Whirlpool Chilling Questions

[lawyerjim]

I make 10 gallon all grain batches with a keggle for boil kettle. I use an immersion chiller. I recently added a pump to whirlpool while chilling following the "Whirlpool/Immersion Chiller" article on MrMalty.com.

The whirlpooling made it cool down much faster but after whirlpooling/chilling for 15 minutes and settling for 15 minutes, I expected a cone of trub, cold break, etc, to be left in the middle of the keggle after running the wort into a fermenter. However, it appears that the pump has ground up all of it into fine particles. There was nothing left in the keggle.

Do I need a false bottom in the keggle? Or maybe a stainless braided hose around the edge?

 

[acidrain]

I have the exact same settup as you.
My pump doesn't really create a whirlpool... more likie a spiral hot tub of wort goodness. I use it for re-circ., transfering, cooling, etc., but NOT for whirlpooling.
Here's what I do, and works well...
Use the pump to aid in cooling. Once you get it down to pitchable temp, pull the IC and use your (sanitized) spoon to give it the whirlpool. Stir it as fast as you can, and then cover it for no less than 20 minutes. An hour is better.
Siphon/drain off the wort, and as you get towards the bottom you'll see the trub. Drain off as much as you can without sucking up the trub.

 

[acidrain]

Oh, and i forgot to say, I ALWAYS use irish moss at 15 minutes.

 

[grathan]

Your looking to separate cold break from wort? How does your keggle drain? Dip tube on the side?

 

[jflongo]

If you can afford it, I highly recommend this false bottom, with a SS false bottom stand. That does a double filtration, which should keep almost all of the trub in the kettle. I have a feeling a SS Braided Hose may get clogged?

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/product196.html

 

[lawyerjim]

acidrain: By the time the wort is down to pitching temperature, everything has been ground up into fine particles by the pump. And I also use Irish Moss but the clumps were ground up by the pump.

grathan: My keggle has a valve welded into it so that it drains from side.

jflongo: I may have to get a false bottom.

The boil kettle used in the Mr Malty Whirlpool/Immersion Chiller article doesn't have a false bottom. I was hoping someone on here had made one of those Whirlpool/Immersion Chillers and didn't have the same problem as me.