Lesson 2 - Wort Clarification Technology and Process Control
This lesson compares the design and operation of different wort clarification systems. It provides you with the information to help you justify why you would choose one method over another.
Wort Clarification Systems
Our choice of wort clarification system does not only depend on our preference, but also on the type of hops that we are using.
The majority of breweries use hop pellets or more intensively processed hop products. A few use whole hops. Owing to their large size, the task of wort clarification when using whole hops is very different to when other hop products are used.
There are three basic methods of wort clarification:
- Filtration of the wort through spent hops, e.g., using a hop back.
- Separation of whole hops, e.g., using a hop strainer.
- Sedimentation, e.g., using a whirlpool or a centrifuge.
Wort filtration has been used in the past but it is probably not undertaken today.
Figure: Methods of wort clarification, based on hop types