HEAPS of trub - what to do?

[laxation]

Few days ago, tried making a 70L batch on a friend's new bit of equipment. I do very simply BIAB in an urn, with no sparge, and he doesn't even make beer - so we were flying blind!

Had some fun and the beer looks pretty good though (after surely ******* it up numerous times for various reasons) but the biggest thing I think we did wrong was mixing during sparging - so we had a very cloudy wort and now there is heaps of trub in the fermenter. To the point where the tap is like halfway in what looks to be the layer of it.

Anyone got any ideas what to do about this? I was thinking I could siphon out the top, but I don't have a siphon pump thing.

Only been in the fermenter overnight, so it could compress a bit, but I'm not holding my breath...

 

[wynnum1]

Could try pumping out of the tap if you do not have pump could try wet and dry vacuum .

 

[user 35653]

I wouldn't stress. Let it finish fermentation. Do your dry hop if applicable. Cold crash it. When you go to keg/bottle it try and not shake it up at all and run the first amount off until you get clear 'beer' - typically it's about 0.5L for me.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Next time Vorlauf Laxation. I couldn't find a good link on description but here its basically using the grain bed as a filter.

Vorlauf is derived from the German verb vorlaufen which means to "run ahead". In brewing this is when you initially run off wort from your lauter tun into a vessel called a grant. You then keep recirculating the runnings from the grant back on top of the grain bed until the wort begins to run clear. You can now proceed with a normal sparge.

I mix between sparges and spend a bit of time on Vorlauf but its good to start off with clear wort. Drain the wort slowly too.

 

[wynnum1]

BIAB does not use a grain bed as a filter.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I got the impression they didn't do it as BIAB. ?

 

[laxation]

We didn't BIAB. Were pretty much making shit up as we went along - was at my mate's factory, and he's only just got power so using the equipment really for the first time. And it's not set up for beer either - but was good fun trying to figure it out.

When the wort was so cloudy I googled it to find out we weren't supposed to stir during sparge. Also dumped sparge water into the container instead of the slow trickle.

Also lost the false bottom right at the start of the mash so had to improvise a fair bit! If we had that in place the vorlauf would be very simply and would probably just skip the sparge next time tbh...

On a semi-related note, how important is it to keep the wort at any specific temp during this time?

 

[Droopy Brew]

Probably the best thing to do and the lowest infection risk, is to ferment normally but tilt the fermenter up at the tap end. I suggest a calibrated piece of 4x2 timber for this.
That way the excess trub will end up away from your tap.

 

[laxation]

That's a great idea! but I'll only be able to do it when I keg. That should do the trick though

 

[manticle]

That sounds like an enormous amount of trub. I'd be wanting to work out if it is and what it is.

Did you leave anything behind in the kettle?

You should be able to gently stir after batch sparging, then let settle again.

Recirculation and patience make a big difference to what gets left behind in the tun, kettle finings, whirlpooling and more patience make a big difference to what gets left in the kettle.

How did you chill? If no chill or plate chiller, it might be cold break which is nothing to worry about. Is it a mushroomy formation at all?

 

[laxation]

That sounds like an enormous amount of trub. I'd be wanting to work out if it is and what it is.

Did you leave anything behind in the kettle?

You should be able to gently stir after batch sparging, then let settle again.

Recirculation and patience make a big difference to what gets left behind in the tun, kettle finings, whirlpooling and more patience make a big difference to what gets left in the kettle.

How did you chill? If no chill or plate chiller, it might be cold break which is nothing to worry about. Is it a mushroomy formation at all?

It really is a big amount... I'll see if I can take a picture later today, but not sure if it will show up clearly.

We probably fucked up about 50 different things while making this beer and I'm not going to be surprised if it's shit. But we had some fun making it and trying to make it work with what we had! (Both in the way of limited equipment and even more limited knowledge)

List of ****-ups that might have contributed - enjoy the read
- false bottom was being hit by the motor mixer in the mash tun, so it was gone pretty much immediately after putting grains in
- using a mash tun not designed for beer (as far as I know), with a valve right at the bottom
- after mash, moved everything to a regular 50L keg with false bottom for the sparge. did this by pouring the lot out into buckets and moving to fermenter.
- started sparging with water from the mash tun jacket, but just poured it into the keg with buckets (because we were using the pumps for something else, can't remember what)
- stirred the sparge because it was very slow coming out. Later we just used a bigger pump...
- poured even more water in for sparging and stirred again
- pumped the wort back into mash tun (now kettle) to boil
- boiled with RIMS. It got to about 96 degrees which was pretty impressive. I didn't know how these things would work
- 'whirlpooled' with the motor arm, which was way too ******* intense causing fair bit of aeration.
- Now the fun bit - because we used the mash tun with the valve at the bottom, there's no way to keep any trub in the kettle. So after whirlpool and waiting 20 min or so, just emptied about 5 litres onto the floor and started filling cubes to no chill. And here we are!

We certainly learned a lot doing it the dodgy way trying to figure it out for ourselves. Next time would be interesting to see how much we can fix with the equipment available.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Ditto. I not only wouldn't stress about it, but have been making the best beer I have in years due to excess trub in the fermenter (go figure) so I happily go all out now

Not that anyone will agree but take a look at the trub exbeeriment online. From memory 'trubby' was quite highly respected. Take it with a grain of salt and make your own experiments before deciding for yourself but I'm sold on this particular ocasion

 

[manticle]

I'm surprised you're suggesting you're making the best beer in years, yet have a bunch of threads on how unhappy you are with your beers.

There's no doubt that excess hot break material has a negative effect (and little/no positive effect) on beer. One of the main ones is on beer stability and flavour through oxidation of lipids.

Drinking beer fresh will very likely show less impact from trub material (hot break) but if your beer is actually improved by its inclusion, something is tits up.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Lol

Well, if you call beer such as Feral Hog Hog 'bad' beer then mine's as bad as that

My threads have been in regard to massive hop aroma, if you think back..

 

[laxation]

One of the main ones is on beer stability and flavour through oxidation of lipids.

This was my biggest concern for the beers we made. I plan to drink it up quick once it's kegged to try and avoid issues... not only the excess trub but also how much the wort was moved around/aerated after mashing

 

[manticle]

Lol

Well, if you call beer such as Feral Hog Hog 'bad' beer then mine's as bad as that

My threads have been in regard to massive hop aroma, if you think back..

And oxidation.

I haven't called your beer anything btw - I haven't tasted it for a start.

I'm not having a go either, so please remove any clavicle chips, if there are any.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Dude, I've had a think about your advice and it seems sound. But, I've also just cracked my latest pale and it's so astoundingly good, that I've gone back to BSII to take more notes. I swear it's the best pale I've ever made in my 20 odd years brewing.. what gives?!

I made this one just before writing threads here and discovering closed system brewing. But I'm confident in saying that this is one brew I'd happily make exactly the same way as before. Funnily enough. I don't know how it's working but it has.

Still insanely interested and keen on results of the pale in fv which has been well taken care of in terms of brewing practice.

Take it easy too btw man, I'm a friendly dude. I mean no malice. I'm only here to learn and pick up new knowledge like the rest of us

 

[manticle]

All cool here, boss.