Hi all,
A bit confused and gutted by something going on with my brewing at the moment and thought you might be able to help...
I have a 56L kettle with a ball valve installed. I've been successfully using a bazooka screen but because it was installed 15cm up the kettle and it was quite wide I was loosing over 5L of wort when draining the kettle post mash.
I decided to install a false bottom to remedy this. All seemed to work well and as expected the hops seemed to act as a 'hop-back' and filtered a lot of trub. I had minimal waste and I was really pleased.
I've done two batches like this now. Unfortunately though they've both created incredibly cloudy wort which doesn't seem to be clearing. I've tried the first one having treated it very similarly to the beers I brewed when I had the bazooka installed and it's not tasting good. I haven't given up hope and will leave it for a couple of weeks before trying again.
Any thoughts? I'd love to use the false bottom to prevent major wort losses but not at this cost!
Thanks in advance,
Nigel
Post #2 made 13 years ago
Can you post some pictures Nigel ??
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Post #3 made 13 years ago
Thanks for responding Yeasty! Some pictures of the brews, that what you meant?
The clearer, darker one is a pale ale brewed with the bazooka, been in primary 2 weeks.
From the 'two shot' the one on the left has been on the primary for two & a half weeks. the one on the right has only just gone in.
Cloud city!
The clearer, darker one is a pale ale brewed with the bazooka, been in primary 2 weeks.
From the 'two shot' the one on the left has been on the primary for two & a half weeks. the one on the right has only just gone in.
Cloud city!
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Post #4 made 13 years ago
Wow that don't look good 
So let me get this right,
You have brewed with the false bottom, left hand carboy 2.5 weeks
You has brewed with the bazooka top pic 2 weeks
You have brewed with the false bottom again just in.
I'm assuming that nothing else in your setup has changed and you brewed in the order as above.
First thing is can you rule out infection ? (unlikely if brewed with the bazooka again in between false bottom brews) you mentioned you had a ball valve fitted. Has it been stripped down and cleaned recently ?
The second thing is do you recirculate your wort when filling your carboy until it runs clear ? another thing is at what speed do you fill your carboy. What I mean by this is that I think every filter system has an optimum flow rate. My syphon/filter is 15mm copper pipe but my tubing to my FV is 6mm, this gives an optimum flow rate for my filter.
Yeasty
So let me get this right,
You have brewed with the false bottom, left hand carboy 2.5 weeks
You has brewed with the bazooka top pic 2 weeks
You have brewed with the false bottom again just in.
I'm assuming that nothing else in your setup has changed and you brewed in the order as above.
First thing is can you rule out infection ? (unlikely if brewed with the bazooka again in between false bottom brews) you mentioned you had a ball valve fitted. Has it been stripped down and cleaned recently ?
The second thing is do you recirculate your wort when filling your carboy until it runs clear ? another thing is at what speed do you fill your carboy. What I mean by this is that I think every filter system has an optimum flow rate. My syphon/filter is 15mm copper pipe but my tubing to my FV is 6mm, this gives an optimum flow rate for my filter.
Yeasty
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Post #5 made 13 years ago
Hi Yeasty,
I brewed the dark single carboy pic first on the bazooka.
I brewed the second beer, left of the two shot with the false bottom.
I brewed the third beer, right of the two shot with the false bottom.
I didn't strip the entire ball valve each time but it's relatively new (4 brews) and I don't think that infection's to blame at this point. I've tasted infected batches and at this point don't think that's it. The wort came out cloudy straight from the kettle.
Nothing else has changed in my brew day apart from the false bottom.
I haven't been recirculating my wort. I didn't think this was necessary on BIAB. I've previously done mini-biab and maxi-biab and the trub has just settled out but I'm always looking to improve by brew day so please do advise as you think!
Thanks again.
I brewed the dark single carboy pic first on the bazooka.
I brewed the second beer, left of the two shot with the false bottom.
I brewed the third beer, right of the two shot with the false bottom.
I didn't strip the entire ball valve each time but it's relatively new (4 brews) and I don't think that infection's to blame at this point. I've tasted infected batches and at this point don't think that's it. The wort came out cloudy straight from the kettle.
Nothing else has changed in my brew day apart from the false bottom.
I haven't been recirculating my wort. I didn't think this was necessary on BIAB. I've previously done mini-biab and maxi-biab and the trub has just settled out but I'm always looking to improve by brew day so please do advise as you think!
Thanks again.
Post #6 made 13 years ago
Nigel
I recirc with a jug until the hops and stuff have built up around my filter See here and the wort starts to run clear. If you let it go in the fv straight off you get a load of gung coming through.
Another thought, are your carboys on heat pads or fitted with heat belts, also are you using the same yeast ?
Yeasty
I recirc with a jug until the hops and stuff have built up around my filter See here and the wort starts to run clear. If you let it go in the fv straight off you get a load of gung coming through.
Another thought, are your carboys on heat pads or fitted with heat belts, also are you using the same yeast ?
Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 03 Oct 2012, 00:42, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #7 made 13 years ago
Yeasty, you've inspired me! Thanks. I'll try one more go with the false bottom and recycling. If I get a cloudy mess again, then I may have to retreat to my bazooka where I've had good results but with lots of waste.
The yeast has all been identical and treated the same.
I have no heat belts or anything but the temperature has been consistent for all the brews so don't think this is the issue.
My false bottom sucks from the centre and yours obviously from the edges. Think this may be a factor? I suppose if there's a decent bed of hops to filter then it shouldn't be a problem.
I use whole hop cones in my brews, always have. Do you think that there's a possibility that they're breaking down as the wort is being dragged through them and the cloudiness that isn't settling out could be particles of hops?
I'm confused! I'm having a baby this week and this shouldn't be bugging me as much as it is!
Thanks again Yeasty. I live in quite remote area with no home brewers so support from forums like this are a lifesaver.
The yeast has all been identical and treated the same.
I have no heat belts or anything but the temperature has been consistent for all the brews so don't think this is the issue.
My false bottom sucks from the centre and yours obviously from the edges. Think this may be a factor? I suppose if there's a decent bed of hops to filter then it shouldn't be a problem.
I use whole hop cones in my brews, always have. Do you think that there's a possibility that they're breaking down as the wort is being dragged through them and the cloudiness that isn't settling out could be particles of hops?
I'm confused! I'm having a baby this week and this shouldn't be bugging me as much as it is!
Thanks again Yeasty. I live in quite remote area with no home brewers so support from forums like this are a lifesaver.
Post #8 made 13 years ago
We're getting there Nigel 
can you post a picture of your false bottom and where your bazooka used to connect to ?
I'd imagine that with a couple of bends you could mount your bazooka down on the bottom of your kettle. As long as your hose is lower than your bazooka wort will flow and continue to flow via a syphon effect even when the level drops below your ball valve level. Do you get what I mean ? If you look at my syphon my tap is below the level of the kettle so it all drains.
Get all your thinking done now, as when that baby arrives you ain't gonna have much time for anything else
Yeasty
can you post a picture of your false bottom and where your bazooka used to connect to ?
I'd imagine that with a couple of bends you could mount your bazooka down on the bottom of your kettle. As long as your hose is lower than your bazooka wort will flow and continue to flow via a syphon effect even when the level drops below your ball valve level. Do you get what I mean ? If you look at my syphon my tap is below the level of the kettle so it all drains.
Get all your thinking done now, as when that baby arrives you ain't gonna have much time for anything else
Yeasty
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Post #9 made 13 years ago
Thanks again Yeasty!
I've done a little photo shoot this morning much to my wife's delight. Please find the pics requested attached.
If I did lower the level of the bazooka though, wouldn't that leave me with potentially similar problems? In that I'd be getting all the trub through instead of it being settled out and left in the kettle?
Thanks again.
I've done a little photo shoot this morning much to my wife's delight. Please find the pics requested attached.
If I did lower the level of the bazooka though, wouldn't that leave me with potentially similar problems? In that I'd be getting all the trub through instead of it being settled out and left in the kettle?
Thanks again.
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Post #10 made 13 years ago
Looking at your false bottom, does it just sit against the bottom of your kettle ? is there a gap around the edge that wort could flow through ? If so thats a big area and I don't think it would seal with hops/trub.nigel55555 wrote:
If I did lower the level of the bazooka though, wouldn't that leave me with potentially similar problems? In that I'd be getting all the trub through instead of it being settled out and left in the kettle?
As to moving your bazooka down I don't think you will have a problem if you recirc until it starts to run clear. its the action of the hops being trapped against the mesh of the filter that actually filters the wort. My syphon has 3mm holes (268 of em)which lets trub through until it starts to clog with hop debris then it runs clear.
Last edited by Yeasty on 05 Oct 2012, 01:05, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #11 made 13 years ago
Yeasty, you've done it I'm sure. I assumed the false bottom would seal but now guessing you're right and that's my problem.
Thanks so much for your help! Will lower the bazooka and try to sell the false bottom on.
Had a beautiful, perfect baby girl today after a very tough year so double joy!
Thanks again for all your help.
Nigel
Thanks so much for your help! Will lower the bazooka and try to sell the false bottom on.
Had a beautiful, perfect baby girl today after a very tough year so double joy!
Thanks again for all your help.
Nigel
Post #12 made 13 years ago
Congratulations on the new addition! My "perfect baby girl" is 14 now.....and not so perfect anymore.
Before you scrap the false bottom consider trying this: slit a piece of high-temp silicone hose lengthwise and fit it around the circumference of the false bottom to act as a gasket/seal against the bottom of the kettle.
---Todd
Before you scrap the false bottom consider trying this: slit a piece of high-temp silicone hose lengthwise and fit it around the circumference of the false bottom to act as a gasket/seal against the bottom of the kettle.
---Todd
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Post #13 made 13 years ago
Congratulations Nigelnigel55555 wrote:Had a beautiful, perfect baby girl today after a very tough year so double joy!
on your new arrival . Best wishs to all your family.. Lowering the bazooka will prove our theory,let us know how it goes.. be a dad first though
Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 05 Oct 2012, 06:08, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #14 made 13 years ago
I'm back!
Who'd have thought it? Two weeks into fatherhood I managed to squeeze in a brew day!
So, I went back to the bazooka but installed a 'U' bend to lower it. It was an autumnal malty bitter & not heavily hopped. For this reason I'm not sure there was enough hops to provide a filter to cover the bazooka.
As you can see on the pics, I recirculated at least 6L of wort but it was still full of trub.
So I started filling the carboy anyway and after it was a quater full, the wort started coming through much clearer. I think this was probably because most of the proteins & break had already come through to be honest.
Anyway, good news is, it wasn't anything like when I used the false bottom and the trub is settling out well, think this batch should be fine.
Secondly though, be great if I could crack this problem of transferring SO MUCH trub into the carboy.
As before, any thoughts would be much appreciated.
THANKS!
Who'd have thought it? Two weeks into fatherhood I managed to squeeze in a brew day!
So, I went back to the bazooka but installed a 'U' bend to lower it. It was an autumnal malty bitter & not heavily hopped. For this reason I'm not sure there was enough hops to provide a filter to cover the bazooka.
As you can see on the pics, I recirculated at least 6L of wort but it was still full of trub.
So I started filling the carboy anyway and after it was a quater full, the wort started coming through much clearer. I think this was probably because most of the proteins & break had already come through to be honest.
Anyway, good news is, it wasn't anything like when I used the false bottom and the trub is settling out well, think this batch should be fine.
Secondly though, be great if I could crack this problem of transferring SO MUCH trub into the carboy.
As before, any thoughts would be much appreciated.
THANKS!
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Post #15 made 13 years ago
Nice one Nigel at least its better than the false bottom. to be honest though I wouldn't worry to much about your levels of trub. I've had worse and the beer is always fine. Some guys don't even bother to use a hop filter, they pour it all into there cube hot, then pour this onto there fermenter once cool, trub and all !!
Keep at it
Yeasty
to be honest though I wouldn't worry to much about your levels of trub. I've had worse and the beer is always fine. Some guys don't even bother to use a hop filter, they pour it all into there cube hot, then pour this onto there fermenter once cool, trub and all !!Keep at it
Yeasty
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Post #16 made 13 years ago
I whirlpool and then take the wort from the side with a downturned piece of copper. After whirlpooling I end up with a good cone of hop and trub in the centre of the pot and the wort is as clear or clearer than your 2nd (after 5L) photo around the edge. I have no hop screen or false bottom and I dont think you need this in BIAB. This is more a 3 vessel mash pot thing.
Do you do any whirlpooling? Do you use whirlflock or irish moss?
When i am draining the final part into the no chill container I watch through the top of the pot and close the tap when the cone is starting to break up and head towards the pick up.
Do you do any whirlpooling? Do you use whirlflock or irish moss?
When i am draining the final part into the no chill container I watch through the top of the pot and close the tap when the cone is starting to break up and head towards the pick up.
