How to Whirlpool...

Thurston Brewer

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Should I do this as soon as I shut off the fire, or wait until the trub settles a bit?
 
My understanding is whirlpool is something comercial Brewers or homebrewers use when recirculating flame out hops using pump. My flame out hops are my whirlpool and I just throw em in once i cut flame to kettle leave them there awhile then chill her down. I admit I've got a bit to learn in regards to this brewing step
 
Many people turn off the flame, reduce the temperature to 180 or so, and hold it there for the time of the whirlpool before chilling the rest of the way. That's the way I learned, anyway, and the way the brewers I know tend to do it. After the whirlpool time is up, the wort is chilled the rest of the way and run off to the fermenter.
 
Many people turn off the flame, reduce the temperature to 180 or so, and hold it there for the time of the whirlpool before chilling the rest of the way. That's the way I learned, anyway, and the way the brewers I know tend to do it. After the whirlpool time is up, the wort is chilled the rest of the way and run off to the fermenter.

How long is your or any typical whirlpool Yooper?
 
this is and advanced whirlpool "I have a custom whirlpool set up in place all the time"

I start my whirlpool at flame out then run it until my temp drops to 170 with the lid off , then from there I chill sending wort through my herms coil packed with ice cooling it back down then back to the whirlpool in the boil kettle and it recirculates until my temp reaches 60 to 70F this can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, that keeps the hops centered in the boil kettle away from the ball valve when I need to exit the wort into my buckets
 
What I learned is turn off the flame and chill to 180 then add the hops and turn off the chiller whirlpool for 15 min and then start chilling the rest of the way. Supposedly if you do it hotter more of the aroma flashes off with the steam. I've done it both ways
 
yes its possible, steam keeps happening for a while even below 160 some times, I just have a long brew day and I get impatient and hoppy beer isn't my main goal anyway so for me it doesn't matter

edit:, the issue with me is I want the hops settled before I send the wort through my herms coil
 
yes its possible, steam keeps happening for a while even below 160 some times, I just have a long brew day and I get impatient and hoppy beer isn't my main goal anyway so for me it doesn't matter

edit:, the issue with me is I want the hops settled before I send the wort through my herms coil
In that case just add your hops late in the boil. I only whirlpool my NEIPA
 
I see you are talking about whirlpooling to move the solids to the center of your kettle not a whirlpool addition. In that case I think you would need to wait for the cold break which would take a little time if not actively chilling.
 
I haven't read a detailed description of 'whirlpooling' but I gathered that it's just stirring the wort around in a vortex and letting the trub settle in a cone in the middle - then the clear wort can more easily and completely be siphoned out of the edges, where the trub isn't.

I don't use an immersion cooler (I siphon from the kettle through an ice bath heat exchanger that brings the wort to room temp in about 15 - 20 seconds) so I'd need to spin up the whirlpool and let the trub settle before I begin cooling. I've noticed that much of the trub has settled within 5 minutes of turning off the heat, so I just wondered if I should wait until then before whirlpooling.

Up till now I've not tried the whirlpool thing, but I lose more wort in the trub than I'd like. I will be using Irish Moss in the boil, though.
 
Next time you pull off a sample for Gravity reading have a look how quick the solids settle out I'll give you ten minutes and you'll be happy. I'm not too anal about hot break or trub going into fermentor I keep a little back but just let her flow in if it just wants to be in on the fermentation action:p. I don't whirlpool as such but stir my chiller around to get wort moving past the copper I find its more effective especially with my bodgey home made chiller.

Hops I don't think need agitation to get them lovely flavours and aromas into wort. I'm sure by just dropping them into the kettle at flame out and the thermal currents within boiled wort will do all the moving and a shaking it needs:rolleyes:. According to my wife I could be wrong:D ha ha
 

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