Does anyone here use the SS Brewtech kettle and the option for the False bottom?
I’m looking to upgrade to a better brew pot but I’m concerned about all the trub getting into my carboy. Their trub dam looks interesting and from a couple of reviews I have seen seems to work pretty well so I was wondering if it was worth i to get the additional false bottom to help block all or most of the hops from draining out into my carboy for fermenting.
If the trub dam works well enough on it’s own I’ll gladly pass on spending the extra money for the false bottom if it isn’t necessary.
I’m looking into the same kettle upgrade myself and my current thought is that the false bottom is unnecessary. Hopefully someone here has used the kettle in both configurations.
False bottom is only useful if you are using leaf hops. Create a good whirlpool, allow to settle, open the valve just enough for flow, and I’m sure the diverter will do well.
I like to separate out the trub for two reasons. 1 - I don’t need to waste space in the fermeneter. 2 - way easier to save yeast cakes when there isn’t twice as much mucky garbage than yeast.
I have a 10 gal. SS Brewtech kettle with the trub dam/dip tube pickup and no false bottom. I use leaf hops. I have found that I can cram a stainless steel pot scrubber behind the trub dam and around the pickup. I whirlpool which concentrates most of the trub and hops in the pot center and the pot scrubber keeps the rest from getting in the pickup.
So this might be a stupid question but their site also talks about a whirlpool attachment that connects to a bulkhead but I haven’t seen anything that explains how it works or how I would use it.
Anyone have any explanation on how it works? Are you supposed to connect a non immersion chiller to it in order to chill and create the whirlpool? I’ve not used anything other than an immersion wort chiller before so I’m curious to know how this whirlpool attachment works.
Basically two ball valves. Pump from the out back into the whirlpool to get a good spin going. Multiple ways to do it. Give it a Google search and you will find countless pictures of different setups.
Helps with trub and faster chill times when using an immersion chiller
One of the pump outputs goes back to the port about 4 inches above the kettle drain. That port is normally used for a dial thermometer but I’d rather use a pen style thermometer. I installed a 3/8’ SS street ell on inside to make the whirlpool.
After you pull your chiller, run the pump for a few minutes more to get a good whirlpool action. Then cut the pump and let the trub settle for five minutes or so. Then pump into your fermenter.
So is that basically an electric water pump from a hardware store hooked up to some hose via a stainless steel t fitting to direct it back into the kettle or into the carboy?
Not a hardware store pump. There are various pumps available that have the temp rating and are food safe. I have chugger, but there is also March and another brand that is priced about half the price of either of those.
Yes, back into the kettle. The idea is to have it constantly stirring which reduces the amount of water and time needed when using an immersion chiller. There are other advantages such a as having whirlpool/hopstand hops being constantly mixed.
The tee used in the above shots is for his convenience and based on his preference. I prefer to gravity transfer into the fermenter, so in my case it’s not used.
There is one more advantage gained using a pump for your wort. Near the end of your boil you can put the delivery tubing into the top of your kettle and pump boiling wort for a minute or two to kill any bacteria that may have taken up residence in your valves and plumbing. It can happen:
I have a 10-gallon SS Brew Tech kettle I have used twice. I used a hop bag so I didn’t need the false bottom. I did notice an interesting way to drain more wort from the kettle: by putting tubing on the ball valve, I was able to drain the wort below the valve – the dip tube and trub dam are lower than the valve and the tube allowed me to siphon wort from the kettle. After whirl pooling the trub dam was very effective.
