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Desperate Need of Some Whirlpool Help

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  • Desperate Need of Some Whirlpool Help

    So I'm about at the end of my limit on this damn boil kettle and I need any advice I can get.

    I have a 3BBL kettle from Stout Tanks (electric) and I am having the hardest time getting a good cone at the bottom. I think I am losing 4-5 gallons of beer that I cant get out of the kettle before the cone starts to fracture off and get into the HX. My process was initially to run to run from the tank to the pump (1HP), to the HX, and back to the tangential inlet. 15 min whirlpool and then 15-25 min rest. This produces little to no cone. I have also tried to just get the whirlpool going by bypassing the HX and this gets a good whirlpool but I didnt notice any difference. I can't seem to figure out a good solution for this, as the beer waste is quite significant. I am also having trouble clogging my HX on my IPA and IIPA, which more than anything is a major major pain in the ass.

    Does anyone have any general advice for this, or any Stout users out there that can help.

    I appreciate any help I can get on this.

    Cheers,
    Andy

  • #2
    At 3 BBL, it is really unlikely that you need to use a pump to get a decent whirlpool and as a result a decent cone. One big problem with using a pump at this scale is that for best settling/cone formation/etc. you want big chunks that settle out quickly, but using the pump just shears everything into tiny pieces that stay in suspension forever. Try just using a spoon or your mash-oar to stir kettle for a couple of minutes until it begins spinning, then let it settle for a few minutes. Are you using any kettle finings? Whirl floc is pretty useful, we use four tablets in 7 BBL and get nice tight cone formation.

    Thread from the archives for more help.

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    • #3
      Definitely try whirpooling with a paddle before anything. No need for the pump on a 3bbl. I prefer to do it manually on my 7bbl and get a good cone. At the same point IPA is IPA. You have to expect trouble with all the hops going in. I run the KO pump slower on my IPA and watch the sight glass like a hawk. With enough hops you're bound to cover most of the bottom.

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      • #4
        Good info, I have tried the paddle but I never really noticed a difference, but I always followed it up by running the pump. Maybe I will try just a paddle and no pump??

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        • #5
          Andy

          Hey Andy.

          I started with the same system, 3 bbl stout df a little over a year ago.
          The way that the cleanout/pitch of the cone/racking port are setup, you definitely lose a decent amount of beer when you do anything with a lot of hops in it.
          To save your HX and the annoyance of it getting clogged, I would actually run my grant to do a secondary whirlpool after rest. It definitely helped a lot.
          The first 3 brews on it when I started, I clogged the HX everytime.

          Also, I would give the stand more time, just imo
          good luck
          Dave Witham
          Founder/Brewmaster
          Proclamation Ale Company

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          • #6
            Well at least it's not me..... so run to a grant and pump off od the grant?

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            • #7
              yep

              Yeah.

              That's exactly what I did.
              It was the only way.
              Dave Witham
              Founder/Brewmaster
              Proclamation Ale Company

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              • #8
                I have something that I have been using as a grant, but it is not a tangential inlet. Do you think this will still work with a stir?

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                • #9
                  We have the same system. With our last system i grew tired of all the BS of our whirlpool and really hoppy beers like you are explaining. Instead of trying to get a perfect whirlpool every brew, i did something else to fix the problem. We have 2 chillzilla counterflow chillers linked together that we chill with. We can pump hops and trub right through them without any problems. so thats what do. We start the whirlpool by stirring and then turn the pump on, by the time we are chilled to 140 and ready to knock out we have a nice pile of trub in the middle of the kettle and we dont have to worry about clogging anything.

                  hope this helps

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                  • #10
                    I've got the same kettle and issue. Here's what I do. I use a variable speed pump and create the whirlpool to get the trub pile started. After 15 mins I crack open the drain valve and attempt to drain out the trub (this is the drain right in the middle of the tank). Do this slowly. Then I run the WP for another 15/20 mins and proceed. The trub pile is much smaller and not near the WP drain. Yes, I hate doing this but a clogged HX totally sucks. Bad design on Stout Kettle.

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                    • #11
                      Thats a great idea, I never thought of racking the drain valve. I will give that a shot.

                      BeachBrew - I see you're in Daytona, where at. I grew up there.

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                      • #12
                        We have a strainer inline before the HX, we get pretty clear wort until the very end when the trub pile breaks down.

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                        • #13
                          Crosley- located a mile from the Speedway on Fentress. Stop by next time you're in town. DB Brewing Co.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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