Damn New Funnel!

So, me the big man, decided that the funnel that I was using for 20 years was not “good enough”, so I splurged and got this: 8" Funnel with Strainer, I think… a funnel with a strainer, wow that may help clear up my beer (note I do extract brewing only). So this weekend I do a batch (Amber Ale: 1 lbs of gran (in muslin), 6 lbs of LME, 3 oz hops (all in muslin)… and I use my brand new funnel and the strainer clogs up – to the point of no beer going through— after I pour about a quart of the beer into the carboy… wow I think, that was not expected… I put down the pot… I clean out the strainer… pour again… .maybe 2 cups later… clogged, I do this 2 or 3 more times all in maybe I get a gallon of “strained” beer in to the carboy… so I pop the screen out and fill the rest…

So, am I doing something wrong? is there a way to get less sediment? should I not use the strainer to go between the pot and the carboy (if so then when do you use the strainer)… this is all very puzzeling to me… please explain.

TIA.
MFED

I took that stainer out. It’s way too fine to be useful. I think it’s made for wine makers or something.
I have 2 kitchen strainers that I have used on top of that funnel and each is coarser than the screen that came with it and one of them clogs up instantly as well.

Yea learned that lesson the same way you did years ago. I bought a stainless double strainer and set that over top the funnel then later decided it was all a waste of effort. I bag hops in the boil and what can’t be kept out by whirlpooling goes in the fermenter.

Whirlpooling?

You know…jump into that big tub with the jets moving water… :joy:
My first experience whirlpooling was stirring with my spoon after the wort was chilled… I bet I stirred 5 minutes for many batches… way back, a thousand years ago? :mask:
Sneezles61

Yes. When your boil is finished you create a whirlpool in the wort that helps all the trub settle into a cone in the center of the kettle. Then draw the wort off with either a spigot in the side of the kettle or a racking cane rather than pouring it out. Most of the trub should be left behind. Here’s one example I found with a quick youtube search but there are many more and I believe NB used to have one in their videos as well. It can also be as simple as stirring with a spoon as @sneezles61 suggested.

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I whirlpool but in the end don’t really worry much about trub. It’ll settle out and the yeast don’t care.

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I still have the funnel but tossed the strainer about 20 years ago for the same reason. It clogged, I fought with it and gave up. Just let it settle.

So I have been dumping the pot into the fermenter… I think that is the problem, maybe I’tt try the whirlpool with a racking cane and see how that works before I try drilling holes in the bewpot.

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I have a false bottom to my brew kettle and it filters out 80 of the hop and trub. A sanitized kitchen strainer catches 15 percent more. I have a hop spider for anything that calls for more than 2 oz of hops.

I stir mine with a big spoon to create the whirlpool effect. Spin it up and let it sit and you’ll end up with a little trub mountain in the bottom of your kettle. Edit: Then just avoid the mountain when you transfer to the fermenter.

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You might want to look into a hop spider. I do use them for my hop adition during. The boil. But i use them. As well to transfer my wort to the fermentor. Feel. By using. Hop spiders. You keep most the trub out of your wort

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So I see two types of hop spiders, one at 300 micron, and one at 800 micron mesh… Any suggestion on that?

Me not 100 proc sure. I think i have the 300 micron. Hops spider. The 800 mircon. The mash might be to large. And leaves more. Hops residue. Into the wort. So i would go with the 300 micron

I’ll have to be a bit on the other side… If it’s course… The “fines” will get through and keep the pump clogging stuff at bay…
Sneezles61

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Mine is 300 micron

Apparently, Micron is like “gauge”… the 300 is finer then 800… Which is the finest mesh size, 600 micron or 100 micron? | U.S. Plastic
I am getting the 300

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You got it… The finer… The more cloggy-er it is
Sneezles61

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A Mircon (μm) is a unit of measurement. It’s the short hand for Micrometer, 1 millionth of a meter or .001 mm (0.000039")
So with mesh I believe it is the size of the hole in the mesh. 300 is 3 tenths of a mm whereas 800 is almost a mm.
For perspective
bacteria are around 1-10 μm
red bloods cell are around 7-8 μm
human hair is around 17-180 μm
semolina flour is 180 μm
wheat flour is 212 μm
Hop lupulin glands are 200 μm

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Brew In A Bag brand bags are 60 μm I believe