Sediment Reducer

[65bellett]

Last week I replaced the tap in my fermenter filled it with wort pitched the yeast and sat on the couch very proud of myself. About an hour later SWMBO was giving the kitchen a post brewing inspection and asked what this little bit of plastic was. I forgot to put the sediment reducer back in the tap. Normally I would not worry about a bit of sediment in my beer but this batch is for a case swap.

I have taken a few hydro samples and a fair bit of sediment is evident. Should I rack this beer to secondary or should I just bottle it and let the sediment drop to the bottom of the bottle?

 

[warra48]

Toss the sediment reducer in the bin.
If you are worried about clogging the tap, just lean your fermenter back about 20 degrees from the vertical, and you will not have any sediment around your tap. After fermentation is finished, the sediment should have packed down fairly firmly at the bottom. If you carefully upright the fermenter, you should be able to bottle fairly clear beer.
Anyway, that's what I do. Works for me.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

So-called 'sediment reducers' are a waste of the world's resources.

I have taken to bottling slowly - meaning that I do not open the tap up fully, so it takes about as much time to fill a bottle as it does to cap and wipe the previous one. There is also an argument that states if you have left your beer to sit and clear long enough, it won't be anywhere near where your tap meets the fermenter, so after maybe the first half a glass or so, any sediment hanging around the tap will have come out.

Or, to put it another way, rest easy in the knowledge that you have just reduced the amount of stuff you have to clean.

 

[InCider]

What are the odds of this thread for me? I've had a sediment reducer and never used it. (must be 20+ years old too!)

Then today I put it in as I will be making a cherry kriek beer, and was not sure if I'd rack it off before the cherries or not, so I put it in for insurance. I think I will take your advice Warra and drop the cherrie in on the cake and tip it 20 degrees. (about the thickness of a fence paling under the tap at a guess.

InCider.

 

[Aaron]

I think peoples opinions of sediment reducers has been covered. Try this thread:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...amp;hl=sediment

You could even try a search and find more on the subject.

 

[hoganknowbest]

rack it for sure!
As nike says....'just do it'
Sediment reducers are something that you don't need but sometimes beleived to need it!
I'm about to rack for the first time, don't thing i'll look back after my pils came out crap!

 

[joecast]

If you are worried about clogging the tap, just lean your fermenter back about 20 degrees from the vertical, and you will not have any sediment around your tap. After fermentation is finished, the sediment should have packed down fairly firmly at the bottom.

ah, thats a great idea.
i probably use one 90% of the time and always watch as im racking and think there is no way that sediment reducer is making any difference. all the sediment is packed down below the tap anyway. but i keep using it for whatever reason.
to the point though, as others said, its no issue not using one for a normal brew.