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Filtering after primary fermentation

KJlive

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Jan 9, 2011
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Location
Lebanon PA.
Just started brewing. When I transfer from my primary fermentor to my carboy to clarify the beer, should I be using a screen in my funnel during this step in the process? I wasnt sure if this would impact the process in any way or was required.
 
KJLive,

I think that depends on your definition of "filter" and other process variables. If you are using the typical screen and funnel purchased at your LHBS. You will find that it plugs very quickly and has to be cleared often. That assumes you are using whole hops. If you used pellet hops and no hop bag / ball etc, the task becomes nearly impossible. I think, and other responses may bare this out, most do not. I believe most use a whirlpooling technique to get the hot break etc. collected in the center of the kettle and then siphon / drain carefully from the edge. This is done by swirling the wort around in the kettle as fast as possible while minimizing any splashing. Then just let it settle before siphoning / draining into the fermenter. Some my use a stainless steel or plastic scrubbie on the end of the siphon or racking tube.

Personally, we use a stainless steel braid loop on the end of our siphon. We used a 3/8" nylon tubing tee ( three barb ends ). We size the braid to be a snug fit against the side of our kettle. We secured to the straight ends of the tee with nylon wire ties and couple it to the siphon with a short length of 3/8" ID tubing. We drop this in place before we "whirlpool" This keeps hops & junk out of the fermenter and has never plugged up yet.

We use the identical set up with the perpendicular end of the tee pushed into a #2 drilled stopper and then the stopper is pushed into the inside of the spigot in our bottling bucket to keep yeast clumps out of the bottling cain.  We also use the same set up with the #2 stopper in our igloo MLT. We put a 1/2" coupling on the inside of our bulkhead and push the stopper into the coupling. Since we batch sparge everything this works great. The big trick is to size the loop so it fits snugly against the pot/bucket/MLT side.

Sounds like you are off to a great start!

Preston
 
Since your question seemed to be particularly about transfer from PRIMARY to SECONDARY, what I (used to) do is use a section of women's panty hose (long enought to not "fill up") attached to the racking cane or on the tubing coming off of your spigot on your fermenter. It catches the majority of the crud, and really does clean things up.

Naturally youwant to sanitize the hoisery first, but it does a great job.

Having said that, many here have stated, and I agree, that leaving the beer on the yeast cake and trub actually adds to the "complexity" of the beer. In other words, no need to use a secondary at all. Just let sit in primary for some extra time.

I use this method with my stainless conical, and unless you have concerns about keeping the outside elements out of the primary, there really is no NEED to secondary, but it is a matter of choice.
 
  Thank You!  You answered my next question before I asked!  I did my first partial mash about a week ago.  All went very well until I went to removed my hops bag.  It had a nice big hole in it, leaf hops all through it.  I've been debating getting a big strainer, but it's my understanding that oxygen at this point is a big no-no.  I picked up a bazooka screen to fit over my racking tube.  Hopefully this will work!
 
Just a quick note here, the bazooka tube worked great!  I got a nice 90% clear sample just before loosing suction on the racking tube.

Cheers!!
 
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