BeerBorg

TRUB/Hops....Use it or Lose it ?

When transferring wort from the boil pot to the fermenter, should one pour in all the remaining "hops/sediment" at the bottom...or leave as much behind as you can...or pour thru a sanitized strainer ?
Does this make a big difference in taste or quality?

I'm not really sure if it makes a difference in taste or quality, but I use a sanitized triple mesh strainer. Even with that, I still send a bit of the trub into the fermenter, but I leave behind the majority of it. Then it gets dumped down the drain.

Thanx BlackDuck....
I wasn't sure what to do.

For extract or extract + steep batches, I commando my hops (no bags) and just dump the whole thing into the fermenter and have no issues.

For partial/full mashes, there is a lot more trub and less of it is just hops, so I try to keep more of it out of the fermenter.

My understanding is that a little bit of the break material is actually good for the yeast / quality of fermentation. Maybe not for the clarity of the end product, YMMV there depending on what yeast you are using and how hard it flocculates and just how much you get in there.

The reason that professional brewers whirlpool and use whirlfloc and such is because there is zero reason to transfer any of it to the fermenter. I strain everything, which also aerates it. Win, win.

I have often poured it all in with good results, clear tasty beer. If I have enough wort to leave the trub behind, I do so. If not it all goes in and compacts getting me more beer. I have tried straining, but it's one more part to clean and sanitize. The strainer can also clog, leading to spills and frustration. I now use a hop filter in the kettle which keeps most of that sediment out.
I suspect that pro brewers need to optimize fermenter space for profit. Homebrewers can be a bit more relaxed about it.

John Sand wrote:I have often poured it all in with good results, clear tasty beer. If I have enough wort to leave the trub behind, I do so. If not it all goes in and compacts getting me more beer. I have tried straining, but it's one more part to clean and sanitize. The strainer can also clog, leading to spills and frustration. I now use a hop filter in the kettle which keeps most of that sediment out.
I suspect that pro brewers need to optimize fermenter space for profit. Homebrewers can be a bit more relaxed about it.

Yes, big picture, but not like you're thinking. A fermenter will be barrels bigger than the brewhouse, allowing for plenty of headspace. Trub is sitting in the middle of the kettle, and discharging from the side, often behind a shield. As the wort starts to turn cloudy, flow is stopped.

I just read a Brulosophy experiment about this.
http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-gr ... ts-are-in/

RickBeer wrote:

John Sand wrote:I have often poured it all in with good results, clear tasty beer. If I have enough wort to leave the trub behind, I do so. If not it all goes in and compacts getting me more beer. I have tried straining, but it's one more part to clean and sanitize. The strainer can also clog, leading to spills and frustration. I now use a hop filter in the kettle which keeps most of that sediment out.
I suspect that pro brewers need to optimize fermenter space for profit. Homebrewers can be a bit more relaxed about it.

Yes, big picture, but not like you're thinking. A fermenter will be barrels bigger than the brewhouse, allowing for plenty of headspace. Trub is sitting in the middle of the kettle, and discharging from the side, often behind a shield. As the wort starts to turn cloudy, flow is stopped.

Even so, even bit of space is dollars. I don't care if I lose a quart or a half gallon in the bottom of my bucket. For them it's money. Homebrewers don't need to replicate professional processes.

John Sand wrote: Even so, even bit of space is dollars. I don't care if I lose a quart or a half gallon in the bottom of my bucket. For them it's money. Homebrewers don't need to replicate professional processes.

Absolutely the reason that commercial brewers do this, besides the fact they have expensive equipment that can do that!

I remember that Brulosophy article, too. It was a good read.

Personally, I've always left it behind so I don't clog spigots, lines, etc. and I can work with the clearest beer that I can throughout the process.