Filtering Wort

[Taps]

Wondering what the best "cost effective" method / filter would be to filter wort.
Our whirlpool is basically in effective, and im getting lots of hops (pellet) and trub transferring to the fv's.

I have tried a small pleated cartridge, but blocks up quickly with hops.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Taps

[Thirsty_Monk]

You could use something like this:
Super Strainer
http://breweryparts.com/index.php/sa...-strainer.html

[timbro81]

What about some type of industrial sized hop bag?

[BrewinLou]

So have you looked into why your whirl pool is in effective? Too fast, kettle fining?

[schmogger]

I agree with BrewinLou locate what the actual problem is. If your whirlpool is too slow trying paddling to assist the whirlpool unless your volumes are too big for this method to be useful. Also what are you using as your clarifying agent, Irish moss, break brite?

[NYSBrewer]

Check your pump seal on your whirlpool pump. If it is leaking, you will have terrible to no trub piles.

[ParishBrewingCo]

Why is your whirlpool not effective?

[Taps]

Hey Folks, thanks for the replys.

Ok so I think one of the problems is the elemants in the kettle are causing turbulance to the whirlpool, I have a VSD on the pump and have tried different speeds, also using carageenan in the kettle.

Looks like when I begin to pump from the kettle, the trub and hops are not compact in the middle and sucks a good amount through to the FV.

I might try a super strainer as thirsty monk suggested, but I would still need a finer filter to catch trub form coming through.....

Looked at a centrifuge, but seems excessive for a small brewery.
Unless anyone knows of a micro option?

Will try the strainer+filter and report back.

Cheers
Taps

[beejay]

Here are some less expensive options for inline strainers

http://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html
http://www.glaciertanks.com/TriClamp...Strainers.html

[Diggity Dave]

Was wondering how long do you whirlpool and rest for? We use Whirlfloc pellets and whirlpool 15min w/ a 15 min rest and it seems to work for us (except for our IPA). I noticed that your whirlpool outlet isn't reduced, which could probably lead you to getting inefficient swirling. Ours reduces down to an inch. Our dam is also 3 times wider than yours which also helps for us from breakage getting through. Just a thought...

[sbradt]

You might also try whirlpooling by hand, using a canoe paddle or the like. We had a remarkable improvement many years ago by shifting to not using the pump at all and just paddling the wort vigorously (but smoothly) for 5 minutes instead. In the end, I also suspect that those heating elements are a big part of the problem. Any thing that impedes the smooth swirl of the wort will cause problems. That's why kettle/whirlpools tend to be problematic in general.

[gitchegumee]

Hey Diggity Dave and others: I used to have a whirlpool with a reducing nozzle. I cut it off and have had better luck on my system. My reasoning is that the flocs you have just made with kettle finings are sensitive to breaking apart. The nozzle actually induces high shear to the wort in the whirlpool to get it rolling. This high shear is what tears the flocs apart into a fine dust. Also another good reason that the kettle pump should have VFD on it to slowly recirculate the wort. An unrestrained high speed pump blasting through a nozzle just isn't my idea of gentle wort handling. I might be wrong; anyone else have this sort of experience? As for the OP, perhaps drawing off of the whirlpool nozzle during first part of knockout will allow for more settling. Keep the last bit of wort for the last.

[Graydon]

Are you brewing north of the equator?
It looks like your whirlpool may be rotating in the wrong direction.

Whirlpools should be as fast as possible and then as soon as you get to speed they should be shut off. The faster the speed the more centrifugal force. The trub won't actually move from the side wall until the pump is turned off, and the longer the pump is on the more abuse the wort gets. Make sure that you allow for at least 15 min. of rest.

It appears that the heating elements are not in line with the wort inlet so the whirlpool should work.

Good Luck
Graydon

[Diggity Dave]

Figured since those coils look like they will definitely impede his whirlpool that a stronger more concentrated flow with a longer rest will aid in his trub pile formation. Definitely speed is key. Fast enough to create the pressure gradients needed to emulate Einstein's "tea-cup effect". Maybe a 10min whirlpool and a 20 min rest could possibly suffice. I agree, centrifugal pumps will break up the flocs the longer you whirlpool so it is important to let the pile form with a longer rest. Philip, I think that if nothing else works your idea behind drawing from the whirlpool nozzle is a great idea....,hopefully he can manipulate his manifold to do so

[Ray Hodge]

Your input is not a true tangential input, and being a short 90 bend makes the flow rather turbulent to boot. If you are north of equator, I like to whirl in clockwise direction, and I can pump 10 min and have to rest 20, due to coreolis effect. If you are counterclockwise and north of equator, you could pump longer, and rest less, theoretically. I would try a sleeve extension for the input 90, to sharpen the direction of the flow. Other fixes are more work and money, but I do like the paddle assist idea. Dedicated whirlpools are the best, if you have room look forward to adding one of them.