That's my plan as well!
Brewing
- Thread starter chevelleguy0
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #82
Ok guys so my brew has been in the fermenter over 3 weeks. It really seems to have mellowed out really nicely. My concern now is that there are a lot of little pieces of things in suspension. I would have thought by now they should have settled out. Any thoughts?
Are those little pieces bits of hops, yeast, out something else?
- Thread starter
- #84
They look to be bits of hops.
Place yur fermentor in a cool place; garage, basement, etc (away from light). It will settle out nicely, especially below 50 degrees.
You can probably get those bits (really, whether hops or anything else) to let loose of the surface by giving your ferment a shake. They'll settle quickly after that.
During active fermentation, it's a good idea to give your fermenter a good shake every day or so to help degas it. Yeast doesn't like CO2, and it helps to shake that stuff out. As a bonus, you'll also shake loose those bits over time.
During active fermentation, it's a good idea to give your fermenter a good shake every day or so to help degas it. Yeast doesn't like CO2, and it helps to shake that stuff out. As a bonus, you'll also shake loose those bits over time.
Cold crash it, put it in a refrigerator for about 3-4 days prior to bottling and everything will settle out of suspension.
- Thread starter
- #89
Can I put it in the fridge and trust the yeast to come back to carb my bottles? How hard should I shake it? Unfortunately I don't have a garage or a basement.
Cold crashing doesn't really do much for those hop bits (pellets, I assume, or the little glandy-looking things?). That helps get some yeast down and to coagulate some chill-haze proteins, but it doesn't do much good for any bits clinging to the top due to surface tension or tiny bubbles that just haven't come out.
That said, yes, you can put it in the fridge for a few days or so without worry. There will be plenty of yeast left to carbonate.
I wouldn't shake the --it of it, so to speak, but you don't need to baby it. If you keep your airlock on, you shouldn't worry at all, as any CO2 that comes out will keep any nasty oxygen away. Just shake it enough to see the bits break loose from the top. They'll settle quickly enough after that. It may take a couple of shaking sessions to get it all done.
When I dry hop, I give it a couple seconds' moderately gentle shaking each day. By the time I'm ready to bottle or keg, all the bits are on the bottom.
That said, yes, you can put it in the fridge for a few days or so without worry. There will be plenty of yeast left to carbonate.
I wouldn't shake the --it of it, so to speak, but you don't need to baby it. If you keep your airlock on, you shouldn't worry at all, as any CO2 that comes out will keep any nasty oxygen away. Just shake it enough to see the bits break loose from the top. They'll settle quickly enough after that. It may take a couple of shaking sessions to get it all done.
When I dry hop, I give it a couple seconds' moderately gentle shaking each day. By the time I'm ready to bottle or keg, all the bits are on the bottom.
- Thread starter
- #91
Thanks, I will give it a sloshing everyday for a couple days.
Ah, "sloshing." That's a good word for it. Now that I've had a decent night's sleep, I might be able to better describe what you want. Basically, you want to shake (slosh) it such that you shake up the top while not disturbing the bottom too much. There's no real harm in disturbing the bottom, but it'll pack better down there if you don't. That's all.
- Thread starter
- #93
Well I got my beer bottled today. I kinda cheated and ran it across a fine strainer to get the pieces out. I know that adds oxygen which is my enemy. I tried the sloshing and waiting but my beer just wouldn't drop that stuff. Today makes 4 weeks in the fermenter so you could say I got impatient lol. But the strainer took that junk out and it's bottled so I'm happy. I'm going to chalk this batch up to lessons learned and hope for the best.
I gave it a go a few years ago and then realized I like drinking beer a lot more than I like making it.
The cleaning is mostly what got me. So annoying.
The cleaning is mostly what got me. So annoying.
Quit bottling and start kegging. Very easy, and worth it.
Also, fwiw, and to each his own, but I've always thought it best to "rouse" your yeast about 3 times daily if possible during primary fermentation. This allows greater attenuation, provided you have your grain bill correct and the proper yeast for the style. Solids such as hops will settle after your beer is done, just let it sit a day. Don't worry about protein solids floating. If it's too much protein that's been lost, your beer is shot anyway. But, usually it's not bad if you've done your calculations correctly. Remember to always use a yeast starter, it usually keeps protein loss down and attenuates much better. Just my $.02...but what do I know?
Also, fwiw, and to each his own, but I've always thought it best to "rouse" your yeast about 3 times daily if possible during primary fermentation. This allows greater attenuation, provided you have your grain bill correct and the proper yeast for the style. Solids such as hops will settle after your beer is done, just let it sit a day. Don't worry about protein solids floating. If it's too much protein that's been lost, your beer is shot anyway. But, usually it's not bad if you've done your calculations correctly. Remember to always use a yeast starter, it usually keeps protein loss down and attenuates much better. Just my $.02...but what do I know?
- Thread starter
- #96
Thanks but I can't afford kegging and I'm only brewing 2 gallons at a time anyway.
- Thread starter
- #98
I used pellet hops.
Seth, awesome on bottling this weekend, I'm looking to keg my first batch in the next couple days so that it will be ready by this weekend.
