straining wort

I'm on my 6th batch of homebrew, 5 different types (one type I have done twice) - so I am still quite new to this. I have noticed some transfers to the primary have had more stuff to strain out than others.

I siphon from my brewpot into my primary. When I use a bucket I strain it through a large stainless kitchen strainer. Some batches this works for the whole transfer, some I have to stop when the strainer gets clogged and remove the gunk before I continue the siphon. My last batch I used a 6.5 gal carboy for my primary. I used a stainless funnel with the same large strainer on top of it and it worked just fine.

I personally just use grain and hop bags in my wort. When I do get sediment I can usually just stir it in the funnel and the wort will pass on through. A good trick I read about for the siphon method is to first stir the wort quickly to collect the sediment toward the center of the pot. Then use a metal tube of some sort with a metal scrub brush attached to the end with some wire for you siphon. Then collect your wort along the sides of the pot where the sediment levels are lowest. The scrubber should filter out any remaining sediment.

The bottom line to your question is that, no, there's very little to worry about if you don't strain, or don't strain very well. It will all settle and you can, later, siphon off the top of it.

Technically: * some say that the hot break IS NOT real good, * that some cold break IS good, * and that the hops have no effect on the fermentation. Most say there is not much taste difference with or without all the material in the primary. (Note that straining DOES areate the wort pretty well, compared to just siphoning it).

So... make the same brew twice... once straining and once just dumping. Save some bottles of each, compare, and YOU decide! You're certainly NOT going to "ruin" your beer without straining - many homebrewers don't.

Me... I siphon and leave as much as I can behind, but I don't worry if I get "stuff" into the fermenter. RDWHAHB! :)

Derric

I would just add to this that you can just use a plastic siphon, after of course chilling. To get the whirlpool effect, you must stir fast and narrow, to get a good vortex going. This brings the sediment to the center. Try also slightly elevating the kettle after the vortex settles, and siphon from the lower (deeper) end. The scrubby referred to is really not necessary. I used to use it, but don't any more. Just another thing to have to sanitize.

A further tip: use the tube part of a turkey baster (remove the bulb), insert the narrow end into the hose end, and draw (with your mouth) from the open end. This will start the siphon. Then quickly remove the baster and put the hose end into the fermenter. More sanitary than using your mouth directly, if that's what you usually do.

John S.

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All good ideas. I recommend using the whirlpool method and getting all the trub and hops to the center of the pot. You could then pour into the fermenter and get most of the wort in before the strainer clogs...or do the siphon method after the whirlpool.

Yes, stir your wort enough to incorporate all of the material in it. Then siphon off of the side of the kettle. It's not all that important to do this. My first homebrew was an extract stout from a kit. I didn't ask too many questions because I was affraid of looking foolish in case I wanted to visit that HB shop again for more supplies. Anyway, I did not strain the hops when transfering to the fermenter and the beer tasted like Boston Lager at first. After a few months of drinking store-boght beer and forgeting my stout in the back of the fridge, it tasted like Anchor Porter. That was my first lesson in bottle conditioning. Now, if you're making an APA or IPA type beer, my second attempt, the first tastes will only differ from the later tastes in that the early results will be a little on the harsh/ hoppy side. That's not always bad, but that's up to you.(sorry to ramble)

Get a sock at your suppliers. Put your grains in the sock.

Roy

Get a brewing sock. Put your grains in the sock.

Roy

I usually put a copper or stainless scrubbie on the end of my racking cane (I have a stainless Racking cane) and siphon the wort into the carboy.... The combination of the scrubbie and the whole leaf hops stops a majority of the trub (protein coagulants) from getting into the carboy.