Straining wort while pouring into fermenting bucket?

[Ron_Blackhurst]

I have been searching around for an answer to this question without any luck. Has anyone ever used the five gallon paint strainers to strain the crud from your wort into the fermenting bucket? If so, how do you sanitize the strainer? Also, how do you keep the bag from falling into the bucket?

 

[Thesomeguy]

I have used a straining bag a couple times, I did sanitize it prior to use. To keep it from falling in I just wrapped a tie down strap around the bucket and bag. Issue I had found is that you have to go slow as it will clog up and can get VERY messy.

 

[Ron_Blackhurst]

I was thinking of getting a large 5 gallon size strainer so it sat all the way in the bucket so it would strain as I pulled it out

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[CaptainArgo]

They sell strainers that fit right into standard 5 gallon buckets. A lot of people who keep bees use them to strain foreign particles out of honey.

I can't see anything wrong with using them; I used a fine-meshed regular kitchen strainer when I poured my wort into the fermenting bucket and it was very useful in straining the trub out of the beer; I got virtually all of it out. I just sprayed it liberally with sanitizing solution from a spray bottle a couple minutes before I used it. No infection

 

[johnnyboy847]

I'm also interested in this. How easy is it to remove trub like this? Is it going to clog or am I able to just lift the bag up with only the turb in it? (probably not that easy ) Does it need to be squeezed after pulled out, or should I just let the wort run and is it going to take a long time?

 

[unionrdr]

Well,if you're using a paint strainer bag,I'd get a fine mesh one. I use a large,dual layer fine mesh strainer available from NB & Midwest. It fits across the top of the buckets,even fits the Cooper's Microbrew fermenter I have. It gets all but the fine,floury poofy stuff out. But otherwise,it gets all the trub & pellet hop debris. By bottling day,my primary averages about 3/8" of trub & yeast compacted on the bottom. This gives 48-53 bottles from a 5 gallon batch.

 

[saeroner]

Maybe someone can help me. I always carefully siphon the wort out of the kettle and stop the siphon as soon as I hit the trub line -- trying to keep a really clean runoff as I siphon. Isn't this a better method?

 

[unionrdr]

I think you loose a bit more wort that way. Using my large strainer on top of the fermenter,& can fold over the remaining gunk to get the last bit of beer out. Since only the really silty stuff gets through the fine mesh,it settles out the quickest.

 

[kh54s10]

I use the 5 gallon paint strainer bags in my process BEFORE racking. I clip one to the lip of my boil kettle and all hop additions go in the bag. I get very little sediment in my fermenter. What is left in suspension and the yeast cake is usually less than 1/2 inch thick after fermentation.

 

[Zoidberg]

Well,if you're using a paint strainer bag,I'd get a fine mesh one. I use a large,dual layer fine mesh strainer available from NB & Midwest. It fits across the top of the buckets,even fits the Cooper's Microbrew fermenter I have. It gets all but the fine,floury poofy stuff out. But otherwise,it gets all the trub & pellet hop debris. By bottling day,my primary averages about 3/8" of trub & yeast compacted on the bottom. This gives 48-53 bottles from a 5 gallon batch.

I second this. Get a good SS screen mesh. Easier to sanitize without getting lots of sanitizer in your wort.

 

[Clonefan94]

I second this. Get a good SS screen mesh. Easier to sanitize without getting lots of sanitizer in your wort.

Third here. I just keep it in my 5 gallon bucket full of sanitizer while I brew. When I'm ready to pour, I just put it on top of my bucket, works like a charm and It seems to help add a little air to the wort while pouring as well.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,same here. A little sanitizer & away we go. The fine mesh strainer definitely helps aerate the wort. I get 2-5 inches of foam on top after straining a couple gallons.

 

[mingo]

One thing that helps, is to avoid some trub in the first place. If you're using pellet hops it's unbelievable how much those things swell. I use a hop bag during the boil that eliminates a large volume of trub.

 

[plankbr]

I use this method and it works great:

 

[unionrdr]

Yup. Large fine mesh strainers are great. Mine has a handle on one end,hooks on the other. fits the top of buckets perfectly. I think they're easy to clean & sanitize. Gets all but the silty fine stuff out.

 

[jcoxen]

I tried this for the first time last night on a bitter that had tons of trub in it - all hot and cold break since I use a hop bag. I filtered the wort through an extra hop bag and it just wasn't large enough. It kept clogging and was more of a pain than a help. Anyway, I ended up with most of the trub in the fermenter...to the point where I'm thinking about racking it later today.

Problem is I'm not sure whether to rack it or let it finish primary fermentation and then rack it to clear. Suggestions? Please?

 

[plankbr]

I would just leave it be. You can cold crash at the end and it should be fine.

 

[roccobrews]

I've used a large stainless mesh kitchen sink strainer before with good results as well. It takes 2-3 pours to transfer due to cleaning clogged strainer after each pour. Clean with Oxy Free and sanitize before use with San star. I get lazy and don' t strain. Just a lil extra careful racking.


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[Dopeybrew]

I use this while cooling the wort, stir it and it catches 90% of the crap in the beer.

 

[Ron_Blackhurst]

I use this method and it works great:

I like this one. It seems to be a good size. Where do I find one this big?

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[Ron_Blackhurst]

I kind of figure if I strain it out then I will end up with more beer and less time in the fermenter clearing after fermentation is over

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[plankbr]

Bed Bath and Beyond

 

[unionrdr]

Here's the one I have from Midwest that NB also carries. Looks like the price went up,though; http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-strainer-10-1-4-diameter.html And it fits across buckets without clamps ot props too. So it depends on how many you need in what sizes I guess?

 

[Ron_Blackhurst]

Well now that I just lost about 6 bottles to trub; I believe I will be buying one of these for my next batch.

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[Ron_Blackhurst]

From what I'm gathering this should also cut down on aeration time too.

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[unionrdr]

I think it does. I pour the chilled wort through the fime mesh strainer to get the gunk out. but it also aerates the wort rather well at the same time. Then pour very cold gallons of the same local spring water I brewed with to top off to recilpe volume & get the temp down to 64-65F. Stir roughly 3-5 minutes to mix well & aerate a bit more. Take hydrometer sample,pitch yeast,& seal'er up.

 

[dsaavedra]

For my first brew, I used the funnel with the screen in it that came with my equipment kit. This clogged almost instantly and it was terrible. Took me probably an hour of continuously scraping the screen with a spoon to move some of the trub out of the way to let the wort through to get all my wort into the carboy.

On my second brew, I bought a stainless steel strainer from the dollar store, looks identical to the ones at Midwest but it was $3. I put that in my funnel on top of the screen and I also whirlpooled my wort and siphoned from the edge. This worked wonderfully for a while until the screen clogged. So I scraped it like the first time and then took it out and just used the stainless steel strainer. It ended up working great. I think in the future I am just going to whirlpool and use the SS strainer and not bother with the screen in my funnel.

 

[dlaramie08]

I use and reuse the paint strainer bags. Works perfectly. With the elastic at the top it rarely falls in. I just toss in the sanitizer bucket and give it a squeeze before it's time to strain.