Whirlpool & Cooling

After the boil we spin the wort into a whirlpool. Physics does the work: solid hop matter and coagulated protein gather in a neat cone at the centre of the base, while clear wort draws off from the edge.

Then comes cooling, and it has to be fast. At this point the wort is sweet, nutrient-rich and sterile — in other words, a perfect growth medium for any wild bacteria in the air. While it's hot it's safe. Between 60 and 20 °C it is at its most vulnerable, so we cross that window in minutes.

A plate heat exchanger does it: wort runs along one side of thin metal plates, cold water along the other. The water heats up in the process and isn't thrown away — we keep it for the next brew. From here on, everything that touches the beer is sterilised.