Whirlpooling

[Julez]

Hi all,

just wondering what the best way to whirlpool is if you don't have a pump? Is it possible to do this by hand? How fast would you need to stir and for how long? Does it work better stirring closer to the centre or the edge of the kettle? Once finished, how long do you leave the wort to settle and form a cone of trub?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[Inge]

Hi all,

just wondering what the best way to whirlpool is if you don't have a pump? Is it possible to do this by hand? How fast would you need to stir and for how long? Does it work better stirring closer to the centre or the edge of the kettle? Once finished, how long do you leave the wort to settle and form a cone of trub?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheers :icon_cheers:

How strange... I came on to search for this very topic!

I was thinking paint stirrer + cordless drill for a minute?

 

[browndog]

Grab a long handled spoon, put the broad end in the wort and start stirring, there are some that say it works better if we stir anticlockwise because we are in the southern hemisphere, but I reckon that's just rubbish. Stir till you have a current good running there then leave it for 10 mins or so before racking.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Julez]

Grab a long handled spoon, put the broad end in the wort and start stirring, there are some that say it works better if we stir anticlockwise because we are in the southern hemisphere, but I reckon that's just rubbish. Stir till you have a current good running there then leave it for 10 mins or so before racking.

cheers

Browndog

Howdy Browndog. Thats exactly what I did, even the anti-clockwise stirring (though I agree probably rubbish too, but my pickup faces East). Got a nice little whirlpool happening, or so I thought, but it died pretty quickly after stopping. A demo I saw on the net (with a setup using a pump) got it really cranking and it just kept going and going. Mine was nothing like this! I also left it for 10-15 mins, and the trub settled nicely, but certainly not in a cone shape, more of a flattened out pile. Guess it doesn't matter too much, but couldn't get the last litre or so out as I don't have a hop screen. Think that's on the shopping list now....

Cheers, Julez.

 

[Julez]

How strange... I came on to search for this very topic!

I was thinking paint stirrer + cordless drill for a minute?

Hmmm....that sounds interesting! Though maybe that will just agitate, rather than whirlpool? Sounds like definitely worth a try though. If you give it a crack Inge, let me know how it goes.

Have a good one, Julez.

 

[browndog]

Howdy Browndog. Thats exactly what I did, even the anti-clockwise stirring (though I agree probably rubbish too, but my pickup faces East). Got a nice little whirlpool happening, or so I thought, but it died pretty quickly after stopping. A demo I saw on the net (with a setup using a pump) got it really cranking and it just kept going and going. Mine was nothing like this! I also left it for 10-15 mins, and the trub settled nicely, but certainly not in a cone shape, more of a flattened out pile. Guess it doesn't matter too much, but couldn't get the last litre or so out as I don't have a hop screen. Think that's on the shopping list now....

Cheers, Julez.

I guess a lot of that depends on the shape of your kettle and the location of your pickup. I'm no physicist, but I think a broad shallow pot will not hold a whirlpool as long as a narrow deep pot. And don't be concerned with getting every last drop from your kettle, we all have a couple of L or so in losses there depending on how much hops you use. WHen the level in my kettle gets down to a certain point the cone starts to collapse and the trub gets sucked into the fermenter. I does not worry me though, I have my kettle draining into the fermenter via a hopsock so all the crud gets strained out.

cheers

Browndog

 

[NickB]

I'm with the others, just need to grab a spoon/paddle, and give it a good hard 60 sec stir, without introducing too much air (if you're no-chilling like me anyhow), then 10 or 15 mins to settle. And I also whirlpool counterclockwise, as my pickup tube then faces away from the spinning hops/break.

Cheers

 

[Julez]

Sounds good guys, all comments make plenty of sense. I like the hopsock post-kettle idea too, browndog.

Hey NickB, do you use a cube with your no chill? I just put up another post about that elsewhere, but I'm wondering where to buy a cube from? Do HBS sell them or is it a Bunnings job, etc?

Thanks for the comments everyone.

 

[NickB]

Hey mate, yeah, just replied in that thread too!

Cheers

 

[redbeard]

Cube is the ahb generic term for the blue "willow's" 20l oblong plastic jerry or the increasingly popular 15l fresh wort square plastic jerry. Buy at W or K land or supa imported cheap car land or wherever u find it. The previous two are reasonable thick & can handle boiling heat from no-chill. Plastic spring water containers probably wont.

I whirlpool clockwise, using a modified paddle from a hospitality shoppe. Going back in time can be messy (unless you have forgotten the whirlfloc [again]). Having your boiler still sitting on the burner while whirlpooling can allow latent heat from such burner to produce upcurrents which mess up your whirlpool. I ignore this, end up with a reasonable hop/trub cone & lose maybe a litre or less. Apparently some hop/trub makes the yeasties happy and settles out anyway when its fermenting.

Use the search function for various threads about paddle sizes and how wide & fast they are :lol:

 

[Julez]

Cube is the ahb generic term for the blue "willow's" 20l oblong plastic jerry or the increasingly popular 15l fresh wort square plastic jerry. Buy at W or K land or supa imported cheap car land or wherever u find it. The previous two are reasonable thick & can handle boiling heat from no-chill. Plastic spring water containers probably wont.

I whirlpool clockwise, using a modified paddle from a hospitality shoppe. Going back in time can be messy (unless you have forgotten the whirlfloc [again]). Having your boiler still sitting on the burner while whirlpooling can allow latent heat from such burner to produce upcurrents which mess up your whirlpool. I ignore this, end up with a reasonable hop/trub cone & lose maybe a litre or less. Apparently some hop/trub makes the yeasties happy and settles out anyway when its fermenting.

Use the search function for various threads about paddle sizes and how wide & fast they are :lol:

Thanks for clearing up that mystery redbeard :beer:

 

[Whistlingjack]

I use a paint stirrer and cordless drill.

This develops a good vortex which I keep going for about five minutes. 5 more minutes to settle leaves a nice, well formed trub cone.

WJ

 

[Fents]

i always thought if the bottom of the kettle was flat it wont settle in a cone shape as such. i use a 50lt cub keggleand the bottom of it isnt flat and 9 times outta 10 i get a cone shape. probably wrong tho.

 

[newguy]

Hi all,

just wondering what the best way to whirlpool is if you don't have a pump? Is it possible to do this by hand? How fast would you need to stir and for how long? Does it work better stirring closer to the centre or the edge of the kettle? Once finished, how long do you leave the wort to settle and form a cone of trub?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheers :icon_cheers:

I use a wooden spoon and stir near the edge of the kettle, gently, for maybe 2 minutes at the most. While the whirlpool is settling down I set up my wort chiller and attach all my hoses, which takes around 5-10 minutes. By that point, the wort coming from my tap at the bottom edge of my kettle is crystal clear.

 

[newguy]

i always thought if the bottom of the kettle was flat it wont settle in a cone shape as such. i use a 50lt cub keggleand the bottom of it isnt flat and 9 times outta 10 i get a cone shape. probably wrong tho.

My "kettle" is a flat bottomed 64qt aluminum pot. I always get perfect trub cones.

 

[geoffi]

My "kettle" is a flat bottomed 64qt aluminum pot. I always get perfect trub cones.

Likewise.

 

[geoffi]

Should add that I use my Ecuadorian wooden brewing spoon and just stir like crazy around the outside until it gets a really strong whirlpool going, then give it five minutes. Works perfectly for me.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I've got a great big stainless steel straining spoon/skimmer that I use. Recently, I bought a metre-long wooden stirrer from a kitchen supply place in Sydney Road for a pittance which will probably get used next time/week. Clockwise. 1-2 minutes. No spitting.

 

[Duff]

Julez,

I have a 60L flat bottom kettle, no false bottom, hop screen, scrubby, etc.

This is my kettle 10 minutes ago after whirlpooling and draining. Clear run off, no trub. I use my mash paddle and stir for around a minute.

Cheers.

 

[Snow]

I might be asking a dumb question here, but do you guys chill the wort first before whirlpooling, then drain it to the fermenter? Or are you all using counterflow chillers?

Cheers - Snow.