[BrewinSB]

So I just installed a ball valve and pick up tube on my kettle and had a first run today on a pale ale I brewed.  I thought having the pickup tube would help eliminate some trub and gunk getting into the fermentor.  I cooled it down to 70 and then stirred it to try and get a whirlpool going, put the lid on and let it sit for about 25 mins.  I went to start draining it and as it got towards the end there was no cone of trub in the middle, it was still all spread out on the bottom and I got a ton of gunk in the fermentor.  How do you properly whirlpool without having a pump and some sort of recirculator?   

[richardt]

You don't.  You get a flat blanket of break material and hops. 
And it is easily re-suspended if you disturb the kettle in any way (i.e., tilt the kettle to get the last bit of wort out).

[BrewinSB]

Any suggestions on how to avoid getting so much trub into the fermentor?  Maybe wrap some steel wool around the pickup tube?

[morticaixavier]

I have two methods depending on if I am using a bucket or carboy.

If a bucket, get a grain bag and put it in the bucket so that it lines the bucket. A bungie cord or cord of some kind is useful to keep it in place. Run off the kettle into the bucket and then lift the bag out slowly and let the wort drain through. don't squeeze the bag and you should be all good.

if in a carboy line the funnel with the grain bag. you may have to go slower and clean out and resanitize the bag a few times but either way you will end up with just a little trub in the fermenter. and a little is nothing to worry about.

steel wool will work as well but be sure to get real 100% stainless steel wool as the cheap stuff will rust and add too much iron to your wort.

[euge]

Any suggestions on how to avoid getting so much trub into the fermentor?  Maybe wrap some steel wool around the pickup tube?

I tried a copper scrubbie like that. Works great at first then trub and hop fragments clog it up. You're far better off using a hop bag and let the trub go into the fermenter if you are using whole hops. With pellets it doesn't matter. Most will remain in the kettle with some wort.

[richardt]

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/hop-stopper

You might want to buy or make something like this if you're looking to strain in the BK.

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/brewing-equipment-1/brewing-kettles/false-bottoms/30-hop-strainer-with-weldless-bulkhead-and-deluxe-valve.html

Personally, I've resorted to using a SS china cap bouillion strainer (it must be extra fine/bouillion, as fine and coarse let too much pellet material through) stacked on an extra large funnel with an extra fine nylon mesh screen stacked on top (or held in place above) my plastic fermentation buckets.

http://www.instawares.com/update-international-8in-extra-fine-bouillon-strainer.uin-ccb08.0.7.htm

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Anti%252dSplash-Funnel-%252d-10%22.html

[firedog23]

I am trying a cloth tea strainer when I go from kettle to fermenter tonight. It is fairly heavy duty but may need to be cleaned out a few times.  No picture available, yet.

[euge]

China caps are awesome!

[narcout]

You can get a good whirlpool going without a pump. 

However, with or without a pump, it is difficult to get a good trub cone when you are whirlpooling after chilling because of the presence of the cold break (at least that has been my personal experience).

[tom]

Just give it a good stir and then let everything settle for 15+ minutes.  This will get a lot of it to settle in the middle of the kettle.

[BrewinSB]

I gave it the best stir I could with my mash paddle.  It all just settled to the bottom flat.  Anyone every used something like this attached to a drill?  http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/product201.html

Another question.  Are you supposed to do this before or after you chill?  I did it after I chilled it.

[narcout]

Another question.  Are you supposed to do this before or after you chill?  I did it after I chilled it.

Depends on how you're chilling.  If you are using a plate or counterflow chiller, you can whirlpool hot which leaves the hot break and hop material in the boil kettle (and the cold break ends up in the fermentor unless you let it settle out in another vessel or dump it if you have a conical fermentor).

If you are using an immersion chiller, you'll be whirlpooling cold.  I can get a decent trub cone when I whirlpool cold, but the cold break is pretty fine and once the wort level drops below the top of the cone, the cold break tends to slide down towards the wall of the kettle.  A little cold break in the fermentor is no big deal though.

Check out Kai's page on whirlpooling for more info (including an interesting section on whirlpool dynamics): http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Whirlpooling

[BrewinSB]

Another question.  Are you supposed to do this before or after you chill?  I did it after I chilled it.

Depends on how you're chilling.  If you are using a plate or counterflow chiller, you can whirlpool hot which leaves the hot break and hop material in the boil kettle (and the cold break ends up in the fermentor unless you let it settle out in another vessel or dump it if you have a conical fermentor).

If you are using an immersion chiller, you'll be whirlpooling cold.  I can get a decent trub cone when I whirlpool cold, but the cold break is pretty fine and once the wort level drops below the top of the cone, the cold break tends to slide down towards the wall of the kettle.  A little cold break in the fermentor is no big deal though.

Check out Kai's page on whirlpooling for more info (including an interesting section on whirlpool dynamics): http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Whirlpooling

Hmm.  I have this hooked up (http://morebeer.com/view_product/10072/103792/Kettle_Diverter_for_Boil_Kettle), I wonder if that is disturbing the whirlpool enough to prevent it from forming a trub cone..