whirlpooling

[guypettigrew]

On the Malt Miller site it says 'Having a system that allows a whirlpool action after the boil has big benefits for flame out hop utilisation'.

I'm guessing this means more flavour and aroma from the flame out hops when the wort is whirlpooled at 80°C compared with stirring the hops in at flame out and leaving the wort to stand.

Is this really the case? If it is, then I'll think about organising a whirlpool arrangement for my kettle.

Thanks.

Guy

[vacant]

On the Malt Miller site it says 'Having a system that allows a whirlpool action after the boil has big benefits for flame out hop utilisation'.

I'd be surprised. Whatever hops are present during whirlpooling, they'll get utilised. But whirlpooling movement cools the wort a bit quicker vs letting it stand. If that's the case, I'd have thought steeping the hops for the same amount of time without whirlpooling would give marginally better utilisation?

Anyway, if there are some numbers and blind taste tests to support the statement, I'd be convinced.

Against that argument: if it involves buying more shiny equipment ... I want to believe, I want to believe!

[guypettigrew]

On the Malt Miller site it says 'Having a system that allows a whirlpool action after the boil has big benefits for flame out hop utilisation'.

Anyway, if there are some numbers and blind taste tests to support the statement, I'd be convinced.

Against that argument: if it involves buying more shiny equipment ... I want to believe, I want to believe!

You've seen the underlying reason behind my query immediately!!

Guy

[LeeH]

Well worth it for pellets but not so much for leaf I presume.

I’ve never tried it with leaf but pellets cone up great in the centre after a good whirlpool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Kingfisher4]

Well worth it for pellets but not so much for leaf I presume.

I’ve never tried it with leaf but pellets cone up great in the centre after a good whirlpool xxx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I have tried it with and without whirlpooling for leaf hops in a Grainfather. On balance, I Think that the advantages of not whirlpooling outweigh the disadvantages. If I whirlpool, I waste slightly less wort in the hop debris. Conversely, if there is a hop bed evenly at the base of the Grainfather, it filters out more of the hot break debris and small particles which prevent it going into the fermenting vessel.

No scientific evidence, other than observation over the last couple of dozen brews.

[guypettigrew]

It's easy enough to understand how whirlpooling helps with getting the hops and trub to the centre of the kettle.

But the query I have is about what it says on the Malt Miller site about better hop utilisation. Presumably flavour and aroma, since this is flame out hops being referred to.

Perhaps I'll try it next brewday and see if there's any difference in the final beer.

Guy

[Robwalkeragain]

It's easy enough to understand how whirlpooling helps with getting the hops and trub to the centre of the kettle.

But the query I have is about what it says on the Malt Miller site about better hop utilisation. Presumably flavour and aroma, since this is flame out hops being referred to.

Perhaps I'll try it next brewday and see if there's any difference in the final beer.

Guy

It’s to do with the physical action - whirlpools are great for extracting aroma compared to a steep. Most only work with pellets, not leaf. The physical action will help strip the beer of trub and bond the aroma to the beer - utilization isn’t really an issue with homebrew as you can just add more hops.

Probably not worth the effort if you’re stirring!

[Kev888]

Yes, I've found modest stirring to be perfectly fine at our kind of scales. Of course if you whirlpool anyway then absolutely make use of it, but personally I wouldn't bother introducing one just for reasons of hopping.

To digress a bit, there have been lots of cases over the years where people look at industry and wrongly assume the process is needed (or will even work well) for homebrew scales and requirements. As we see ever more internationally-sold homebrew systems, software and equipment, similar things are also happening with respect to foreign homebrewing practices. IMO in both cases the manufacturers aren't always very discriminating about the context or relevancy of their marketing blurb; if their system will do it they (of course) want to promote it as beneficial.