Platinum-treated silicone hose and whirlpooling

[periolus]

Good evening!

I am trying to plan ahead for a test and simulation run of my updated kit and am wondering about whirlpooling.

If I have this right, I will be recirculating from the boiler through my counter flow chiller and back into the boiler for 5 minutes to sanitise, but once we are in the cooling phase, I am worried about hot side aeration.

While I am sanitising, can I keep the silicone hose in the boiling wort? Is it then a case of holding it more or less parallel to the bottom of the boiler but just above the surface, or could it be under the surface of the wort to prevent splashing?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Silicone tubing will be fine submerged in the boiling wort. No worries there.

But why are you wanting to prevent oxidation at this stage? You'll normally want to add oxygen to the wort to help the yeast grow anyway.

 

[Agentgonzo]

What is platinum-treated tubing?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Silicone tubing will be fine submerged in the boiling wort. No worries there.

But why are you wanting to prevent oxidation at this stage? You'll normally want to add oxygen to the wort to help the yeast grow anyway.

I second this

 

[RoomWithABrew]

What is platinum-treated tubing?

And I wonder too.

 

[The Baron]

I third this you need oxygen before fermentation.
Do not know what Platinum treated tubing is but it sounds like the latest money spinner from manufacturers/suppliers?, will we need it well only the science/anal brigade which they prey on.
Simples clean sanitised quality tubing is good enough for me

 

[YeastFace]

Pretty sure any silicone tubing you buy from a reputable homebrew store will be platinum-cured.


https://tym.co.uk/blogs/news/platinum-cured-silicone-vs-peroxide-cured-silicone
Platinum Cured Silicone

Platinum cured silicone sheeting and tubing is non-yellowing and has a clearer appearance than peroxide cured silicone. It is preferred by the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries due to its transparency and lack of peroxide by-products.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Thanks @YeastFace

 

[nickjdavis]

Good evening!

I am trying to plan ahead for a test and simulation run of my updated kit and am wondering about whirlpooling.

If I have this right, I will be recirculating from the boiler through my counter flow chiller and back into the boiler for 5 minutes to sanitise, but once we are in the cooling phase, I am worried about hot side aeration.

While I am sanitising, can I keep the silicone hose in the boiling wort? Is it then a case of holding it more or less parallel to the bottom of the boiler but just above the surface, or could it be under the surface of the wort to prevent splashing?

If hot side aeration is your concern whilst whirlpooling then you will be absolutely fine leaving the hose in the kettle and well submerged below the surface so that splashing does not occur.

Once your wort has chilled to yeast pitching temps then you are free to splash away as much as you want....your yeast will thank you for it. (Unless using dried yeast where the need for aeration/oxygenation is not as important because the sterols that the yeast use the oxygen to create are already built in to the dried yeast as part of the manufacturing process).

 

[periolus]

Thanks everyone for your help! Just trying to iron out all parts of my process now on paper ready for the brew day

 

[borischarlton]

Good evening!

I am trying to plan ahead for a test and simulation run of my updated kit and am wondering about whirlpooling.

If I have this right, I will be recirculating from the boiler through my counter flow chiller and back into the boiler for 5 minutes to sanitise, but once we are in the cooling phase, I am worried about hot side aeration.

While I am sanitising, can I keep the silicone hose in the boiling wort? Is it then a case of holding it more or less parallel to the bottom of the boiler but just above the surface, or could it be under the surface of the wort to prevent splashing?

Hello,

You are right to bring up some of these queries , you do indeed need to use the right type of tubing at the right place in the brew process., eg PVC tubing will be no good at all for whirlpooling.

Hot liquids through silicone tubing has always concerned me in regarding what can be picked up. We can can purchase it from over seas but I much rather have a ( very ) trusted UK supplier, even though it is slightly more expensive. The difference in cost between platinum and peroxide cure, along with with the possible issues of peroxide make it a no brainer that we only sell the platinum cured variety. This comes with a caveat, most of us use machines such as coffee dispensers, all in one brewing systems.... They all contain silicone tubing and we have no idea of their origin, just ( hopefully ) food grade.

My personal choice is not to pump hot wort through the chiller to sanitise, this can cause issues with it blocking, creating a whirlpool, and pumping boiling liquid is very difficult. The chiller can be filled with no rinse sanitiser, in many ways it is easier.

The only time oxygen is to contact the wort is when it is cool, just prior to adding the yeast. Hot Side Aeration, where the precursors of the damaging off and flavour dulling can happen need to be kept at an absolute minimum. So yes, keeping silicone tubing below the liquid level will really help. There are loads of arguments about HSA, low oxygen brewing techniques are really common on the Continent.

http://braukaiser.com/blog/blog/2016/04/30/low-oxygen-brewing/