Too many gadgets in the boil!

[JimmyMac81]

I have a 30l robobrew, which I use with an immersion chiller and sometimes a hop spider, but I recently bought an aeration / whirlpool paddle without really thinking how I was going to fit everything in during the boil!

Even assuming I don't use the spider, if I have the IC in for the last 15 minutes, it's impossible to use the paddle without it crashing against everything, and if I do use it then forget about using the paddle for a whirlpool at the end . So my question is - does anyone have this same combination, and what's your regime for the end of the boil? I would imagine having the spider and IC in until the end of the boil, take everything out at flameout (but keeping them somewhere clean), do my whirlpool and then add everything back in? Seems the only option but it's a bit clunky and means having to worry about wort dripping everywhere and rotating multiple items. Any advice?

 

[JonBrew]

I'm not really following why you would need to have all this equipment in the kettle at once. My process would be, flame out, chill, remove hop spider and IC, then use the whirlpool paddle, let everything settle, then run off to the FV.

Also, if you're not using a pump, why not switch to pellet hops and ditch the spider?

 

[JimmyMac81]

I want to whirlpool and do a hop stand at around 80C, so will involve a bit of swapping around but I guess that's what it'll take! I am using a pump and it is very prone to clogging, even with a 12" bazooka filter so any significant amount of hops in the boil causes me problems. I'm thinking of a FWH, maybe a 30 min addition, and the rest at hop stand. Thanks for the advice!

 

[JonBrew]

What about a whirlpool arm to do the whirlpool instead of the paddle then? That way you can use the pump on your robobrew to recirculate the wort while you're doing your hopstand/whirlpool.

 

[Brew Dad]

I have a robobrew, and do just what @JonBrew suggests. I use a couple of small clamps to guide the tubing from the sparge arm to the side of the robobrew, and it creates a nice whirlpool. In combination with the immersion chiller it cools the wort much quicker, as well.

 

[SteveH]

I recently got one of these and it fits the 35l brewzilla just fine:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/brew-monk-whirlpool-arm/

Yet to use it successfully though because same as @JimmyMac81 I've found the pump is normally blocked by the time I want to whirlpool

 

[fury_tea]

I recently got one of these and it fits the 35l brewzilla just fine:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/brew-monk-whirlpool-arm/

Yet to use it successfully though because same as @JimmyMac81 I've found the pump is normally blocked by the time I want to whirlpool

I got a small sink strainer from eBay, bent it up on one side with some pliers and it fits perfectly over the outlet for the pump. Touch wood I haven't had a blockage since I started using it

Edit: I also heard somewhere that if you blow (or use a bike pump to blow) down the top of the tube that leads to the pump (with the pump off and being careful not to burn yourself obviously), it will unblock the pump, but don't quote me on that as I haven't tried it myself.