Should I Rack Or Not?

[Matt89]

got a batch of neils centenarillo ale 4 days into ferment start at about 1.055 and it current at about 1.030 still got a few days to go, just wondering if i don't rack it can i bottle once primary fermentation is done? will this change the flavour? or if i don't rack am i better to leave it in the primary for 2 weeks?

 

[manticle]

I was previously a serial racker. Now I only do it to bulk prime or if I want to bulk age something for more than 6 months.

What's not clear from your question is what you hope to achieve by racking.

My advice, based on my experience:

Let the beer finish, then leave it on the yeast for a further 3-5 days to clean up.

Cold condition it if you have the means for a further week.

Then bottle.

 

[cdbrown]

I don't rack anymore. After ferment is done I usually leave it for a few days to be sure, then chill it down and let it sit for a few days to help all the yeast to drop. Then bottle/keg when I have the time.

 

[Silo Ted]

No need to rack if its only a two week ferment. Bottle straight out of the fermenter (or, rack for bulk priming purposes)

 

[Silo Ted]

Um, what manticle said

 

[Matt89]

awesome thanks heaps for the clear up, so it doesn't hinder taste at all?

 

[Silo Ted]

awesome thanks heaps for the clear up, so it doesn't hinder taste at all?

not at all.

 

[grod5]

dont waste your time

daniel

 

[Silo Ted]

Not just a waste of time, but also an increased infection risk, especially for new brewers whose sanitisation regime may be lacking, as well as transfer turbulence aerating a finished ferment. While you might think its bottling cloudy, a few weeks tucked away, and a couple of days in the fridge before drinking will drop out a lot of the cloudiness.

 

[kelbygreen]

if its less then 8 weeks in total I find it no real reason to even consider to rack. Even lagers with 8-9weeks from start of fermentation are fine (with 5 week CC) and come out crystal clear with no finings. I have racked once and it was a waste and I have racked to a bottling bucket and I find it slower then putting sugar into 30 long necks so I cannot see the point for ether

 

[manticle]

For the second - consistency plus you can walk away and do something else while it's draining. It's not time, it's physical effort (as far as I'm concerned anyway)

 

[kelbygreen]

yes but you have to wash and sanitise the cube or bucket? well I hope you do so put that in and to get everything ready and boiling the water to disolve the sagar and then stir it with you nice clean and sanitised spoon lol. Yes you mabe able to do it 1 min faster but then you have to let it drain off and then still bottle it so Id rather skip it. Wait id rather just pour it in my keg I can walk away from that to

 

[manticle]

Well I wash my cubes and fermenters straight after use so that bit's not a problem. Any brewer, whether kegger, bottler, bulk primer or sugar doser will have to clean and sanitise their fermenters at some point.

Sanitise with starsan so that bit's not a problem.

Boil up some sugar on the stove, no need to stir because I'm racking, leave behind most of the sediment as an added bonus, every bottle carbonated the same.

As I said - it's not time, it's effort and consistency and having bottled with carb drops, scoops, teaspoons and bulk priming, I much prefer bulk priming.

Kegs are a different story - don't have them, will get them 1 day but still aim to bottle some special brews.

 

[kelbygreen]

yeah true I didnt really care if one bottle was little more or less carbed, I am glad I dont have to worry about it now. Although using a filter throws a little bit more time in still infront of bottling with cleaning and sanitising so not to worried.