Lauter Helix.

[wide eyed and legless]

After taking up a couple of pages in the Guten thread thought it to be a good idea for the Lauter Helix to have its own thread.
Posted by MBB.
Posted Yesterday at 2:32 PM
WEAL,fitted my helix today using an elbow and an end cover, would not fit under the tap so its ok to go over the top?

Makes no difference if you are using it as a pick up as well as a filter the wort should drain down to the top of the helix.

Everyone else who has a screwed fitting, the silicone washers finally arrived and they were posted out last Friday.

 

[malt junkie]

Weal for those who haven't followed the Guten thread, perhaps some pics and an explanation, and possible availability, or where best to source.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Good point MJ, as I had to buy a bulk package I have a few left, they are good for almost any kettle, I have one in my BM 20 litre and one in the Guten, able to filter out hops put straight into the boil with no hop bag or spider.
For the BM. With final runnings

For the Guten.

 

[Leyther]

Weal, got a silicone washer through the post today, presume it was from you? whats it for?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Goes behind the elbow or tee piece whichever you are using, if you use the tee piece parallel then you don't need it if you are going to make a pick up out of the helix then you will need it stop the air getting sucked into the tap before it has reached the top of the helix.

 

[malt junkie]

Weal; price? or do I need to pm?

 

[nosco]

Awesome bit o kit

 

[Leyther]

Goes behind the elbow or tee piece whichever you are using, if you use the tee piece parallel then you don't need it if you are going to make a pick up out of the helix then you will need it stop the air getting sucked into the tap before it has reached the top of the helix.

I might need a picture I'm not understanding this at all

 

[nosco]

So that explains the washer in the mail

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If you revisit magical pancake giving the demo of the Lauter Helix he fits the silicone washer behind the 'T' piece, he later says it isn't necessary, the way he uses the helix it isn't, he's just draining to tap level.But if you are trying to drain below the level of the tap as would a pick up tube the syphoning effect has to be kept intact so no air can be allowed to be sucked in. Next brew I will do a close up pic.

 

[malt and barley blues]

Tried the L/Helix out this morning, cloned an Archers Golden Bitter, put some silicone at the elbow and didn't cut back the helix,
heres the results.


Liquor drained out completely and the clarity in the glass shows, no hopsock or spider used, also I dont know if its my imagination but the wort did taste exceptionally hoppy.

 

[wobbly]

Mine arrived in Broome today but will not get a run until I return home to Perth suburb at the end of August. I/we winter in Sunny Broome for three months each year

When you guys are using this device with either the Brau 20lt or Guten are you whirl pooling while the wort is still hot or chilling and then whirl pooling

I like to chill first down as low as I can get it with an immersion chiller so as to keep as much of the cold break out of my fermenter (the name of which I'm not allowed to mention on this site)

Any comments you have to make re chilling and whirl pooling would be appreciated

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I no chill Wobbly so I let mine settle to around 80 degrees before I whirlpool then drain when whirpool has stopped, I will use the immersion chiller now and again because not everyone likes that hop bitterness you get when doing a no chill. Leyther will probably be able to answer your question as he chills his wort.
(the name of which I'm not allowed to mention on this site)
I did see that post Wobbly can't for the life of me see what was wrong with it. Good advice as far as I could tell.


That was a fair bit of drainage there MBB, looks like it went below the helix.

 

[Leyther]

Given you need to have the chiller in the boil for 15 mins I've been trying to whirlpool whilst chilling but I've not had a lot of success at getting a decent whirlpool going and getting the hops to collect in the middle, the chiller gets in the way. I think the go is probably to chill, remove the chiller then whirlpool and drain when its settled, I reckon that should allow the hops to settle in the middle and allow the helix to drain from the sides, thats what I'm going to be doing next.

 

[wobbly]

WEAL
I'm with you any advice on "Process" can only assist others

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[wobbly]

OK so those that are using one of these devices can you comment on the following:-

1. What is the max and min hops you have used without using any sort of hop sock
2. Who uses flowers and who uses pellets and is one better/worse than the other
3. If you have done a hop stand how long do you leave the hops to settle after you whirl pool
4. When you drain to fermenter/cube (whatever) how fast do you drain (valve fully open, half open what ever)

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[malt and barley blues]

I can answer questions 3 and 4 Wobbly, 4) I had the tap fully open, drained without missing a beat. 3) 20 to 30 minutes stand whirlpool and drain.
My hops yesterday were on the minimal side but still left a lot of mess behind 70 grams of pellets.
Couldn't be more pleased with this addition to my brewing gear.

 

[Lionman]

Do you have any more of these WEAL?

What's the damage?

 

[Leyther]

Wobbly,

I had about 170g of hops in the kettle on my last brew, as I chilled whilst attempting whirplool I didn't manage to the hops to collect centrally and I also was using the Tpiece with the helix curled back in on itself, with this the drain was slow once the hops started to clog up and I had to keep scraping them off the helix but at least I got the wort out which I would never have managed with the bazooka, took ~30mins to get the full drain.

I'm going to try with elbow and running around the outside next time, also going to make sure I whirlpool with chiller out to get a central collection of the hops, that should allow for better drainage as WEAL done.

So far i've only used pellets but I'm going to try some flowers next time as I've been given some Victoria vaccum packed, I'll report back when I next brew.

 

[Jase]

No issues with the hops (I've always used a hopsock) and an exposed element?