Hot Break Removal Pics

[dougsbrew]

this is the way i prevent hot break from entering into my fermenter.
i found limited info on this in my google searches.
most common was stir and break remains in middle, this didnt work well 4 me.
i would be interested to see how other people do it.
so please post your pics.

 

[bignath]

DB, is that a piece of voille and the edge part of a cake tin?

that's a top idea if it is....i'm gonna have to try that out next batch.

Nath

 

[Dave70]

I just use ye olde kitchen strainer like this one:

Fits perfectly in the top of the fermenter and helps to aerate the wort - actually to the point you have to slow down at the end and let the foam settle.
If I'm really fussy I'll drape some cheese cloth over it as I empty the last quarter or so of the cube.
Not ideal, but works well.

 

[Bribie G]

I take it that's hot wort? How big is the wort batch - is it a full size or brewed "overgravity" to be diluted to normal strength with cold water?

In reply to OP's question - I used that system all the time when I did partials - and some of the partials were pretty big ones with up to 2.5k

Nowadays using the urns I find that with a good floccer such as Brewbrite and a 20 min rest, hardly any hot break gets into the cube as it has all settled to below the tap level. If I were using a gas fired large pot I'd seriously look at drilling and fitting a tap for that purpose alone.

Edit: OK - pictures (and here we present another genuine BribieG recycled photo boom-tish)
The first glass just clears the throat of the tap and gets used as part of a starter.
Then it's nice and clear thereafter. I only drew the second glass for the purposes of the photo.

 

[dougsbrew]

DB, is that a piece of voille and the edge part of a cake tin?

that's a top idea if it is....i'm gonna have to try that out next batch.

Nath

giday nat, its a grain bag from craftbrewer 24x24 and the cake tin
is actually a sifter that fits quite nicely in neck of fernenter.

 

[manticle]

While your hop debris wil mainly get caught in there, I'm not 100% sure that you'll get much of the hot break (unless maybe using flowers but that's a memory of what someone once said so I can't say for sure).

How big is the pot mate? If big and designed purely for brewing, wacking in a tap is very simple and saves headaches. You might just need to work on your whirlpool technique - actually creating a whirlpool rather than just stirring and giving a bit of a rest to the wort to let it settle works a treat for me.

 

[dougsbrew]

I take it that's hot wort? How big is the wort batch - is it a full size or brewed "overgravity" to be diluted to normal strength with cold water?

In reply to OP's question - I used that system all the time when I did partials - and some of the partials were pretty big ones with up to 2.5k

Nowadays using the urns I find that with a good floccer such as Brewbrite and a 20 min rest, hardly any hot break gets into the cube as it has all settled to below the tap level. If I were using a gas fired large pot I'd seriously look at drilling and fitting a tap for that purpose alone.

Edit: OK - pictures (and here we present another genuine BribieG recycled photo boom-tish)
The first glass just clears the throat of the tap and gets used as part of a starter.
Then it's nice and clear thereafter. I only drew the second glass for the purposes of the photo.

View attachment 43833

this is wort at 23*c in 25 litre pot, 4kg grain mash,
after boil is down to 18 litres, which i top up to 20 (in fermenter) with water.

 

[dougsbrew]

While your hop debris wil mainly get caught in there, I'm not 100% sure that you'll get much of the hot break (unless maybe using flowers but that's a memory of what someone once said so I can't say for sure).

How big is the pot mate? If big and designed purely for brewing, wacking in a tap is very simple and saves headaches. You might just need to work on your whirlpool technique - actually creating a whirlpool rather than just stirring and giving a bit of a rest to the wort to let it settle works a treat for me.

i do whirlpool aswell to keep as much material out of filter as i can,
sometimes the break material is a little fluid, i guess a flocculant would help here.

 

[manticle]

What's the cone formation like at the end? Is the material away from the edge of the pot ? (eg clear wort around a big fluffy mound)

 

[dougsbrew]

What's the cone formation like at the end? Is the material away from the edge of the pot ? (eg clear wort around a big fluffy mound)

generally yes, sometimes the break material becomes loose towards end of transfer and combines with draining wort.

 

[theover]

I just whirlpool see pic
a nice write up http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Whirlpooling

 

[manticle]

It's always a compromise for me too. I get good cone formation but the domed keggle bottom means it's hard to get the last bits without disturbing the trub.

You can run the last bit off into a separate container, let it settle in a fridge then pour off the clear wort for use in a starter too. I boil mine again first. As you suggested a floccing agent might help keep the cone more compact.

 

[dougsbrew]

I just whirlpool see pic
a nice write up http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Whirlpooling

i dont get a compat cone like this one, is that using a flocca,
and the pipe is that the drain from centre of pot near cone?

 

[cdbrown]

I just use ye olde kitchen strainer like this one:

Fits perfectly in the top of the fermenter and helps to aerate the wort - actually to the point you have to slow down at the end and let the foam settle.
If I'm really fussy I'll drape some cheese cloth over it as I empty the last quarter or so of the cube.
Not ideal, but works well.

According to Jamil and Palmer, having foam when transferring to the fermenter isn't a good thing as you'll get less foam in the beers. Basically your using up the foam elements at the start which will then break down and not be available when it's carbed. Aerating doesn't mean having a massive froth on top.

 

[big78sam]

According to Jamil and Palmer, having foam when transferring to the fermenter isn't a good thing as you'll get less foam in the beers. Basically your using up the foam elements at the start which will then break down and not be available when it's carbed. Aerating doesn't mean having a massive froth on top.

OT from OP but...

How does one aerate without the foam on top?

I aerate by shaking the cube before the wort goes into the fermenter and the froth is just a product of the shaking. I never know whether shaking the cube is actually necessary or whether just a vigorous pour is enough. I've always shaken the cube to be on the safe side but maybe I'll have to try without. This would help prevent cold break and hops from cube hopping getting in the fermenter as well (I know some cold break is good)

 

[cdbrown]

Apparently the best way is through an air pump and air stone to bubble through. Otherways is to give it a good stir in the fermenter trying not to splash it around to much that it causes foam. I usually just dump the cube into the fermenter and it creates heaps of foam - all that splashing aerates the wort in the process. I didn't know that it was an issue, but quite a few of my beers do lack good head retention so I'll be changing the procedure - probably put taps on the cube so I can pour from there rather than dumping it in.

 

[stux]

According to Jamil and Palmer, having foam when transferring to the fermenter isn't a good thing as you'll get less foam in the beers. Basically your using up the foam elements at the start which will then break down and not be available when it's carbed. Aerating doesn't mean having a massive froth on top.

That's gotta be bunkum.

When i did fresh wort kits, I used to pour them in from on high and get maybe 10L of foam.

If that's not too much foam I don't know what is?

I also used to use a shower head attachment to dilute tins to get tonnes of foam.

With proper carbonation, glasses cleaned in a dishwasher (not with detergent), the head has always been fantastic. My last FWK brew I did had excellent lacing, and a top head, and kept on working for at least 90 mins after the pour, without even going near a nucleated glass.

These days I make my own FWKs.... and I still pour the Cubes in from on high... its quick... and it aerates the hell out of the wort. And I can then get the lid back on the fermenter after 10 seconds...

10 seconds of exposure to atmosphere for cooled wort... not bad

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

The best way I have found is to chill the wort and let the break settle on the bottom, then siphon/pour/drain the nice clean wort off the top