Dead Space or not ??

The final piece in the jigsaw, I think.
Is there a need for dead space under the hop filter in the boiler?
I’m thinking to avoid trub into F.V
If so how much?
appreciate your thoughts on this brewers, as i’m hoping to complete the project a.s.a.p

I don't think there's a need for dead space beneath the filter. I'm not the person to be advising about equipment though, hopefully someone else can confirm.

I was always under the impression that you got the tap as low down as you could on a boiler. This way you do not lose much wort. My tap is about 3 1/2 cm to the centre from the bottom and I tip the boiler to get the last bit out. If you use loose hops they will act as a filter.

My filter sits on the bottom of the boiler. I like as much wort as possible into the fv. Any trub in the fv I then wash and re-use the yeast.

I have a mesh false bottom that fits just above the tap. I tip the boiler quite a lot so that I lose as little wort as possible. I find that the combination of hops and mesh filters the wort significantly and the wort going into my fermenter is pretty clear (I cool in the boiler before transfer to FV).

melyn said:

The final piece in the jigsaw, I think.
Is there a need for dead space under the hop filter in the boiler?
I’m thinking to avoid trub into F.V
If so how much?
appreciate your thoughts on this brewers, as i’m hoping to complete the project a.s.a.p

Click to expand...

I'm not very experienced as I've only just started brewing but I don't think there is a need either, I tip my
Boiler up at the end of boil to get as much wort as possible into the fv.
Also, don't worry about trub in the fv, read this, it's well worth five minutes of your time
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=54929&highlight=Trub+experiment

ManseMasher said:

My filter sits on the bottom of the boiler. I like as much wort as possible into the fv. Any trub in the fv I then wash and re-use the yeast.

Click to expand...

thanks Manse, i like the idea of re-cycling the yeast, how many times can you do this, how to store it, and what is the shelf life??

TheRedDarren said:

I'm not very experienced as I've only just started brewing but I don't think there is a need either, I tip my
Boiler up at the end of boil to get as much wort as possible into the fv.
Also, don't worry about trub in the fv, read this, it's well worth five minutes of your time
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=54929&highlight=Trub+experiment

Click to expand...

thanks reddarren, very interesting exbeerment.
trub doesn't bother me anymore

Dads_Ale said:

I was always under the impression that you got the tap as low down as you could on a boiler. This way you do not lose much wort. My tap is about 3 1/2 cm to the centre from the bottom and I tip the boiler to get the last bit out. If you use loose hops they will act as a filter.

Click to expand...

+1 for hop cones being effective filters

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=54666

melyn said:

thanks Manse, i like the idea of re-cycling the yeast, how many times can you do this, how to store it, and what is the shelf life??

Click to expand...

If you look at MyQuls's threads on this (and others) there is a mine of information (too many to paste!). As for storage, in the fridge, then bring it out to warm up, make a starter, and away you go.

melyn said:

thanks Manse, i like the idea of re-cycling the yeast, how many times can you do this, how to store it, and what is the shelf life??

Click to expand...

Simple method is pour some of the trub into a clean bottle and stick it in the fridge. When you need it, bring it out into the warm for a bit and then stick it in the brew. I've kept it in the fridge for about a week.

I've re-cycled a yeast this way 5 times.

I reckon that if you applied more care/science you could have a 'house strain'. That is my intention.

Dead space in boiler? As you can see from the other replies its not necessary, just a necessary evil. Because the outlet tap in the side of the boiler is always going to be higher than the bottom of the boiler. It's even worse for me because a big 100 litre boiler isn't going to tip easy; or isn't going to tip at all because it's plumbed in! I do have a "dip tube" (the outlet in the boiler has an extension that curls downwards to the hop filters) to reduce the dead space, but then as it's plumbed in the plumbing is dead space too. Have to have other mechanisms to "chase" remaining wort out of the plumbing.

The dead space is useful for catching excessive trub, but as McMullan points out, whole hops do that anyway (argument for not using pelleted hops?). And if you have hop filters (great idea, keep the rubbish out of the fermenter, except the filters can clog up and cause headaches too) the filters can sit in the "dead space".

Twostage said:

Simple method is pour some of the trub into a clean bottle and stick it in the fridge. When you need it, bring it out into the warm for a bit and then stick it in the brew. I've kept it in the fridge for about a week.

I've re-cycled a yeast this way 5 times.

I reckon that if you applied more care/science you could have a 'house strain'. That is my intention.

Click to expand...

You can create a house strain but you really need to top crop to do that because after several generations of bottom cropping the yeast you put selective pressures on it and it then becomes too floccuant and you start to get a yeast then is medium to low in attenuation

Have a look at the results of a forumite who 're-cycled' 13 times

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=54666&highlight=retire