Lauter Helix.

[Black Devil Dog]

Did a brew today with mine and I can't believe how freaking awesome it is. In fact, everyone should get one, they're that good.

Initially I thought that it would be too tight to get the Lauter Helix between the outer heating coil and the side of the Brau.
This concern was completely unwarranted, it fits quite well in fact. I blame my busy life (work, renovations, flu, other shit....) on not spending sufficient time to have a proper look before making the assumption.

The other thing that got me was the way the connections are so tight fitting, I didn't want to pull too hard to disconnect the fittings from the spring, for fear of stretching the spring. It turns out that there's a really neat way of tightening the spring, which makes the spring narrower and the fittings slip over fairly easy. When it's in position, release the spring and viola, tight fit.

Did a big black ale today with 200 + grams of hops, all late in the boil,and it worked a treat.

Easiest bit of gear to clean too.

10/10.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Well I'm glad you got that sorted Bill, when I had a look at the 50 litre in G&G I thought there was enough room for the helix between the element and the side but I didn't want to try it with the sales guy hovering over me.
How was the flow?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Yeah, when I first looked at it, I was thinking that because the fittings are so snug, it would be a one piece thing which would need to slip over the coils. But when I spent a little more time on it I was soon able to get them off and make it slip around the coils and then re-connect.

I was going to try a lightly hopped lager first up, but changed my mind and thought '**** it, I'll put it to the test with a bigger load of hops'.
Glad I did, now I know that it can handle pretty much anything.

I kept the tap open only half way and it flowed perfectly right to the end.

Thanks again for helping out with this.

 

[Dan Pratt]

hi brewers, with this piece of equipment how much wort are you getting out of the kettle?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I always aim to get 48 litres and often fall just shy of that and with this I got 47, so for me there was not much difference in the end vol.
The main advantage is throwing the hops directly into the boil, rather than use a hop sock/filter, to get the full goodness of the hops.
With this idea there should be no blockage when transferring to cube.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

rather than use a hop cock/filter

What is this new brewing tool that you talk of?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

hi brewers, with this piece of equipment how much wort are you getting out of the kettle?

With the 20 litre Dan I have about 1 litre left in the kettle, the helix acts as a dip tube as you can see from the pic, not only that it comes out clear.

That's with the hops thrown straight into the kettle, and the last of the runnings.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

What is this new brewing tool that you talk of?

Ha, yeah, oops, typo.

Auto correct didn't pick it up, so maybe it's a thing.

 

[wobbly]

With the 20 litre Dan I have about 1 litre left in the kettle, the helix acts as a dip tube as you can see from the pic, not only that it comes out clear.View attachment 108409 View attachment 108410
That's with the hops thrown straight into the kettle, and the last of the runnings.

Weal
With the Lauter acting as an internal dip tube so as to speak have you extended the draining tap outlet down past the bottom of the helix/BM so as to avoid loss of suction when the level gets below the BM standard tap outlet and if so what did you use.

Cheers

w3

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I don't know if you have used yours yet wobbly, or if you are still wintering in Broome. But in the kit is a piece of silicone which fits into the outlet and into the elbow, so the air intake stopping the flow of wort doesn't happen until the wort reaches the top of the helix.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I tilted my BM forward to catch every last drop.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Waste nothing. Consume everything.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Fitted my helix with a barb that went into the elbow that you supplied, short length of silicone hose into the helix and onto the barb. Checked to see how it drained with just water, and it siphoned well below the top of the helix. With a slight lean over it drained nearly everything.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I have been wondering how they would go on a fermenter, may have to give it a go on my next brew.

 

[wobbly]

I don't know if you have used yours yet wobbly, or if you are still wintering in Broome. But in the kit is a piece of silicone which fits into the outlet and into the elbow, so the air intake stopping the flow of wort doesn't happen until the wort reaches the top of the helix.

Been back from Broome for about 2 weeks and did a Mid Strength brew in the BM yesterday. Couple of issues/observations

• Cold here so boil off less than normal and OG down a few points (1035 vs 1039)
• left about 4lt plus of trub and hop material in BM as lauter lost suction before top of spring exposed - Had tap (1/2 inch ball valve) open full for second half of drain which was most likely the cause of suction loss due to very low flow because of debris build up on spring- No biggy will know better next time
• Wort into WW was very clear with virtually no hot break/hop sludge and very little cold break as I chilled to 25C with an immersion chiller, whirlpooled and did 60 min stand before draining
• Whilst wort very clear I guess no more so than my previous practice of chilling/whirlpool/60min stand drain slowly and tilt BM towards the end.
• Hops (70g pellets boil and steep) were all free in BM where as in previous brews I had always used a hop sock.

Question
My practice has been remove boil hops from BM prior to adding hop stand hops.
What do others do when adding hops directly into the wort and doing a hop stand and then chilling do they use the Beersmith values or do they do something else
e.g. My 60 min boil hops would have been in the wort for the 60 min boil and then chilled to 75C for the hop stand of 20mins and for the duration of the chilling from 75C to 25C (about 30 mins) and then remain in the cool wort for the 60 mins after whirlpool allowing the trub to settle

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Your first hop addition would have had all the AA removed into the wort, I have been 'no chilling' so have not been adding anymore hops after the initial hops until the following day. In saying that I have made a new immersion chiller just in case this technique I am doing does not work, I have made 5 brews doing this and am drinking one which has worked out fine.
If you haven't got it already wobbly I would recommend Gordon Strong's book 'Brewing better Beer' and have a look at his hopping regime.
Found this podcast but haven't watched it hope it may help you wobbly.

 

[wobbly]

Your first hop addition would have had all the AA removed into the wort, I have been 'no chilling' so have not been adding anymore hops after the initial hops until the following day. In saying that I have made a new immersion chiller just in case this technique I am doing does not work, I have made 5 brews doing this and am drinking one which has worked out fine.
If you haven't got it already wobbly I would recommend Gordon Strong's book 'Brewing better Beer' and have a look at his hopping regime.
Found this podcast but haven't watched it hope it may help you wobbly.

Yes I have and read that publication and will go back and have a re read and when time permits will also have a listen to the pod cast

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[goatchop41]

Question
My practice has been remove boil hops from BM prior to adding hop stand hops.
What do others do when adding hops directly into the wort and doing a hop stand and then chilling do they use the Beersmith values or do they do something else
e.g. My 60 min boil hops would have been in the wort for the 60 min boil and then chilled to 75C for the hop stand of 20mins and for the duration of the chilling from 75C to 25C (about 30 mins) and then remain in the cool wort for the 60 mins after whirlpool allowing the trub to settle

Cheers

Wobbly

Alpha acid isomerisation is supposed to cease below 79oC. So if you're chilling to 75oC then doing your hop stand, you shouldn't need to worry about IBUs - either those of the hop stand hops, or the bittering hops

 

[rossbaker]

Mine has arrived today (via NSW according to the tracking info ) thanks WEAL. Looks like it should fit nicely onto the 50l keggle. I'll post back to report how it handles the first brewdays.

 

[mfroes]

So it doesnt get clogged at all with like an IPA made with a bunch of pellets?
i've been trying to figure out some way to get the most of the kettle without having to tilt it forward.
I have a 50L one and I always have to move forward because otherwise the control panel hits the table.
this sounds like a good idea.
WEAL, you only selling the coil/helix or the entire package?