whirlpooling the boil kettle

My first whirlpool with late addition pellet hops was a disaster…
13 gallon boil in a 15.5 gallon keggle…
Blichman Riptide pump and a 3/8" 90 degree pickup tube
turned horizontal to create the whirlpool effect…
all i got was a mucky mess…added pellet hops after the boil
whirlpooled 20 minutes at 165 degrees…chilled to 65 degrees…
let sit for another 10…all the trub floating around …
any help would be great!
thanks
don

I use muslin bags for all my hop additions.  Never any issues.  I do this because I have a plate cooler and I don’t want any clogging issues.

This is a perfect example of why we only use whole leaf hops. No mud, no muck. Just crystal clear wort.

Yes, we whirlpool at the end of the boil, letting the hops settle forming an efficient filter bed.

BTW…we have a years supply of hops on hand!

^^^^This

I also have in inline screen assembly after the pump and before the plate chiller to capture any stray hop residue.

Also to add to Bel Air Brewing’s post, I also use whole hops in some of my brews like my Amarillo IPA.  I went to pellets for the most part a few years ago because of storage space.  With my plate chiller setup, I don’t clog it at all.

You might not have let the hot wort sit long enough after whirlpooling to settle and form a cone in the center of the kettle, Don.  I would just use a stainless steel spoon to whirlpool for several minutes, let it sit for at least 10 minutes after stirring until all the motion stops, and then run it off.  I assume your pickup tube draws from the side of the kettle?

Your pellet bias is showing!  ;)  Crystal clear wort is as possible with pellets as whole hops.

Yup, as people have said, bag it up. I actually got a really nice stainless steel lockable container with a metal chain on it, next hop heavy beer I’ll try using it during the boil.

:smiley:

I use a SS screen filter in my BK attached to my pickup tube. I also have an inline filter downstream of the chiller. I too use riptide pumps to generate the whirlpool effect. My process is to whirlpool for 15-20 minutes then let it settle for another 15-20 minutes. Using two filters definitely helps with obtaining clear wort and I probably don’t need to even whirlpool but I do. Try incorporating a filter somewhere in your BK or downstream.

Yes, it is. The bias has been developed over decades of brewing.

This is a condition where wort chemistry can help. In the same way that wort chemistry improves the formation and precipitation of hot-break, hop matter will tend to precipitate better when the wort chemistry. The main consideration for “wort chemistry” is its pH and its effect on the iso-electric point and surface chemistry of particulates in the wort.

If your wort pH was higher than about 5.4, it probably had this problem.

Not using any hops at all also gives you no hop trub.  But since we use hops, I like to actually get the good stuff out of them. :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

My whole hop bias was lost over decades of brewing.  BTW, I had crystal clear wort into the fermenter yesterday using pellet hops.  It can be done.

And I’m not trying to change your mind.  Everybody has their own preferences and system requirements. I’m just trying to point out that a lot of people get great results with pellets.  Including most commercial brewers.

Yes, I agree. We just prefer the whole cone variety. It is my personal problem/hang up.

Yes, it can

So, my problem is similar but different.
I ALWAYS use fine mesh Hop Bags & NEVER see Hop debris in my boil or fermenter.
My problem has to do with Hot & Cold Break ending up in the Fermenter.
I Whirlpool & Chill at the same time. I pull off the bottom of the Kettle, circ with a Chugger pump, through an Immersion Coil in a tub of city water temp & return through a dip tube to create the Whirlpool while chilling to 60.
The problem has to do with stirring up the Break in very fine particles. When I reach Pitch Temp I pump off the bottom of the Kettle into the Fermenter.
After it sits about 15 min the particles settle to the bottom of the Fermenter. The problem is the solids take up approximately 1/2 Gallon worth of Wort. (can’t figure out how to include pic)
I have to be very careful when moving from Primary to Secondary.
Reading above it looks like I should let it sit in the Kettle for 15 or so min before pumping into the Fermenter. I’m thinking I should throttle the pump output to reduce the stirring. Perhaps I should look into an SS strainer on the kettle outlet.

If you’re interested, these are the two filters I use. In the BK I use The Hop Stopper from the Electric Brewery and down stream before my plate chiller I use the Bouncer Pro. The bouncer pro has TC fittings if that is what your system incorporates and then they have the bouncer with barbed fittings