BeerBorg

I've been all over the internet looking at different methods for transferring the wort into the primary fermenter. I currently just dump my hops in the wort during the boil then dump my wort through a strainer into the primary. One technique that I see online is creating a whirlpool prior to cooling then siphon the cooled wort preventing the flocculated material from getting into the primary. Don't know what this does to flavor or quality of beer or if there is a great difference in technique. My LHBS told me they don't even strain the hops out of theirs going into the primary. I've tasted some of their samples and feel that they do a better job then me. Any opinions out there or pointers?

What you are doing is fine

I've done both, (all three?) ie, dumped it all in, strained it, tried for a clean pour. With the LBK, dumping all in is not good, as the trub can top the valve. Straining can be messy, but results in more beer. Trying to leave the trub in the pot definitely costs beer. I bottle from the fermenter, bottle priming, using a bottle wand. An important tool is the clip for the autosiphon, so that the end doesn't bury in the trub.

When I didn't do anything to strain my beer hop matter always found it's way into the bottling bucket, and clogged up my bottling wand. I brew in my spare garage and ferment in my basement. So I pour my beer through a strainer into two buckets, then carry the buckets downstairs one at a time, then dump them into my conical. This also areates the living daylights out of the wort which is great for the yeast. I do whirl pool because I stir vigorously to cool my wort faster. But then I bail my wort out of the pot with a pitcher.

Thanks all. Sounds like it's users preference. RDWHAHB I guess.

I use an immersion chiller while stirring the wort in the kettle. Kinda makes for a whirlpool effect. Once chilled I let the wort sit ans settle out for a good 20 minutes or so and I open my ball valve on my kettle to drain the wort through clear tubing allowing it to splash and aerate on the way. Letting the wort settle out leaves me with clear wort into the fermenter...no straining no hassles. I either shake or stir the wort futher pitch m yeast and repeat.

MadBrewer wrote:I use an immersion chiller while stirring the wort in the kettle. Kinda makes for a whirlpool effect. Once chilled I let the wort sit ans settle out for a good 20 minutes or so and I open my ball valve on my kettle to drain the wort through clear tubing allowing it to splash and aerate on the way. Letting the wort settle out leaves me with clear wort into the fermenter...no straining no hassles. I either shake or stir the wort further pitch m yeast and repeat.

The immersion chiller I use allows me to recirculate the wort in the kettle for faster chilling and hop whirlpool. I still use a strainer to catch hop & break material. The Strainer dose a great job of aerating the wort & mixing the yeast + wort.

What do you have setup, a pump for the immersion chiller?

Yep. I have a 2 pump, 3 kettle stovetop HERMS. I can do up to a 10 gallon full volume boil. Back problems forced to either use pumps or quit brewing. The latter is not an option.

there has to be many a way to do it, here's mine. after boil is complete I cool by setting kettle in cold water bath. ya I know, slow and kind of old school but it takes me about 30 min. while its cooling I do whirl pool . then after a couple of home brews I transfer to carboy. I leave about 1/2 gal or a little more in the bottom" trube and hop". this is what I use to make starters or prime with. I dump it in mason jars after I strain it. if you heat it up past 200 then put it in mason jars you get a pretty good seal that helps it keep for a while in the fridge. As far as the fermenter and how clean the transferred wort is, I have never noticed any bad flavors from a little hop or trube in there. If I collect yeast to use over again I use a secondary fermenter to collect the yeast out of eliminating just about all thing but the yeast.

Do you risk losing any flavor the hops would give if you strain them before going into the primary? I know that he bitterness from the oil is already out of the pellets in my case but do those contribute to the taste if they are not in the primary? Or are they all used up with the boil?

If you use a hop sack, you wouldn't put them in the primary. Everything is in the wort, so straining is fine.

radonc73 wrote:Do you risk losing any flavor the hops would give if you strain them before going into the primary? I know that he bitterness from the oil is already out of the pellets in my case but do those contribute to the taste if they are not in the primary? Or are they all used up with the boil?

They have already contributed what they have to contribute by the time you transfer to your fermenter. Whether you strain or keep them in the fermenter is, as you've stated, Brewer's Choice (TM). - The trademark is just a long-standing joke....

I prefer to siphon after using Whirfloc, an immersion chiller and a good whirpool to keep as much out of my fermenter as possible. I like a clean beer.

I generally use hops sacks or a spider, and just dump everything into the fermenter as do not have a big enough strainer right now. For most large batches I generally do a secondary which helps with the clearing. I keep the clip off my autosiphon so suck up a wee bit of localized trub but this way I do not lose a whole lot of beer.