psychodad
08-17-2008, 10:52 PM
This month's BYO has an article on whirlpooling in which i take it they are suggesting you can whirlpool before or after chilling the wort. I'll need to reread tomorrow as I have been mixing a pale ale and a robust porter all evening. But I digress...
On one hand, I'd think the before cooling would push a lot of panic buttons. On the other hand, looking back I definitely stirred the bejeebus out of the first batch of beer I ever brewed before it reached pitching temperature and I just had a bottle of that brew yesterday that was very smooth and malty.
My only wet cardboard tasting beer has been at the bottom of a keg from the first batch I kegged not knowing that I needed to purge the head-space with co2. This makes me wonder... Just how important is it really to avoid exposing unfermented wort to oxygen? Has anyone really ever hosed a brew that they can look back and say "Yeah I stirred the heck out of that hot wort"?
As for me, I usually only whirlpool after cooling, but this just makes me think that that aeration from stirring while cooling is one less thing to worry about.
On one hand, I'd think the before cooling would push a lot of panic buttons. On the other hand, looking back I definitely stirred the bejeebus out of the first batch of beer I ever brewed before it reached pitching temperature and I just had a bottle of that brew yesterday that was very smooth and malty.
My only wet cardboard tasting beer has been at the bottom of a keg from the first batch I kegged not knowing that I needed to purge the head-space with co2. This makes me wonder... Just how important is it really to avoid exposing unfermented wort to oxygen? Has anyone really ever hosed a brew that they can look back and say "Yeah I stirred the heck out of that hot wort"?
As for me, I usually only whirlpool after cooling, but this just makes me think that that aeration from stirring while cooling is one less thing to worry about.