# whirlfloc - How a noob would use it



## Rosscomatic (15/4/14)

Hi all

So I'm all primed up and keen to make myself a wee heavy scotch ale... If I could enter IanH's spreadsheet into a competition, I've designed myself a winning brew 

Now I just need the ingredients and a fridge and I'm ready to go... (if anyone has a free fridge in the Perth region then let me know!)

Got a question about whirlfloc... IanH's spreadsheet-of-awesome says to put 1/5 a tablet in, 10 minutes before flame out. My understanding is that the whirlfloc will basically bunch all the bits together so they settle to the bottom...

After that, how do you transfer the boiled wort into the fermenter? Do you just remove the hops, cool, and then tip the whole lot in? Do you need to filter it out? If I just tip it in, will the bits settle again?

How and when does the whirlfloc do it's business?

Thanks all!

RossH


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## manticle (15/4/14)

Unless your wort is chilled, it's better not to tip.
If you're adding whirlfloc and trying to leave break material behind, it's better not to tip.
Half a tab per 20-25 L batch, dissolve in warm water, add 5-10 mins before flameout.
Allow to settle, whirlpool, let stand, drain to cube or fv.


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## Wilkensone (16/4/14)

Where are you in Perth btw? 

I've just started doing the same as above (didn't know about dissolving though) biggest thing I learnt is letting it sit awhile after boil before whirlpool. 

You just want it to drop as much material as possible before you transfer to a cube/FV


Wilkens


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## HardEight (16/4/14)

I'm curious why dissolve it b4 adding it to the boil?


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## Wilkensone (16/4/14)

Maybe let's it rehydrate before the boil?


Wilkens


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## mrsupraboy (16/4/14)

Can someone please tag that recipe. Keen to have a look at it


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## sp0rk (16/4/14)

If you want to use small amounts, it might be a better option to use Brew Brite
Mark's Homebrew sells it
150g jar - http://www.ubrew.com.au/web/showproduct.asp?prodid=299
23L dose - http://www.ubrew.com.au/web/showproduct.asp?prodid=290

As do Craftbrewer
90g packet - http://craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4396


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## SnakeDoctor (16/4/14)

This is all just my personal experience: 

OK I just went straight into AG/BIAB for my first home brew - so i'm definitely a noob, but several brews down and I have _no idea_ how the guys manage to get a clean separation of wort and trub, I gave up trying to do so for now and just let it all except the very last of it run straight into the cube (if no chilling) or fermenter (if chilling).

As soon as I open the tap on the crown URN it sucks the trub down the bottom. I did a test with small half batches from the same brew one cloudy with trub one pretty clear, there is extra trub into the fermenter but it hasn't made a difference that I can tell - so whilst it's probably not the best, if you can't manage to separate it, it's not going to ruin your brew so don't stress it.

And a big caveat: I used a hop strainer/bag, no idea if leaving the boiled hop residue in the fermenter will affect the flavour of the beer.


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## marksy (16/4/14)

Whirlpooling is the best way I've found so far. Can read a newspaper through the wort going into cube.


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## manticle (16/4/14)

HardEight said:


> I'm curious why dissolve it b4 adding it to the boil?


To be honest, I've read a lot of conflicting ideas - 15 minutes before end of boil, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, dissolve, don't dissolve, crush, don't crush.

For ages I have been crushing a tab straight into wort 10 minutes out. Read the instructions on my recent bag (same supplier as always) and noticed the instruction to dissolve in water and add 5 minutes out.

I know if you use too much it can have no effect, I know if you use it too early, it can have no effect and I know from experience that too late will not work well. From experience - 10 minutes out, half a tab into 20ish L final volume brew, thrown straight in and combined with a good whirlpool works well. 5 mins, rehydrated (and combined with a good whirlpool) works at least as well.


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## Rosscomatic (16/4/14)

mrsupraboy said:


> Can someone please tag that recipe. Keen to have a look at it


I've just posted it here:
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/79574-northern-savage-wee-heavy-scotch-ale/
Any feedback is welcome and encouraged!!!



So on Ian's spreadsheet, I've said I'll be doing an 8L boil because that's the size of the pot I've got... but it still says to chuck in 1/2 a tab,10 mins before flame-out... So the quantity of Whirlfloc is caluclated based on the total final volume that will be fermented, not on the boil size... Which means it must continue to work it's magic in the fermenter?


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## SnakeDoctor (16/4/14)

marksy said:


> Whirlpooling is the best way I've found so far. Can read a newspaper through the wort going into cube.


Tried this, has zero to no effect on my wort.

Maybe doing it wrong or maybe its the water profile here, all I know is I spent ages doing it and no change in the wort.

Have tried with brewbrite, with whirlfloc, with nothing, fast, slow, for a long time, for not much time, letting it cool down a bit first, letting it do hot, chilled, not chilled - no love here.


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## Spiesy (17/4/14)

SnakeDoctor said:


> Tried this, has zero to no effect on my wort.
> 
> Maybe doing it wrong or maybe its the water profile here, all I know is I spent ages doing it and no change in the wort.
> 
> Have tried with brewbrite, with whirlfloc, with nothing, fast, slow, for a long time, for not much time, letting it cool down a bit first, letting it do hot, chilled, not chilled - no love here.


I must admit that whirlpooling is the major chink in my armour. I suck at it. 

Not sure if my pickup tube interrupts the currents or I'm just shit. But it is the one part of my brew day that I just can't nail. 
Oh well. Crash chilling for an extended period certainly helps to clear the beer. I filter for anything I want ultra-bright.


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## Camo6 (17/4/14)

SnakeDoctor said:


> This is all just my personal experience:
> 
> OK I just went straight into AG/BIAB for my first home brew - so i'm definitely a noob, but several brews down and I have _no idea_ how the guys manage to get a clean separation of wort and trub, I gave up trying to do so for now and just let it all except the very last of it run straight into the cube (if no chilling) or fermenter (if chilling).
> 
> ...


Have you converted your urn tap to a 3 piece job? I'm usually pretty impatient by the time I drain the kettle and used to get a lot of break in the fermentor. Lately I've been draining as slow as possible and getting far less crap in fermentor.


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## TheWiggman (17/4/14)

I concur with Camo. If you can't separate the trub and it's getting sucked through, replace with a ball valve and compression fitting. Or some sort of fitting that allows you to drain from a higher point. 
Re: whirlfloc, I throw 1 tablet in a 23l batch with 15mins to go. Flame out, wait 10 mins, whirlpool like a madman then WAIT another 30 mins. Don't rush draining it, just wait it out. It will settle even if you don't whirlpool. Promise. 
I have a suction on the side of my keg boiler. It will pull through a tsp or 2 of trub then the rest is clear as. Once I get near the bottom, I tip the keg gently until I've sucked as much as I can out.


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## manticle (17/4/14)

I agree on waiting but 1 tab is twice what you need in that batch size. Like starsan - more is not better.


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## 431neb (17/4/14)

I've just stopped using the powdered Irish moss from Australian home brewing supplies and used a Keg King branded tablet for my last brew day. It was a double batch and I simply threw it into the wort ten minutes before flameout. It fizzed like an aspro and I poked it a bit until it was gone.

Point is that my trub cone was better than normal and I whirlpool as soon as my wort stops boiling.

I think the suction of your drain is disturbing your trub cone and /or you aren't waiting long enough for the rotation to completely stop before draining.

I've also noticed that hop flowers rather than pellets will hold a trub cone together beautifully.


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## TheWiggman (17/4/14)

manticle said:


> I agree on waiting but 1 tab is twice what you need in that batch size. Like starsan - more is not better.


Perhaps, but every time I try to split a tablet it crumbles on me and 1/3 of it ends up on the floor. 1st world problems. I bite the bullet and throw the extra 10c in.
Also by this stage I'm often shaking kids off my leg or yelling at them to stay away from the boiler.


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## manticle (17/4/14)

Fair enough. Not the saving I'm considering but the possibility that too much can work against you.
Agreed on the crumbling. One hand gets a reasonable half tab, the other gets a mess of bits. I put that mess of bits back in the bag knowing it's a half tab equivalent for next time. No kids to distract me though.


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## Rosscomatic (17/4/14)

Wilkensone said:


> Where are you in Perth btw?


Oops missed this! 

I'm in Gwelup which is near Karrinyup.


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## Liam_snorkel (17/4/14)

another thing that (in my most humble opinion) helps, is leaving the lid on after whirlpool _and while you're draining it. _

If you take the lid off you'll notice a huge puff of vapour which continues to be released from the hot wort. I'm sure there would be associated convection currents which lift the trub off the bottom of the pot, disturbing your trub cone/layer.


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