

http://www.hoptech.com/collections/homebrewing-kits/products/hoptech-homebrewing-kit
http://www.hoptech.com/pages/homebrewing-questions-and-answers

Essentially after the wort cools down you transfer to this bucket then wait anywhere from 30mins to 3hours for the hops/trub to fall below the spigot before finally transferring to the fermenter. I would be ecstatic to learn this step isn't necessary thus cutting an hour off of my brew day

Now you know where my confusion comes from

 

[MrSmug]

From one of their guides:

If you have a settling tank, pour the wort into the settling tank. Add code, setrile water to bring the level up to 5 gallons and le the wort settle. If your settling tank has a spigot, let the wort settle until the level of the trub is below the spigot. If it never gets that low after 3 hours, then go ahead and transfer the wort anyway. The little bit of sediment that you'll get won't matter that much. If at the end of the transfer you start to pick up more sediment, shut the spigot off as soon as possible. This is the sediment we really want to avoid in our fermenter

 

[bleme]

I prefer to strain my wort. It's fast, it aerates, it keeps the bulk of that stuff out of my fermentor and it gives me more liquid than just leaving the trub behind. Just because it is my way, doesn't make it the right way though. Every guy here has their own taste which shapes their preference.

On the one extreme you have people who just take the clear wort off the top. At the other you have people who just dump it all in and let the yeast sort it out. Each method is going to produce it's own flavor.

 

[Soldevi]

I sometimes get quite a lot of trub even after straining thru a 5 gallon paint strainer. Break material and whatnot...

This is something I'm going to try on my next batch just to see if it produces a cleaner/clearer beer for ME.

I will be losing a bit of beer I'm sure.

Keith Brown uses this technique. Its in his video on youtube.

 

[MrSmug]

Keith Brown uses this technique. Its in his video on youtube.

Settling bucket?

 

[Soldevi]

Yeah, I guess... He brews a 10 gallon batch and divides it into 2 buckets, then puts them into his fermenting fridge to settle. He racks off the clear wort and pitches the next day.

 

[MrSmug]

Ok.. looks like to each his own. I'm just glad I don't have to settle.

 

[FifteenTen]

What I meant was it's using the secondary before going into primary.

Union I take your point and I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers but I had to chuckle at SECONDARY before PRIMARY...as the former can not exist without the latter.

Again, not trying to provoke you, I know your posts are always very hepful to me and the other beginners. Just good humored comradery.