Is whirlpooling worth it?

[theCougfan97]

I am building a recirculating mash tun. Which means I now have a pump. I could spring for a bunch of quick disconnects and also use my pump to whirlpool in the boil kettle. Would my money be better spent on things like false bottoms and a hop spider? I currently use a braided stainless steel hose to filter my mash tun and nothing in my boil kettle.

 

[Lab_Rat]

The whirlpool gets you 2 things:
1) Faster cool times
2) Helps clear trub from wort. You will find that after the whirlpool all the trub is in the center of your pot. Thus you don't need a hop spider/false bottom.

I say whirlpool.

 

[theCougfan97]

Is it reasonable to forgo all filtration in my boil kettle and just drain out the wort via my ball valve nearest to the bottom of the pot? It seems like the suction created by the ball valve would pull the trub pile created by the whirlpool, right along with the wort.

 

[DubBrew]

I have no filtration in my boil kettle. I whirlpool while I chill with a valve that points along the side the the kettle to create the whirlpool. I pull the wort out using a separate valve the pulls from the side away from where the trub collects.

 

[Yooper]

How do you chill? If you use an immersion chiller, and just gravity drain to the fermenter, that's different that what I do. I have a CFC, so I use the pump. Since I'm using the pump anyway, after using the pump to send the wort to the boil kettle, I have all the connections needed to whirlpool/recirculate in the boil kettle.

Those are a few considerations. How are you moving your wort to the BK to begin with? If it's with gravity and it will take some new disconnects to recirculate, it might not be worth it to you. For me, it's nothing added at all.

 

[Lab_Rat]

I cool using an immersion chiller and whirlpool while cooling. This makes cooling time super quick. If your kettle dip tube pulls from the edge (or you don't have a dip tube) the trub cone will stay in the center of your pot. You may get a little in your fermenter but most will stay right there in your pot.

Take a look at the homebrewtalk wiki on whirlpooling.

 

[theCougfan97]

I figure whirlpooling will cost me roughly, 1 added bulkhead, 1 ball valve, the whirlpool attachment (thinking a hose barb and small price of tubing), 2 x SS hose barbs, 2xSS Female quick-disconnects, and a few more feet of silicone tubing. Totaling about $50. Sounds like I should get myself a dip tube for my BK regardless... +$25...

 

[Lab_Rat]

How are you chilling? If you use an immersion chiller you can just add a whirlpool to it without the need for a new bulkhead.

http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php

 

[revansCAAD8]

How are you chilling? If you use an immersion chiller you can just add a whirlpool to it without the need for a new bulkhead.

http://www.mrmalty.com/chiller.php

Yep, you could build one yourself that goes over the top lip of your BK (no drilling) like this or buy/order a SS version from StainlessBrewing.

 

[theCougfan97]

I have an immersion chiller, so this drop in should work well, still needs fittings but it does save me a valve and bulkhead.

Where can I get 3/8" SS tubing? I need that for a few applications so this drop in whirlpool er may be the winner!

 

[revansCAAD8]

Where can I get 3/8" SS tubing? I need that for a few applications so this drop in whirlpool er may be the winner!

I bought their 1/2" SS Whirlpool Arm but it wasn't listed on their website, I just emailed them. But for for their straight SS tubing: http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Straight-tubing_p_132.html

I also considered just using their SS Racking Cane (upside down) to whirlpool: http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/SS-Racking-Cane_p_43.html

Hope this helps. PS. I have no connection to them!
Robert

 

[Weezy]

IMHO,

whirlpooling to speed up chilling? +1

whirlpooling for trub clearing? depends on your batch size, imho. I use 3" and/or 5-1/4" tea balls for hops, and i think they are very easy to use and clean for normal and small scale brewing. They're great for prestaging hop additions too; just have a separate ball for each hop addition. Whirpooling hops for much larger batches is a no brainer though.