Aerating with blade blender & Whirlfloc

[Scottie61]

Folks,

I don't usually concern myself with getting my ales perfectly clear, if they clear well, fine. If not, no biggie.

However, I just bottled an ale and I was curious about how cloudy it stayed. Again, didn't bother me, but I've never had one stay *that* cloudy.

FWIW Basic recipe:
Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) 50.0 %
Munich Malt, Bonlander (Breiss) - 10L (10.0 SRM) 20.0 %
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) 15.0 %
Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) 5.0 %
Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 5.0 %
Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) 5.0 %
Kolsch yeast

I've used Kolsch yeast a lot, and sure, it doesn't flocculate well, but again, never seen it this cloudy.

This is the first batch I used a stick blender for aerating. It has little but sharp blades and only runs at high speed.

It got me to wondering... Does using a blade mixer / blender chop up all that Whirlfloc break and keep it in suspension? Or, something in the recipe?

Scottie

 

[ross_daly]

I've never heard of anyone using a blade blender before. I guess it could work well for aeration. I'm unsure if the blade blender batch is the same as the cloudy one. If it's keeping the whirlfloc in suspension then that's a hell of an unintended consequence!

 

[Scottie61]

Thanks for the reply on this, a kind of weird question to be sure.

I bottled that brew, and it is definitely settling out in the bottle, and really a powdery yeast on the bottom. Oh well, the recipe tastes really good. I will try it again, but will pick a higher flocculating yeast.

Also wonder if I'm overdoing it a bit with the aeration, though. Did a cream ale this weekend and just used a small amount of wire whisking and then let the wort run through a racking tube to the carboy to aerate. Fermentation was going strong within 6 hours and needing a blowoff tube!

Thanks,

Scott

 

[k1ngl1ves]

A blade blender for aerating? I've never heard of this before.

Please, enlighten me on the process...


Edit: Ahhh! A stick blender! Never mind. I get it now... Doh!

 

[CUrchin]

My wife got a stick blender/hand blender about a year ago, and I use it for aerating. It has worked really well for me- After I transfer the wort into my bucket fermenter, I use the blender for a few minutes being sure to not contact the sides to avoid scratches. I use whirlfloc, and I haven't noticed any differences between the batches where I use the blender and the batches that I don't. In the end, the break material, etc. settle to the bottom after active fermentation.

So, convince your SWMBO she needs to start making smoothies or soup or something, and your can have a simple aerating tool at your disposal.

 

[khawk95]

I used an immersion blender for about 20 batches before buying an oxygenation system. Clarity was hit or miss, but there was no direct correlation to the aeration device. I would guess it was something else.


Roed Haus Brewery

 

[Scottie61]

I first started using a stick blender to crush the fruit in my first batch of blueberry wine. I've also used it to help blend extract that wouldn't dissolve when boiling sugars for my last batch of cider. Worked great for those things.

I typically use a wire whisk for aerating wort, but have used the stick blender a couple times, and whoa, it generates a ton of foam.

You're right, it was probably the Kolsch yeast that was powdery, but just wondering if the blender had a puree effect going.

Unless I need to blend something, I think I'll go back to the whisk for aeration.

Thanks for the input!

Scottie

 

[schematix]

My initial thoughts are:
1. You didn't get full starch conversion. Without running any calculations, my first intuition says you are low on base malts, and high on the types of starches that lead to haze.

2. What's your water profile look like? Did you get a good break? Was the wort clear before you added the yeast?