What is this thing you call Racking????

[Miniac]

Just a quick question about racking. What is it. I normally wait til the brew is finished and then just bottle. Is there something i should do in the middle???? Is the beer better to rack your beer????

Cheers

Cam

[Gough]

Racking is the careful transferral of your beer from one fermenter to another via a siphon/racking tube. Racking gets your beer off your primary yeast/trub cake which aids in clearing your beer and assists in avoiding off flavours. You need to do it carefully to avoid oxygenating your beer. No bubbles! When you do it is up to you, lots of brewers differ, but a good time is when your beer has just finished its primary ferment, say at day 7 or thereabouts for most ales at 18-20 degrees. It is also a good opportuity to dry hop your beer. Many also rack a second time to 'bulk-prime' their beers.

Hope that helps. There is a LOT of other info out there so do some searching...

Shawn.

[Oliver]

Miniac,

Some always rack. Some never rack. I'm in the latter category. Give it a go and see if you think that it results in a better beer for you.

At the end of the day, it's not necessary and just comes down to personal preference.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Dogger Dan]

I am a racker for three reasons,

1. I leave a lot of trub behind on the first,
2. I get a good propogation yeast on the second
3. It is easier on filter plates on the third.

Dogger