Vorlauf, Is it really necessary?

[Swazi]

I've always believed that when you start your runoff from your mash tun that you should return the first few pints/litres to the top of the mash, recirculating so to speak, until the wort is clearish and then run it into your boiler. I was led to believe that this helped produce a clearer beer. Having spent a lot of time in breweries recently, it struck me that a lot didn't bother with this at all. They just start their run off unto the underback and then straight into the boiler and start sparging straight away. Nothing ever gets any recirculated. Based on the quality of the beers produced I'm now of the opinion that vorlauf is just a waste of time and is unnecessary. What are others thought on this?

 

[dennisking]

Think you may have a good point there, is something we do because the books tell us and no ones challenged it. There have been a few times when I have totally forgot, it's my age, and the beers have not been worse for it.

 

[AndyBWood]

Evening Swazi,

I’m by no means experienced having only done 2 AG brews but…… for the second I was careful to re circulate a lot of wort until the runnings were clear.

I got a lot less debris going through into the boiler and ended up with a much clearer product going into the boiler than my first attempt. The grain bed also seemed to be better 'set' if you know what I mean ?

So, for me the re circulation definitely worked and was worthwhile and I'll certainly be continuing this practice. Interesting that the big boys don't bother though :wha:

Cheers

A

 

[graysalchemy]

I don't bother any more either. I had terrible trouble with my last mash with grain getting through the side of the False Bottom so it wasn't running clear for quite a while. In the end I gave up and let it into the boiler.It eventually cleared after about 6 gallons.

The beer seems to be clearing fine though. :thumb:

 

[PD]

I always do it, and having a good sturdy false bottom with a ss skirt on ( very little grain gets through ) I really only have to run off a couple of litres on a 23 liter brew and the wort is lovely and clear. It takes less than 5 mins to do so I don't see the need to alter a system that works for me.

 

[Newtons Shed]

I guess case of try it in your set up on a pale straw coloured beer to see if it effects clarity, do u add small amount of black malt into mash too? As this also helps with clarity, along with crash cooling again some say u can't tell the difference. The only thing I can think y u don't see the big boys doin it is because the paddles stir the grain instead of recirculating with purpose built false bottoms that stops more debrie in the first running and therefore clearer wort without need to recirc and if using under back that b.e another filter of sorts. I think the straw coloured delicate British pale ales can be the hardest to brew as no where to hide including being star bright... but I've not does much brewing in a while when I get set back up again the bench mark be something ttll for that reason. Thanks Andy

 

[artyb]

a lot of stuff drops out during fermentation .. :thumb:

i went to the marstons brewery in burton on trent yesterday
[pics to follow]
and they have a huge whirlpool tanks that they add finings to, and let it whirl for ages

 

[JKaranka]

I think it drops during fermentation (either primary or secondary in bottle or cask). I haven't bothered to be fair.

 

[Swazi]

Think you may have a good point there, is something we do because the books tell us and no ones challenged it. There have been a few times when I have totally forgot, it's my age, and the beers have not been worse for it.

This is exactly what I was getting at Dennis. It seems to me that worrying about clarity going into the boiler is pointless (despite being able to see visible results at that stage) when you are going to do a much better job of clearing up your wort through the hot and cold break, ferment and fining. I've skipped it recently with a Belgian Blonde at home and achieved bright beer through a good boil and proper fining. It may have only saved me 15 min but it was still one less thing to do and the day was simpler. There is also the fact that I'll no longer worry if I 'forget' to do it.