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Author Topic: is vorlauf necessary?  (Read 28935 times)

Offline denny

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #45 on: January 29, 2012, 10:51:06 am »
Roguejim is conducting an experiment I'm helping with.  He not only didn't voraluf a batch of APA, he even dumped 1/3 cup of grains back into the kettle.  We'll do a blind (but not triangle) tasting.
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Offline chester3

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #46 on: October 01, 2013, 11:48:45 am »
What was the result of your blind tasting for this?  Thanks and cheers!

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #47 on: October 01, 2013, 12:16:51 pm »
What was the result of your blind tasting for this?  Thanks and cheers!
Yes please!
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cornershot

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #48 on: October 01, 2013, 02:49:39 pm »
What was the result of your blind tasting for this?  Thanks and cheers!
Yes please!
Pretty please!

Offline denny

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #49 on: October 01, 2013, 03:30:18 pm »
What was the result of your blind tasting for this?  Thanks and cheers!
Yes please!
Pretty please!

I don't recall ever getting the beers from Jim.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline jae

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #50 on: October 02, 2013, 08:43:17 pm »
I do Brew in a Bag for about a quarter of my brews.  I've done big strong beers, light hoppy ones, quick sours, dark & smokies . . . all without a proper vorlauf.  I've never had a clarity issue, tannic issue or storage issue (up to about 2.5 years thus far). 

I've always assumed the vorlauf step was one of those kind of ridiculous things propagated through years of empiric experience.  I still do a quick quart-or-so, but don't worry if I don't (say, if I'm trying to unstick a sparge).

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #51 on: October 03, 2013, 02:48:11 pm »
No empirical evidence to substantiate, but a clearer wort (all other things being equal) will produce a clearer beer faster than a cloudy wort - or so I believe. So, I Vorlauf and even skim break on lighter paler beers. YMMV
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline denny

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #52 on: October 03, 2013, 03:00:48 pm »
No empirical evidence to substantiate, but a clearer wort (all other things being equal) will produce a clearer beer faster than a cloudy wort - or so I believe. So, I Vorlauf and even skim break on lighter paler beers. YMMV

I have tested that theory several times and found no correlation between the clarity of the wort and the clarity of the finished beer.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline erockrph

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #53 on: October 03, 2013, 04:31:39 pm »
No empirical evidence to substantiate, but a clearer wort (all other things being equal) will produce a clearer beer faster than a cloudy wort - or so I believe. So, I Vorlauf and even skim break on lighter paler beers. YMMV

I BIAB most of my brews and end up with a crapload of trub in the fermenter, but it all drops like a rock after a day or so. I've never noticed a difference between my all-grain and extract brews when it comes to clarity. The only factor that I find to be a significant variable in how fast a beer clears is the yeast strain. But, as you said, YMMV. I don't really worry too much about beer clarity so I may not be looking at the fine details as closely as others.
Eric B.

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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #54 on: October 03, 2013, 05:45:45 pm »
No empirical evidence to substantiate, but a clearer wort (all other things being equal) will produce a clearer beer faster than a cloudy wort - or so I believe. So, I Vorlauf and even skim break on lighter paler beers. YMMV

I have tested that theory several times and found no correlation between the clarity of the wort and the clarity of the finished beer.
+1.   Good attention to pH is much more important for clarity. Time and cold will drop hazy beer clear if pH is good.
Jon H.

Offline redbeerman

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #55 on: October 04, 2013, 06:13:48 am »
No empirical evidence to substantiate, but a clearer wort (all other things being equal) will produce a clearer beer faster than a cloudy wort - or so I believe. So, I Vorlauf and even skim break on lighter paler beers. YMMV

I have tested that theory several times and found no correlation between the clarity of the wort and the clarity of the finished beer.
+1.   Good attention to pH is much more important for clarity. Time and cold will drop hazy beer clear if pH is good.

I have found this to be true as well.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: is vorlauf necessary?
« Reply #56 on: October 05, 2013, 04:30:08 am »
Interesting to hear your views - my focus was the speed at which the beer clears - again "all other things being equal"... My reason for reducing the trub is that I routinely harvest yeast in lagers.  The less suspended materials  to start with, the less time it takes for that beer to clear.  I've noticed it by brewing the same beer several times with the same yeast - but as stated, YMMV.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"