The Whirlpool

[shawnheiderich]

Just after some advice on the placement of my wert return inlet to the kettle 70L from craftbrewer. My plan is to do mainly single batches with an immersion chiller pumping the cooling wert to increase convention. My initial thoughts are 2/3 of the way up the kettle with the outlet tube facing to the rear and pointed slightly downward away from the pick up tube and offset about 45' from the pick up. Does this make sense? If you have a handy picture of your setup that would be great for a visual reference....

Thanks

Shawn

 

[razz]

We were having a quick discussion on this at the bulk buy yesterday Shawn, one of the most essential elements is to have the return facing slightly up so as not to disrupt the cone forming in the centre. There is a recent thread on the dynamics of whirlpooling, quick search?
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...%2Bwhirlpooling
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...hl=whirlpooling

 

[shawnheiderich]

Thanks Razz just had a look and most of the info was there that I was after. I remember reading the thread a while ago now I have looked again. So by my understanding if I'm doing a 26 L boil the inlet should be almost at the hi tide mark and facing slightly upwards? Any pictures out there of your kettles specifically your inlet....

Thanks

Shawn

 

[fergi]

Thanks Razz just had a look and most of the info was there that I was after. I remember reading the thread a while ago now I have looked again. So by my understanding if I'm doing a 26 L boil the inlet should be almost at the hi tide mark and facing slightly upwards? Any pictures out there of your kettles specifically your inlet....

Thanks

Shawn

Really a return tube is overated and not necessary,i just have my tap into my boiler and when i stir for a whirlpool effect i let the whirlpool effect Finnish and leave it all sit for 20 mins.

after 20 mins all the trub is in the middle, then i just open the tap ,let it run into my cube and the trub and crap are all left in the centre of the pot,leaves about a litre of crap and a little bit of wort behind, all my worts are really clear into my cube.

not worth stuffing around with fancy time consuming erroneous pipe work.

fergi

 

[razz]

Depends on a brewers set up Fergi. I choose to recirc, after flame out, so the cooling effect of the IC is faster. The return pipe at the right angle gets me the whirlpool I'm after, (that's the theory)

 

[shawnheiderich]

Thanks Fergi, I have done the stir in the past but now I have a pump I was hoping for a better effect. My plan is to pump the entire time from flame out to draining to the fermenter, including the removal of the immersion chiller.

 

[fergi]

Thanks Fergi, I have done the stir in the past but now I have a pump I was hoping for a better effect. My plan is to pump the entire time from flame out to draining to the fermenter, including the removal of the immersion chiller.

as Razz said different opinions for different setup, when my whirlpool is finished and i drain my wort what is left next to my tap hole is crystal clear, so i guess my theory doesnt suit all applications, but if you are doing a NC do it how i do mine and you will find there is no need for anything else,

if you run your pump at flame out this really wont give you as clear a wort as if you had done a whirlpool,IMHO,but then i havent pumped either so i may be way off.
fergi

 

[np1962]

as Razz said different opinions for different setup, when my whirlpool is finished and i drain my wort what is left next to my tap hole is crystal clear, so i guess my theory doesnt suit all applications, but if you are doing a NC do it how i do mine and you will find there is no need for anything else,

if you run your pump at flame out this really wont give you as clear a wort as if you had done a whirlpool,IMHO,but then i havent pumped either so i may be way off.
fergi

Fergi,
I think the difference here is Chill or No Chill, your method works well for no chilling.
When chilling with an immersion chiller(coil of copper lowered into your wort with cool water running through it) it is more effective if the wort is moving past the coils hence pumping the wort out of the pick up and back in via a whirlpool inlet tube..
After the chiller is removed the whirlpool can be allowed to slow and will give a cone in the centre and clear wort at the pick up in the same way as what you achieve.
Nige