[rebobbitt]

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?

[bluesman]

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.

[dhacker]

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.

[rebobbitt]

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.

[Nagel Family Brewing]

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.

[dhacker]

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!  

[mtbrewer]

I use a large grain steeping bag for my hops, then squeeze as much wort out when cooling.

[denny]

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.

[tom]

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

[Nagel Family Brewing]

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? 

[Kaiser]

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

[denny]

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.

[rebobbitt]

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.... )

[Kaiser]

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

[yugamrap]

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.