Grandfather transfer issue

[Lawrence22]

Brewed a Bohemium Pilsner today and everything was going great until it came to transfer from Grainfather to FV. I Got a lot of hop matter coming through particularly at the start of the transfer. Never had this issue before. I was convinced I must have knocked the filter off, but it was perfectly in place. It is my first attempt to make a lager at proper lager temps, so I initially thought it may have something to do with cold break as I chilled it right down to 12C. I am pretty sure it is hops though. Anyone any ideas what may have caused this? Also will Gelatin help to clear hop matter is it only for yeast in suspension? Thanks.

Just realised auto correct has changed Grainfather to Grandfather in title and I can't figure out how to edit that.

 

[Slid]

Brewed a Bohemium Pilsner today and everything was going great until it came to transfer from Grainfather to FV. I Got a lot of hop matter coming through particularly at the start of the transfer. Never had this issue before. I was convinced I must have knocked the filter off, but it was perfectly in place. It is my first attempt to make a lager at proper lager temps, so I initially thought it may have something to do with cold break as I chilled it right down to 12C. I am pretty sure it is hops though. Anyone any ideas what may have caused this? Also will Gelatin help to clear hop matter is it only for yeast in suspension? Thanks.

Just realised auto correct has changed Grainfather to Grandfather in title and I can't figure out how to edit that.

Don't know if you have sorted this yet. In the past I have used the following methodlogy:

Bale out the contents of the GF into say, the FV or sparge water heater, using a BIAB bag to strain out all grain and hop debris.
Clean out the GF and the Wort chiller by forcing water backwards through the pump and the chiller.
Set up the GF again and check the filter is on order.
Transfer the wort, minus the debris back into the GF. Re-heat if it is no longer sterile at pasteurisation temps.
Then continue as normal.

A big faff this, it has to be said.

 

[jceg316]

Maybe a silly question, but did you recirculate in the counterflow chiller for 10 mins before transferring?

Will you cold crash? If so any hop matter or trub will settle out and most likely won't affect your beer anyway.

 

[Lawrence22]

I did recirculate the counterflow chiller for 10 mins to sterilise. I have it In the FV and yeast pitched now, so i am hoping I can filter anything else out in next transfer. Don't have high hopes for this batch as I did a few silly things to try and sort it. Firstly as I was convinced I had knocked off the filter I let the counterflow chiller recirculate until the temp in the grandfather was low enough for me to stick my starsan soaked arm into it to reattach only to find it was in place. Think I will put this one down to experience. Would love to know what the problem was though.

 

[Lawrence22]

Might be a whirlpool issue. I don't usually whirlpool as I use a hop spider. Today I did whirlpool and started transfer straight after. Have just read elsewhere that I should have let it settle for 20 mins. Could this be the problem?

 

[ITMA]

Don't know if you have sorted this yet. In the past I have used the following methodlogy:

Bale out the contents of the GF into say, the FV or sparge water heater, using a BIAB bag to strain out all grain and hop debris.
Clean out the GF and the Wort chiller by forcing water backwards through the pump and the chiller.
Set up the GF again and check the filter is on order.
Transfer the wort, minus the debris back into the GF. Re-heat if it is no longer sterile at pasteurisation temps.
Then continue as normal.

A big faff this, it has to be said.

My God that sounds hideous. I've never done anything like that.

I always take a sample for the hydrometer mid flow of the transfer and put it to one side while I finish the job. Then after cleaning etc I take a reading and taste some before throwing away.

Anyway the point is I'm always amazed by how dirty the sample is when first taken, but within no time at all - 30 mins of so, the proteins have all fallen to the bottom and the sample is clear again.

(I normally use irish moss/protofloc or whatever and I think its the action of that I'm seeing yes?)

If it's not cold break, I don't know why you would suddenly get a lot of hop matter going through. Have you changed hop type, maybe leaf to pellet?

Either way, I'm sure it will clear in the FV naturally, especially if you're going cold.

 

[Lawrence22]

My God that sounds hideous. I've never done anything like that.

I always take a sample for the hydrometer mid flow of the transfer and put it to one side while I finish the job. Then after cleaning etc I take a reading and taste some before throwing away.

Anyway the point is I'm always amazed by how dirty the sample is when first taken, but within no time at all - 30 mins of so, the proteins have all fallen to the bottom and the sample is clear again.

(I normally use irish moss/protofloc or whatever and I think its the action of that I'm seeing yes?)

If it's not cold break, I don't know why you would suddenly get a lot of hop matter going through. Have you changed hop type, maybe leaf to pellet?

Either way, I'm sure it will clear in the FV naturally, especially if you're going cold.

Pretty sure it wasn't cold break. I know exactly what you mean because I do the same with a sample. The sample I took today was totally opaque and this is a pilsner. I took a second sample later in the transfer which was more normal.

 

[ITMA]

Any difference in the hops you're using this time?

 

[Lawrence22]

Any difference in the hops you're using this time?

Using Saaz pellets, never used as much of them as are in this brew but I have brewed with other pellet hops in similar quantities.