Question for Tasty

[BeerPal]

Mike,

Influenced by the talk you gave at November's DOZE meeting, I have abandonded my converted keg/boil kettle and it's Jamil-O-Chiller fittings for a MoreBeer Heavy Duty 15-gallon kettle and used it for the first time over the weekend. Like you, I did not install a pickup tube of any kind. Here's my question:

After developing a vigorous whirlpool with my spoon after the boil and letting it rest for 20 minutes afterwards, I had a nice, well-formed trub cone in the middle of the kettle. Since it was so well confined to the middle of the kettle, it seems to me that a short 90° pickup tube that took wort from near the wall of the kettle would still produce clear wort with much less waste than running with no pickup tube at all. Your thoughts?

[wsbrewn]

How long did you whirlpool for? Did you do a vigorous 1/2 min stir or 5 minute full hard on whirlpool and let rest for 20 minutes?

Also, I tried whirlpooling this weekend, but I didn't use whirlfloc and kept whirlpooling like every 5 minutes. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with my results. I have a flat bottom pot with a ball valve and plugged 1/2" NPT coupler.

Advice appreciated.

[captain carrot]

That should work fine

[BeerPal]

That should work fine

Yes, but I want to know why Tasty doesn't do it.

[BeerPal]

How long did you whirlpool for? Did you do a vigorous 1/2 min stir or 5 minute full hard on whirlpool and let rest for 20 minutes?

Also, I tried whirlpooling this weekend, but I didn't use whirlfloc and kept whirlpooling like every 5 minutes. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with my results. I have a flat bottom pot with a ball valve and plugged 1/2" NPT coupler.

Advice appreciated.

As per Tasty's method, I just got the wort spinning real well. Maybe 20 or 30 seconds of good stirring until the entire volume was moving fast. Then I covered the kettle and walked away for 20 minutes. Of course, I couldn't see the trub cone until I'd drained the kettle most of the way, but once I could, it was very uniform and well shaped. I'd never had a cone anything like that with my converted keg.

[wsbrewn]

Did you use Irish Moss/Whirlfoc? Also, was your wort as clear as Tasty's infamous picture?

[BeerPal]

Did you use Irish Moss/Whirlfoc? Also, was your wort as clear as Tasty's infamous picture?

I did use whirfloc but seeing as I was brewing a black IPA, the wort was not particularly clear. Sure left plenty of trub behind though.

[TastyMcD]

Mike,

Influenced by the talk you gave at November's DOZE meeting, I have abandonded my converted keg/boil kettle and it's Jamil-O-Chiller fittings for a MoreBeer Heavy Duty 15-gallon kettle and used it for the first time over the weekend. Like you, I did not install a pickup tube of any kind. Here's my question:

After developing a vigorous whirlpool with my spoon after the boil and letting it rest for 20 minutes afterwards, I had a nice, well-formed trub cone in the middle of the kettle. Since it was so well confined to the middle of the kettle, it seems to me that a short 90° pickup tube that took wort from near the wall of the kettle would still produce clear wort with much less waste than running with no pickup tube at all. Your thoughts?

My whirlpool strategy is to keep as many things from restricting the free movement of the spinning wort as possible. That said, I don't see any reason why a small 90 degree elbow that faces down and in the direction of the whirlpool to lower the pickup point would be a huge problem. You've done a batch without it. Now add it and see if you get a similar result.
Tasty

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/487554_4397597413637_399747356_n.jpg