To Rack Or Not To Rack....

[wyatt_girth]

Heya,
My LHBS guy told me that racking is almost essential to achieving full potential from my brews - keeping in mind I am a basic K & K man at the moment. Just wondering what advice folks might have re racking and whether the result outweighs the risk of infection, oxygen etc. Cleanliness is top priority when I brew so infection is not my only concern though I just can't decide if I want to take a chance. Is racking really important to getting a clean beer? Does it improve taste greatly? Should I bother? I know there are people that do and others that don't but I am interested in hearing all reasonings. Any help is appreciated.
Cheers.

 

[Tim F]

I had the same advice when starting and always racked into another fermenter after fermentation to allow more yeast to settle out and avoid any bad flavours. I did have a few problems with oxidised/stale flavours in a couple of beers but I can't necessarily put that down to the racking as other parts of my techique needed improvement too. With my most recent batch I didn't rack the whole way through - just fermented out at my primary temp, rested for 3 days, then chilled for a week all in the same container before transferring to my bottling bucket for priming. This beer is as clean tasting as yopu could want and had much less potential for exposure to oxygen and bacteria. This is all grain too so there is a lot more sediment involved. if you are brewing kits I reckon you are absolutely fine not to rack as long as you keep the temperature under control and don't leave it there for too long.

 

[warra48]

There is a place for racking a lager prior to lagering.

However, it behoves all those advising to rack ales exactly why they recommend it and what the benefits are as against the risks.

I defy anyone to tell the difference in a blind tasting between a racked or unracked ale.

IMHO, I'd say to leave well enough alone.

 

[solidghost]

If I use yeast that are fluccolant, then there is no need for racking. And wheat beers as well.

 

[wyatt_girth]

The reasoning I was given was to get the beer off the trub after 3-4 days to minimise the 'home brew taste'. So far I have only had ales fermenting for about a week and are bottled as soon as I get a few days at the same SG. Does this short time on the yeast cake give too many flavours to the final product?

 

[Tyred]

The reasoning I was given was to get the beer off the trub after 3-4 days to minimise the 'home brew taste'. So far I have only had ales fermenting for about a week and are bottled as soon as I get a few days at the same SG. Does this short time on the yeast cake give too many flavours to the final product?

I doubt it. I've left beers in the fermenter for two weeks and I haven't noticed any problems with it.

I only rack to get clearer beer with less of the trub in it when I finally get around to bottling. Then again, I haven't made an ale for about 6 months now, only lagers. Temperature control is a wonderful thing.

 

[EK]

I must say that I have racked two ales and can't say that it really improved the flavour. I wouldn't be doing it until you have a few more brews under your belt and you have your process down pat as it is a possible risk of infection/oxidation.

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[grod5]

I doubt it. I've left beers in the fermenter for two weeks and I haven't noticed any problems with it.

I only rack to get clearer beer with less of the trub in it when I finally get around to bottling. Then again, I haven't made an ale for about 6 months now, only lagers. Temperature control is a wonderful thing.

Hey Wyatt,

I don't post here too often but I had the same question several years ago. What I did was to try both ways; and I didn't notice any difference. I should say that I do crash chill my brews prior to kegging. I found no difference to the finished product if I racked. What I did find is that I had less to wash up afterwards.

I also have found that leaving my wort in primary for 3 weeks (ale temps (up to a month for lagers)) has improved my brew. I can't see any benefit in speed brewing, megaswill is good for that.

I think that the best advice is that you should try it for yourself and do what works for you. My biggest tip would be to control your temps and don't worry about racking until you start AG or barley wine.

d

 

[Cocko]

What is Racking?

 

[boingk]

Racking is simply transferring the brew to another fermenter, leaving the yeast cake behind. Its done anywhere between a few days to a few weeks after fermentation has started. It makes the brew clearer at bottling time and may also drop a few stubborn SG points as the brew is stirred up quite well during the transfer.

Its done by sterilising fermenter #2, and syphoning the brew through a food grade hose into it. Whack an airlock onto the now-full fermenter #2 and then either pitch another brew onto the yeast cake left behind in fermenter #1 or clean and store it.

Cheers - boingk

 

[LethalCorpse]

As a bit of an aside, but relevant to that last comment - If you're pitching another brew on top, does the usual idea about oxygenating the wrt apply? I mean, if there's already heaps of live cells there, they don't need to multiply, right?

 

[Cocko]

Racking is simply transferring the brew to another fermenter, leaving the yeast cake behind. Its done anywhere between a few days to a few weeks after fermentation has started. It makes the brew clearer at bottling time and may also drop a few stubborn SG points as the brew is stirred up quite well during the transfer.

Its done by sterilising fermenter #2, and syphoning the brew through a food grade hose into it. Whack an airlock onto the now-full fermenter #2 and then either pitch another brew onto the yeast cake left behind in fermenter #1 or clean and store it.

Cheers - boingk

Cheers to you. Mighty!

Many thanks.

 

[soupbones]

I don't post here much, but I rack any lager I make, and find that non home brew drinkers cannot believe that the beer thry are drinking is a home brew because of how clear and crisp it tastes. Racking lagers certainly improves them if you ask me. Getting it off the trub and getting most of the yeast out of suspension in my opinion makes for a much better lager. Most lagers are meant to be crisp and clear, unlike ales.
I ferment out the brew, then rack to a secondary and give it another ferment for a week or so before putting it into a fridge. This is more or less cold conditioning, but it gets most of the yeast out. Afte a week or two in the fridge, I bottle it and leave the bottles at room temp ( or garage temp in my case ) for another week or two even to give them a chance to carbonate up. Then its back into the fridge for the bottles for at least 2 or 3 days before drinking. The longer in the fridge after this, with more cold conditioning the better.
I mainly make euro style lagers or pilseners. Never had a bad one yet come out from racking. Never had an infection problem either. Rack to a sanatised vessel and you shoudl never have a problem.

 

[hughman666]

when i was doing k&k i racked all my brews. at this stage i was bottling and it did make a huge difference in terms of clarity. then i moved to kegging and stopped racking all except for wheat beers. basically i would transfer to keg, store in the fridge for another week and then start tucking in. the only problem with this is that yo uget the ssecondary layer of yeast at the bottom of the keg which (because the beer line comes from the bottom) brought a lot of that yeast into the first few pints.

now i rack beers like kolsch and pale ales to get that clarity and then store in the keg for another week at ~2c. with wheat beers and wits i transfer straight to the keg.

does racking make a difference to the taste? if you're doing k&k using the yeast under the lid, the sooner you can get your brew off that yeast cake and into another vessel, the better. if you're using good quality saf yeasts, it's more of an appearance thing really.

 

[pmolou]

bit off topic but do you really need to rack a lager or can you simply condition it in the bottle at very low temps etc 2-5celcius for a few months then rise to 10celsius to carbonate???

I'm not a non-racking nazi i just dont have a racking bin and mainly make ales but decided to try a bock

 

[soupbones]

bit off topic but do you really need to rack a lager or can you simply condition it in the bottle at very low temps etc 2-5celcius for a few months then rise to 10celsius to carbonate???

I'm not a non-racking nazi i just dont have a racking bin and mainly make ales but decided to try a bock

You could do this, sure, but your sediment in the bottle is going to be much more then if you racked. Thats the whole point of racking lagers, to remove as much of the yeast as possible so you have a nice clear and crisp tasting final product.
I intend to go to kegs in the very near future, an I think I will still rack lagers even then.

 

[wyatt_girth]

does racking make a difference to the taste? if you're doing k&k using the yeast under the lid, the sooner you can get your brew off that yeast cake and into another vessel, the better. if you're using good quality saf yeasts, it's more of an appearance thing really.

I am doing a brown ale at the moment using a saf S-04. This is my first run not using the kit yeast so I might let it ride this time without racking and see how it goes compared to previous. Appearance isn't a priority for me at the moment - I am concentrating more on getting a beer done that I can enjoy drinking. I am using a fridgemate so am able to keep a good temp throughout. Thanks for the advice all.

 

[ibast]

I racked for a long time, but taking advice from this forum I have stopped for a coupe of brews. I'm yet to come to a conclusion either way.

I do find I have to take a couple of bottles out of the vessel before I fill my keg. That way the crap ends up in the bottom of the bottles instead of my lines.

 

[rich_lamb]

There is a place for racking a lager prior to lagering.

However, it behoves all those advising to rack ales exactly why they recommend it and what the benefits are as against the risks.

I defy anyone to tell the difference in a blind tasting between a racked or unracked ale.

IMHO, I'd say to leave well enough alone.

+1
I don't bother to rack anymore, as I don't think there's much benefit for the risk and effort. There's absolutely no harm in leaving it in the primary for 2-3 weeks to finish up (and partially clarify), then rack into a bottling bucket to avoid the sediment.
(You can also use clarifying agents to speed things up - if clarity is your primary goal)
Once it's in bottles, or kegs you can cold condition or just use good old fashioned patience to let the beer clean up.

I found racking gave unpredictable carbonation, due to reduced yeast - I don't actually have much patience

 

[beernography]

I rack using the method boingk described and as soupbones said it noticeably makes your beer clearer and takes some of that muddy yeast flavour away.

However I find it takes the bottles longer to carbonate when the brew is racked, and sometimes I just can't be arsed getting the fermenter out and using another $6 bottle of sanitiser and humping the fermenters around when its far easier to drink yeast.