any need for racking

[cc4848]

Have been brewing for a few year now with 50 or so batches under my belt, keep hearin g that you should rack into a second fermenter. Have hav'nt ever doon this. All my beer are clear with basically no sediment.

What are the advantages of racking then?

Have got a few spare fermenters.

[Tim...]

I racked for the first time a week ago (just finished bottling said batch 20 minutes ago). It basically scared the hell out of me. As soon as I turned the tap, it clogged up, and took about 45 minutes to actually drain into the secondary. My beer is probably very oxidised now Also, I think I will strain my hops from now on, so they stay out of my tap
Then when it was in the secondary fermenter, there was no activity, as fermentation was finished, therefore no krausen. Once again, I was worrying about how much oxygen was in the fermenter (This was a 30L fermenter, with only 16.5 litres of beer in it).

Basically what I have found from it is that, racking makes me nervous, and lowers the final amount of beer I get in bottle. Not by much though because I tipped up the fermenter to get most of it out.

So I'm going to lay off racking for a while, until I have a good reason to. I'll probably add some glucose or malt into the secondary when I do it next. Get a nice little krausen.

[cc4848]

Cheers, think i will give it a miss for now until someone gives me a good enough reason to start, as i said have done 50 or so brews which are very clear with no sediment

[lethaldog]

I have racked for a while now and it always improves my end result but each to thier own, if your brewing fairly simple kits then there is no real need except to get your beer of the trub so as to age it a bit longer in the fermenter before bottling but if you were to move into AG as i have then it would be a good idea to start racking as there is alot of grain dust and hops that dont always get strained out

[scanman]

I have been racking anything that has a lager yeast put into it. Seems to get a much better taste out of the end result as well as a very clear beer.
I usually rack into a secondary and just chuck it into the fridge for 2 or 3 weeks.
Never had a bad drop come out from doing that so far.
Doing ales now the weather has warmed up, and not sure if I am going to bother racking these, but I'm sure I might give ot a go. Least they won't need to go into the fridge.

[Boonie]

I racked for the first time a week ago (just finished bottling said batch 20 minutes ago). It basically scared the hell out of me. As soon as I turned the tap, it clogged up, and took about 45 minutes to actually drain into the secondary. My beer is probably very oxidised now Also, I think I will strain my hops from now on, so they stay out of my tap
Then when it was in the secondary fermenter, there was no activity, as fermentation was finished, therefore no krausen. Once again, I was worrying about how much oxygen was in the fermenter (This was a 30L fermenter, with only 16.5 litres of beer in it).

Basically what I have found from it is that, racking makes me nervous, and lowers the final amount of beer I get in bottle. Not by much though because I tipped up the fermenter to get most of it out.

So I'm going to lay off racking for a while, until I have a good reason to. I'll probably add some glucose or malt into the secondary when I do it next. Get a nice little krausen.

Jesus Tim, you'll put him off for life with that one.

Tim, do you use a sediment reducer??

If so, follow these instructions if you want to rack.

Hold sediment reducer in favoured hand
Pull arm back in throwing motion
Move arm forward and release reducer pushing it threw the air and watch how far it goes
Continue brewing

If you are worried about hops clogging tap, which I have never had (only grain (strain the grain)) Throw the sediment reducer and use a stocking on the end of the racking tube.

Works a treat, tried it for the first time the other night

Cheers

Boonie

PS I like racking my beer, though you all have heard me say that alot. ......great for Dry Hopping......

[Chris]

...and when you look at the stocking, you'll more than likely notice nothing in it... but it made you feel better having it there, didn't it

[Peter Bradshaw]

This one always intrigues me. I can understand people being concerned about infections, but I can't come to grips with those who hate leaving about 200ml of beer in the fermenter because they feel they are being cheated of a couple of mouthfuls of beer.

My experience of racking is that I have little or no sediment at the bottom of each bottle. Therefore more usable beer in each bottle and a much clearer and attractive looking glass. I know the sediment won't kill me, but to me a beer is more than a taste delight, it has to be a smell and sight delight also. I am not into cloudy beers, sorry folks, even wheat beers would be better if they were clear.

And as for hops floating around in your beer, is it really a huge task to put them into a hop bag or nylon stocking in order to keep them all neatly in one place.

I rather enjoyed that rant, maybe I should do it more often.

Cheers, Pete

[warra48]

I am not into cloudy beers, sorry folks, even wheat beers would be better if they were clear. Cheers, Pete

Wheat beers can be clear. Check out this link.
http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Kristallweizen.html

[Chris]

I believe that the tradition of wheat beers being cloudy is due to 'specialised' wheat beer yeast simply having a lower floc tendancy. Thereby hangs a style.

[billybushcook]

Racking.....what a waste of time!
Ive been brewing for 16 yrs without racking & I can pour the entire bottle without getting a cloudy glass.
just a thin dust on the bottom of the bottle.
A friend of mine racks his beer & I still prefer mine. I am a firm beliver in the KISS principle.
It came about when my youngest son was born, I couldn't always bottle on that particullar day so I tossed the wort in the beer fridge until I could,(I latter realised this is lagering) some times up to a fortnight, this meant my beers were in the primary for up to 4 weeks.(trouble is I could drink my self out of stock by then)

it smoothed out the flavours & when I bottle they are clear as crystal & taste good straight out of the primary just no bubbles.
the only trouble I had was getting the yeast to fire back up for carbonation after being at such low temps, being as it was mid winter & even inside the hot box with the next batch & heater they took a little longer to carbonate fully.

The other important factor I found was using glad wrap over the top I could easily see when fermentation had stopped & the beer would start to look black as night (due to the black Brigalow fermenter) giving almost no sediment whether lagering or not. but lagering definately took it to the next level.

Mick.

[Chris]

Not everyone has a fridge to whack it in. I think a lot of people on here wish they did.

And it sure isn't a waste of time if you like to dry hop or make fruit beer!

[Rysa]

That's it, depends on what you've got in it and how clear you want it.
As Lethal & Chris said if you're doing all grain or have a hell of a lot of hops in there it will help.

I don't rack and can't see myself dong it in the near future but when and if i go all grain i'd definately consider it.

[Longrasser]

Tried racking but was overcome with laziness and now leave me brews in the tub for a month.
Great results, clear tasty beer
Just bottled 3 brews that have been in the tubs for over 6 weeks all tasted bewt.

[Rysa]

That answers my other question too!
Thanks Long.

[Chris]

6 weeks at Darwine temps? You're doing alright. 6 weeks in Canberra killed my GB. But I've been told that 6 weeks in Canberra will kill anything.

[Rysa]

I'll remember not to holiday there for too long then.

[Longrasser]

I brew in AIRCON at about 22-24 room temp

The brew still gives the odd BLOOP! even after 4 weeks

I have no idea what Im doing right just using Be2 LDME kit combos

One of the nicest was a Tooheys dark ale 1kg LDME 250gms dex 15gms of Amarillo dry .
That brewed for 4 weeks primed with 190 gms dex and is drinking superbly now after 2 months in the bottle.

Sh@t Im getting thirsty..........

[Chris]

Airconditioning. That's different. But still, 6 weeks! I rack because I'm lazy!

[Longrasser]

I would suspect there is far more bullshit floating about in the air in Canberra than here
We're catching up fast tho......