Where do I install the whirlpool arm?

[cannman]

I purchased a whirlpool arm to upgrade my kettle, but I'm not sure where the best spot to install it is. Near the bottom, above the false bottom, middle, top??

I have a false bottom that needs to be taken into account. Here's a picture of the setup:

Thanks!!

 

[Hammy71]

Close to the bottom seems to be the best for my set up. I would think it would have to go above the false bottom. If it was installed under, it would seem it would retard the effect of the whirlpool.

 

[Natdavis777]

Mine is about 1/2 way, but that is only because that is where my second port was installed on my kettle. I havent had any issues with it thus far.

 

[dmcman73]

Is this for a Mash/Tun? That valve setup looks more like a sparge setup, that's what I used in my Mash/Tun build with a length of silicone tube (check pic I attached).

If it's for a boil kettle, then that type for whirlpool setup you have then towards the middle is where you want it around but IMHO, I would put it up high like I did and then extend down into the boil with a copper or stainless tube.

I put my whirlpool up really high, about a few inches from the top lip of my kettle, then attached a 90 degree stainless elbow on the inside of the kettle to point downwards and then used a stainless compression fitting on the other end of the elbow to attach a length of 90 degree bent stainless tube to extend down towards the middle of the kettle (the outlet of the tube is facing towards the wall to create a circular whirlpool). This way, I can adjust the length of tube to any height I want to experiment with and also rotate the tube as well to adjust the flow for the best whirlpool effect. I circled the port in red, sorry you can't see the tube to clearly, I'll try and take a better pic when I get home, this was the only pic I had on me.

 

[WPStrassburg]

Looking at commercial vessels I decided to go about 1/3 up from the bottom, but anything from 1/4 to 1/2 way up should work ok. Too high and you might not get enough velocity at the bottom to pull the trub and hops together at the center and too low may blast the pile back into suspension.

 

[kombat]

I put mine at basically the same height as the thermometer probe. I wanted to make sure it would still be completely submerged at the end of the boil for my smallest batches (5 gallons). I did a 10 gallon batch last weekend and it still seemed to work fine.

 

[BrewKaiser]

dmcman73: I'm starting to design my next system. In your set up are you able to achieve a compact cone after whirlpool with the heater element in your boil kettle?

I am considering going to electric, but for me whirlpools serve for hop stands and compacting the trub/hops. I plan on converting kegs to keggles but have yet to find a circular heating element that does not sit smack in the middle of where my trub/hop cone would go.

My current setup I have a SSt 1/2 tube that extends down to 1/2 way mark of my boil kettle. Since I use a propane burner I have no element in the way and get a compact cone after 20 min whirlpool/hopstand