Experiment time. Trub in the fermenter. Good or bad?

[SJW]

[SIZE=medium]This was going to be my next experiment in a long history brewing dumb things, dumb ways to see the results. Following a Google search I was surprised to find that this fella did a great experiment and probably better than I would have done. Certainly reported it better.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Anyway, this is a great read. Enjoy[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]For the record I like to keep the trub out as much as possible when I am going to save the yeast for another brew.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/[/SIZE]

 

[lukiferj]

Pretty interesting read. Would be good to see some more research into this area.

 

[acarey]

Basic brewing radio also did a collaborative experiment on this topic. Its an interesting listen. They do lots of these kinds of experiments.

 

[Dan Pratt]

top article.

 

[headfreak]

Well, it makes me feel better about how lazy I am with regards to trub.

 

[SJW]

Well, it makes me feel better about how lazy I am with regards to trub.

Me too.

 

[surly]

Interesting read.
I would like to see this expanded to include a wide range of differing styles, different fermentables, yeast etc. Also curious about longevity of the product.
On the surface though, it looks like trub is not something we should be too concerned about.

I wonder if there is a residual effect of the whirlfloc that would have been carried over into the FV with the trub?

 

[anthonyUK]

I also posted that article in this thread - http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/80763-removal-of-hotcold-break-and-oher-kettle-trub/
An interesting discussion commenced

 

[GuyQLD]

I think the real answer is "It depends". Most of the experiments I see on the homebrew scale focus purely on the immediate issues of taste, clarity, aroma and mouth feel and this article draws similar conclusions to others I've seen, including that podcast that comes up in every single one of these threads.

None of them deal with the issues that any of the commercial texts focus on, stability / staling factors, long term clarity etc.

Lets be honest, most of us treat our beer better than the average Joe and that's before you even factor in logistics and handling from the bottling line to your local Dan's. I'll name and shame here but the Dan's at Sunnybank quite often leaves stock outside in the sun when it's loaded off the back of the truck till they get it inside.

Commercial's are interested in those issues because it's going to majorly affect their product. Likewise they go to huge lengths to ensure all the other variables are tightly controlled; we tend not to have either the ability or access to the same equipment to do the same.

I think the harsh reality of the homebrew environment is even the best of us are going the have imperfect pitch rates, inadequate oxygenation and non sterile environments. It's also known that there's a number of amino acids and proteins in cold break that are beneficial to yeast health and to some extent are going to forgive us our shortcomings in other areas.

So is Trub good or bad? I'd venture that as far as the final product goes it probably has less affect than many other variables. Personal preference? I try to minimise hot break as much as possible, I no chill and cbf'd removing the cold break from the cube so just pitch the lot.

Are my beers ok? Sure, although now that I think about it, I have been having head retention issues pretty much forever and cold break is supposed to affect head stability... Maybe there's my answer.

 

[jefin]

All of my beers are fermented on the trub. My kettle is my fermenter.

I haven't had any issues as yet (touch wood) and haven't really noticed any difference in taste or shelf life (granted beer doesn't last long around my joint).

The biggest advantage and the reason I do this is the fermenter is sterilized from the boil and I don't need to transfer after chilling. It doe's improve clarity also.

It's definitely worth a go! My fermenter/kettle is pretty similar to the one below.

 

[Goose]

So is Trub good or bad? I'd venture that as far as the final product goes it probably has less affect than many other variables. Personal preference? I try to minimise hot break as much as possible, I no chill and cbf'd removing the cold break from the cube so just pitch the lot.

Are my beers ok? Sure, although now that I think about it, I have been having head retention issues pretty much forever and cold break is supposed to affect head stability... Maybe there's my answer.

The debate on hot break / cold break continues.

There is also debate about the step prior, ie on the degree of clarity of the wort following the mash. ie is it better to clarify your wort crystal clear, or does a bit of cloudiness encourage a more vigorous ferment ..(?)

Like the trub to fermenter debate, the answer probably lies somewhere in between.

 

[Phoney]

All of my beers are fermented on the trub. My kettle is my fermenter.

What happens when you have one beer fermenting or cold crashing and you want to brew another? Do you have multiple kettles or do you have to sit it out?

 

[GuyQLD]

Goose, on 19 Jun 2014 - 7:08 PM, said:

the answer probably lies somewhere in between.

Or at least it lies within how happy you are with your final product. I know we all tend to poo poo on the commercial breweries but they invest a fair amount into these sorts of things and it often annoys me that a bunch of backyard hobbyists try to claim other to established fact based on anecdotal evidence.

Of course, what the were making in the year 1400 is probably not as good as what some of us are making now, but I'm pretty sure my backyard operation can't hold a candle to what the XXXX brewery can do. Even if you don't like the beer, it represents a hell of a lot of science and engineering.

I know in a perfect world I'd also like to remove cold break, have an oxygen setup, stainless fermenter etc. But I don't, so I just focus on tweaking what I can.

 

[jefin]

Hi Phoney

I have three kettle/fermenters, I also have another three plastic fermenters sitting around in case of an emergency (they never get used though).

Cheers Jefin

 

[SJW]

Interesting topic. I think as humans we do most thing just because...........everyone else does or some expert says too. I do agree while we love our own brews and so do our mates, the fact is could we reproduce thousands of litres per week of exactly the same brew? NO WAY. Not even with my BM. But who gives a shit, it's gone before anyone can come back for a second taste.
I think the test/ experiment just goes to prove that what some expert says, while true in principle really makes little diff to us.
Steve

 

[CosmicBertie]

All my brews are done on the full trub. I use Brewbrite to help precipitate the proteins which then sink to the bottom of the fermenter.

I've not noticed any detrimental effects, my beers are clear and taste great.

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

Very interesting article.. My first AG was full of trub and its the brightest beer I've made.. I did use brewbrite however - I don't think I will be straining the product out of the kettle now after reading this.