Remove sediment in primary instead of racking

[Super 6 Pack]

Hi there all,

Would appreciate some advice in this, I am a basic Coopers Kit brewer with a good year under my belt and I want to produce a clear beer.

I bottle 1.25 litre bottles and the first glass is clear but after the first pour, you can see the sediment at the bottom of the bottle stir up to produce a very cloudy glass of beer from then on.

I tend to leave the bottles for 2 months before opening which is helpful but not a solution. When I bottle, I move the fermenter to the kitchen bench and let it sit for 24 hours before bottling. The fermenter sits on a flat surface. I also dont use the "filtery thing" that connects to the tap.

I dont have the ability to cold crash as I dont have the option of a fridge at this point in time, and I have tried gelatine in the primary for a few days but getting so so results from it. (I ferment in a tub full of cold water with ice in it which sits around 24 degrees)

I was thinking of racking but seems like more work with some risk of infection thrown in, not to mention double the sanitizing and cleaning.

I was thinking that instead of racking, how about I just tip fermenter forward & tap on to remove the sludge at the bottom? If i do this, then leave for a few days to settle down (Somehow make sure the tap is nice and clean as well) and maybe add gelatine again for good measure.

DISCLAIMER : Sorry if im duplicating this, I did a search for removing sediment but didnt come across this.

 

[Maheel]

consider moving to cold crashing as it will help more than most other things in imo

racking to secondary will help but imo more risks - infection and oxygen

switch to 700ml and pour the hole bottle to a cold jug in one smooth pour

 

[ABG]

consider moving to cold crashing as it will help more than most other things in imo

racking to secondary will help but imo more risks - infection and oxygen

switch to 700ml and pour the hole bottle to a cold jug in one smooth pour

x2. Buy a cheap 2nd hand fridge. I would also recommend Biofine instead of gelatine. Easier to use and gives better results. There's a great thread on the other forum.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

thank you for the replies. So, draining the sludge at the bottom of the primary fermenter after fermentation is a no go?

That being the case I will try and get the temps down as much as I can and try Biofine.

 

[ABG]

thank you for the replies. So, draining the sludge at the bottom of the primary fermenter after fermentation is a no go?

That being the case I will try and get the temps down as much as I can and try Biofine.

You're welcome, but I'm not sure I understand your question about the sludge. That is your yeast cake and you want to keep it out of your bottles/kegs. Try not to stir it up before bottling/kegging. You can repitch a fresh wort straight onto it after you've finished bottling/kegging, or you can wash it and reuse it later, or you can just chuck it. Personally, I keep or reuse all my liquid yeasts, but chuck the dry yeast cos it's cheap as chips.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

Yep exactly, im trying to keep the yeast cake out of the beer and i dont re use it being quite primitive.

So my idea is to drain out the yeast cake after fermentation and maybe then add in the biofin for good measure and let sit for a few days for better measure. Good/bad idea?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Partially what Maheel says, one smooth pour no glugging and disturbing the yeast bed pouring into a jug. If you are getting to much yeast in the bottle don't be afraid to go to a secondary fermenter, the risk of any infection if you have repeated the same sanitation regime is zero. Oxygen is a risk but done carefully and before full fermentation is finished reduces that risk. Add Biofine or PVPP (which works out cheaper) the yeast will settle out with little in the bottle.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

Im sort of stuck with the 1.25l bottles for the time being, so in that case ill give secondary a go. Cheers

 

[ABG]

I think what @Maheel and @wide eyed and legless are saying is to pour from your 1.25L bottles into a cold jug when serving your beer, not transferring from your fermenter. Because you are bottle conditioning, you are causing more yeast to grow and no matter how you fine your beer, you will end up adding some to your glass as you serve, especially if you are agitating the bottle or as you near the bottom of the bottle. Pouring the entire contents of your 1.25L bottle into a jug in a slow and continuous motion (being careful to leave the yeast at the bottom of the bottom of the bottle behind) will aid your quest for clear beer.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

Thanks for the clarification. I get it, i guess i could pour it into a sealed jug in the event that i have had enough.

 

[ABG]

i guess i could pour it into a sealed jug in the event that i have had enough.

That's just crazy talk...

 

[Super 6 Pack]

Yeah what am i saying.

 

[RobinW]

The sediment in your bottles is from the secondary fermentation which happens in the bottles to gas it. You add some sort of sugar to the bottles, then add the fermented wort. The dormant yeast in the fermented wort sees the sugar and starts up again gassing the beer. The by product is the yeast grows and a residue is formed which makes the beer cloudy if disturbed. To avoid cloudy beer you must carefully pour each bottle into a beer serving jug and stop pouring from the bottle when you see the sediment moving to the top of the bottle.

The only other option you have is to use kegs and gas it from a CO2 cylinder. Over time the sediment will go to the bottom of the keg and the first couple of pulls will be cloudy the rest will be clear. Or filter into the keg and it will all be clear.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

ok cool cheers. So there is no way around it other than pouring into a jug. I think the other thing is the bigger the bottle the more the sediment.

 

[RobinW]

When we bottled 30 years ago, we'd shake em up and pour em into a jug.
Ah the good old days .......

 

[Reg Holt]

Thanks for the clarification. I get it, i guess i could pour it into a sealed jug in the event that i have had enough.

Thats the downside of the larger bottles, they are good because it is less cleaning but wanting another drink when you have 1.25 litre bottles, is a trap. You could pour another glass gently out of the bottle and put the cap back on and finish it the next night, it won't go off, maybe a little flatter but a syringe will fix that.

 

[Super 6 Pack]

Jeez, why do i bother bottling and just get a keg.

 

[Schikitar]

Jeez, why do i bother bottling and just get a keg.

Do this, you'll wonder why you ever used bottles! If you need to transpo some beer then I just use a carbonation cap into PET bottles - lasts for weeks!

 

[Maheel]

yeah kegs are the go...

IMO 1st you should consider a fermenting fridge, temp control increases the quality of the beer as well.

maybe just get some smaller bottles and give that a try 1st = cheap option

 

[Reg Holt]

Jeez, why do i bother bottling and just get a keg.

Even if you keg it is always good to run off a dozen bottles, conditioning/maturing and tasting after the first 2 or 3 weeks at different intervals while taking notes. Drink at about 8 to 10 degrees C, if you want to go into a competition, you will have a good idea what you are presenting. It will taste much different to a beer force carbed and served from a keg at 3 or 4 degrees C.