Whirlpool

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Dads_Ale

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So I got a bit bored and decided to take a look at whirlpooling. A few recipes I am looking at brewing call for whirlpool additions with up to 30mins whirlpooling.
I do a limited whirlpool with a large spoon to create a hop cone (pellets) to aid run-off but I ain't standing there for 30 mins spinning a spoon LoL.
First attempt was with a pump to create a whirlpool, but after a trial the pump wasn't really up to it and I was looking at a lot of extra cleaning (not good).
So a bit of extra head scratching and I found a Grainfather whirlpool paddle (no I won't be running it at full bore like the video's LoL). I don't want to add any air at high temp after the boil so had a look at powering via a 12v motor and pulley system to just get the whirlpool hops circulating.
A few eBay purchases later and the system came together. (I already had a 12v motor speed controller)
Tried it last Friday and it works a dream. Will be interesting to see how the beer turns out :beer1:

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So when it says whirlpool I thought it meant bring down to temp (80c), add the hops and then whirlpool for about a min before leaving it to settle for 30min.

Does a whirlpool need to be consistently moving the wort?
 
I love DIY home brew kit ! Nice one ! Glad you went for 12Volt as well clapa

If that's an immersion chiller in that pic then you should find your cooling time dramatically reduces. I added a brewmonk whirlpool arm to my robobrew and cooling time reduced form around 40 mins to only 16 mins. I did also reduce my cooling water hosepipe run a lot as well so that might have helped increase flow, but either way whirpooling is the way to go - for hop additions, trub gathering and cooling.

Have fun !
 
Yes the whirlpooling has really speeded up the cooling, a big help as the immersion chiller is not particularly efficient, it doesn't have many coils but is easy to clean. I use it in all my beers now even if they don't need any actual whirlpool hops.

A quick google and I found a few different views from maintaining the whirlpooling for the whole time period (often 20 mins) or stir for a couple of minutes and leave to stand for 10 to 20 mins.
 
I was eyeing up plate and counterflow chillers to speed cooling up but I'm a cleanliness freak and don't like not being able to see what needs cleaning, so adding the whirlpool arm has been a game changer with the immersion coil so I'm sticking with that from now on.
 
I was eyeing up plate and counterflow chillers to speed cooling up but I'm a cleanliness freak and don't like not being able to see what needs cleaning, so adding the whirlpool arm has been a game changer with the immersion coil so I'm sticking with that from now on.
I have a really good counterflow chiller but only use it with my bigger capacity kit. I mostly do smaller brews now so the immersion chiller is just easier.
 
I was eyeing up plate and counterflow chillers to speed cooling up but I'm a cleanliness freak and don't like not being able to see what needs cleaning, so adding the whirlpool arm has been a game changer with the immersion coil so I'm sticking with that from now on.

I would like to do that too, but then my worry shifts to the cleanliness of the pump internals. I guess with a robobrew it's fairly quick and easy to do a recirculation during the boil?
 
I've only just started with whirlpooling and I have a question. I use a hop spider for my bittering and flavour hops,
1 should I leave them spider and add the WP Hops to the spider ?
2. Add the WP hops to the cooling wort but not in the spider?
3. Throw out the other hops from the spider and then add the WP hops?
 
The main point of whirlpooling is to gather the hops all in a nice cone in the middle of the pot so you can take clear wort off from the side, so if you're whirlpooling you don't technically need a spider. Also leaving the spider in place will disturb the whirlpool stopping you from getting a nice cone, so I wouldn't do both.

I would either:
Not use a spider at all for the whole boil and then whirlpool (first time you try it maybe boil your spider anyway in case you have to use it as a filter)
Use the spider for all hop additions. Maybe get a second spider if you run out of space.
 
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