Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Draining the boil kettle....  (Read 14965 times)

Offline rebobbitt

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • KROC Homebrew Club Denver CO
    • KROC Homebrew Club
Draining the boil kettle....
« on: November 24, 2009, 02:55:39 pm »
I have had problems draining the wort from my boil kettle.

Everything I try seems to have problems of either not filtering out hops and trub, or if I use a screen, screen gets clogged.

I use a 15 gal SS Megapot.



I have tried a bazooka screen and a Hop Stopper screen, but each with limited success so I have had to use hop bags to keep keep the screens clear from clogging.

I could go with no screen and whirlpool, and drain from the side, but I haven't had much luck in creating the mythical "cone of debris" in the center. Even if I chilled the wort in the kettle, then whirlpooled, it didn't seem to help much.

How do most people drain / filter from a boil kettle? Do you use hop bags? Screen? Whirlpool?

Rick Bobbitt

Next Brews : Brown Porter, Southern English Brown
Fermenting : German Pils, Schwarzbier, Raspberry Mead, Orange Blossom Mead
Aging : Golden Strong, Wee Heavy, Eisbock, Sour Mead
On Tap : Steam Beer, Rauchbier, Dry Minty Mead, Semi-Sweet Mead

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2009, 03:19:48 pm »
I use muslin bags and whole hops. I remove the bags after chilling the wort and then transfer the wort into the primary bucket. Works every time. Good Luck.
Ron Price

Offline dhacker

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 684
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2009, 03:20:07 pm »
First question . . . How do you typically chill your wort? If you're using an IC then I don't think I'd worry about a screen. A good cold break should leave the majority of the trub below the kettle outlet hole. Just don't tip the kettle trying to squeeze every last drop. a little trub/ hop debris in the fermenter is irrelevant in the grand scheme.
Just brew it...

Offline rebobbitt

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • KROC Homebrew Club Denver CO
    • KROC Homebrew Club
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2009, 03:41:19 pm »
I usually use a plate chiller (pumping wort from boil kettle to chiller to carboy), but I have also tried recirculating the chilled wort back into the boil kettle until the temp in the boil kettle was below 120 or so. Then I would whirlpool, but like I've said, this didn't seem to work well.
Rick Bobbitt

Next Brews : Brown Porter, Southern English Brown
Fermenting : German Pils, Schwarzbier, Raspberry Mead, Orange Blossom Mead
Aging : Golden Strong, Wee Heavy, Eisbock, Sour Mead
On Tap : Steam Beer, Rauchbier, Dry Minty Mead, Semi-Sweet Mead

Offline Nagel Family Brewing

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 80
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2009, 03:49:47 pm »
I have had problems draining the wort from my boil kettle.

Everything I try seems to have problems of either not filtering out hops and trub, or if I use a screen, screen gets clogged.

I use a 15 gal SS Megapot.



I have tried a bazooka screen and a Hop Stopper screen, but each with limited success so I have had to use hop bags to keep keep the screens clear from clogging.

I could go with no screen and whirlpool, and drain from the side, but I haven't had much luck in creating the mythical "cone of debris" in the center. Even if I chilled the wort in the kettle, then whirlpooled, it didn't seem to help much.

How do most people drain / filter from a boil kettle? Do you use hop bags? Screen? Whirlpool?



I use an autosiphon wrapped in a fine mesh hop bag.  It seems to work.  At the end of the siphon I can siphon in the trub without sucking any noticeable solids into my carboy.

Offline dhacker

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 684
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2009, 03:52:04 pm »
I suppose the "Cone of Debris" could be getting disturbed if you are draining the kettle too fast. You said you pumped it to a plate chiller. Is it a pretty rapid flow?

I use a ring of braid in the bottom of a 1/2bbl keg. I gravity feed a Therminator into the fermenter. Granted, the bottom center of the keg is lower than the ring pickup by a little, but I've never had issues draining the BK except for one time when I used a fair amount of cocoa powder in the BK . . Big mistake/ bad idea!  
Just brew it...

Offline mtbrewer

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 101
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2009, 08:09:36 pm »
I use a large grain steeping bag for my hops, then squeeze as much wort out when cooling.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2009, 08:11:40 pm by mtbrewer »

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27090
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2009, 09:47:35 am »
I use separate hop bags for each addition.  When the boil is over, I clamp them to the side of the kettle to drain.  Gets all the wort out without having to squeeze.
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 tom

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1109
  • Denver, CO
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2009, 12:44:58 pm »
Rick,
i use a Bazooka screen along the inside edge of my converted keg kettle. After I turn off the burner, I whirlpool with a stainless paddle. I get it going pretty good with a small vortex in the middle and then let it all settle for at least 15 minutes. This usually keeps the hops and trub in the center away from the Bazooka. Then I pump through the chiller into the fermenters. Only once, with a double IPA (which I am brewing again on Friday - yikes), did the Bazooka get clogged.
Good luck, Tom
Brew on

Offline Nagel Family Brewing

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 80
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2009, 01:14:10 pm »
I use separate hop bags for each addition.  When the boil is over, I clamp them to the side of the kettle to drain.  Gets all the wort out without having to squeeze.

Isn't commando style hopping cheaper and easier?  ;)

Offline Kaiser

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1797
  • Imperial Brewing Geek
    • braukaiser.com
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2009, 01:57:00 pm »
If you have a bazooka screen or something else that sticks into the kettle and disturbs an even rotation of the wort, you may prevent that nice trub cone to form.

I just brew more than I actually need, chill, let it settle and rack clear wort from the top. The wort/hop/trub sludge at the bottom gets fitered through a paper towel in a large funnel w/ screen. The clear wort is then frozen and used for future starters. I use a lot of wort for yeast propagation which is why this works well for me.

Kai

Post #100, Woohoo

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27090
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2009, 03:03:54 pm »
I use separate hop bags for each addition.  When the boil is over, I clamp them to the side of the kettle to drain.  Gets all the wort out without having to squeeze.

Isn't commando style hopping cheaper and easier?  ;)

Commando style meaning just throw 'em in?  Yeah, it may be a bit cheaper, although hop bags are cheap and reusable.  But it's definitely not easier when it comes time to drain the kettle.  And the bags make cleanup easier.
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 rebobbitt

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • KROC Homebrew Club Denver CO
    • KROC Homebrew Club
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2009, 03:19:12 pm »
If you have a bazooka screen or something else that sticks into the kettle and disturbs an even rotation of the wort, you may prevent that nice trub cone to form.

I just brew more than I actually need, chill, let it settle and rack clear wort from the top. The wort/hop/trub sludge at the bottom gets fitered through a paper towel in a large funnel w/ screen. The clear wort is then frozen and used for future starters. I use a lot of wort for yeast propagation which is why this works well for me.

Kai

Post #100, Woohoo

How long do you let it settle before you rack it off? (Wow, that would sound weird on another forum.... :) )
Rick Bobbitt

Next Brews : Brown Porter, Southern English Brown
Fermenting : German Pils, Schwarzbier, Raspberry Mead, Orange Blossom Mead
Aging : Golden Strong, Wee Heavy, Eisbock, Sour Mead
On Tap : Steam Beer, Rauchbier, Dry Minty Mead, Semi-Sweet Mead

Offline Kaiser

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1797
  • Imperial Brewing Geek
    • braukaiser.com
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2009, 08:46:14 pm »
About 30 min. If you are letting it settle in the chilled wort you'll still have some cold break in the wort. But I would not worry about that.

Kai

Offline yugamrap

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 377
Re: Draining the boil kettle....
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2009, 08:56:54 pm »
I use a reusable paint filter hop bag for whole or pellet hops.  At the end of the boil, I raise it slowly and let it drain back into into the boil kettle.

...it's liquid bread, it's good for you!