Hot Tub problem with big whirlpool hop additions

[Dolvers]

I have an issue during the transfer of the hot wort through the heat exchanger in beers with big hop additions, like IPAs and pale ales, with 3 pounds per barrel at the whirlpool, during the transfer, plugs of hot trub rise up, like floating and going down when the half of wort was already pumped.
any of you had this experience?
Thanks

[scottatron]

I have this problem as well. I do not have a hop strainer, hopback or anything before the heat exchanger with the system I use. I dump as much hops/trub out of the kettle as I can before I start the cast out and then again near the end of the cast out. I find dumping some out the bottom while casting helps pull the trub back towards the center to avoid it going into the outlet pipe on the side of the kettle. Obviously not the best solution but could get you by temporarily.

Cheers

[Bainbridge]

1st thought: 3lbs/bbl in the kettle is A LOT of hops. Each kettle is different, but they can all only hold so much trub before whirlpooling and pulling off the side isn't effective anymore.

2nd thought: have you got a trub gate installed? Curved piece of metal, usually about 4"-6" high, typically mounted on steel posts at the bottom of the kettle so you can remove it if you want? Blocks the trub pile from sliding into the kettle outlet.

[Dolvers]

Thanks for the answers, sorry it is 3 lbs in 4 bbl.
it is a lot too.

[ziggy13]

3 lbs of hops in 4 bbl batch does not seem super high to me, that's actually less than we put in our standard IPA. I have seen the exact same problem in my own brew kettle.

How long do you whirlpool for? This is kind of a hard question to ask, but how fast are you able to get your whirlpool moving? This all effects how well everything will be pulled into the center.

On our system we noticed a small amount of 'bubbling' for lack of a better term, originating from the center of the trub and hops pile when most of the bitter wort has been pumped out of the whirlpool. Probably when there's about 1/4 of it left in the kettle it starts to rise up a bit, disturbing a bit of the trub and perhaps sending some of it into your fermenter.

Maybe you could take a picture or video to show us better, and this is just my opinion so take it for it's worth, but I think you don't even need to worry about it if a tiny little bit of trub and hops are making their way into your fermenter. As long as the vast majority of the hops and trub is remaining in your whirlpool for you to wash down the drain, I don't think it's a huge deal if a bit gets into the fermenter. I don't think even the big boys are keeping 100% of the hops and trub in their kettle with the whirlpool and not having a hop back in between the kettle and heat exchanger. It's going to get most of it but not absolutely all of it.

I recently brewed with a seasoned veteran and he noticed I was uptight and always worrying about what if this what if that, even though our beer was coming out great and selling, and he reminded of me of the OLD homebrew saying, relax, don't worry, have a home brew. Well that adadge is true in our world of commercial brewing as well in my opinion.

Now if you're getting a crap ton of trub and hops in your fermenter I take everything I said above back