Whirlpool

[Dads_Ale]

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

 

[Aaron Rennie]

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?

 

[Stonedhouse]

I love DIY home brew kit ! Nice one ! Glad you went for 12Volt as well

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 !

 

[Dads_Ale]

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.

 

[Stonedhouse]

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.

 

[Dads_Ale]

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.

 

[JockyBrewer]

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?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

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?

 

[JockyBrewer]

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.