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The best sediment reduction technique is to store standing up & pour it in one go .................. clear as .......
Racking is just another step that risks infection & oxidisation
Maybe I'm just a lazy ar*se
My thoughts
Cheers
I second that.
My beers are clean, not too cloudy, just pour all my brews into jugs in one go.... all my brew drinkers/test drivers are happy, and always coming back for more.
What's lacking is a summary of when racking is more likely to be beneficial and when it is not, or marginal? The best I can gather is that lager, high gravity and fruit beers benefit but I'd like to pose this scenario:
Duvel clone (courtesy of Brewmaster recipe with extra dextrose to increase original SG to 1065 and using Wyeast 1388 Stong Belgian Ale active yeast - supposedly the Duvel strain): It's nearing the end of primary and since it's high gravity perhaps I should rack. But there again, there are no floaties (eg fruit) and it's not a lager. Unless someone can suggest otherwise I plan to rack half, bottle half, once primary fermentation is complete.
Sounds like an interesting experiment. I dunno, my opinion has been wavering. I mean if Palmer (one of the gods of homebrew) no longer racks his ales, then why should I? I reckon it gives less sediment, but there may be a disadvantage in terms of conditioning speed.
So I guess you're going to have to make up your own mind as there is no difinitive answer. Sorry!
It's certainly no skin off my nose to give it a go - I love nothing more than doing this sort of expt where only one variable is changed. Currently assessing the difference between packet and bottle-cultured Coopers Pale Ale yeast with the CPA kit; 4 wks in the bottle and detectable differences but not decisive, maybe time will tell (if I don't get greedy!).
breadnbutter wrote:
Unless someone can suggest otherwise I plan to rack half, bottle half, once primary fermentation is complete.
Any comments?
Cheers, Mick
Mick, I think that in order for that experiment to be of value, you'd have to rack half, and let the other half sit on the yeast bed. Then bottle both at the same time.
I'm suggesting that because of several points in this discussion to date. Including; is it better to let the beer finish on the yeast bed or remove it early?; does the removal from the yeast bed early produce a clearer brew?; is there less bottle sediment between the 2 that have been left for the same period? is there any difference in flavour? etc.
Cheers, Ed
So the bartender says to the horse "Why the long face?"
Cheers, I like that. I had the impression that prolonged lees contact (whoops, wino term - I mean trub) was not desirable, better to move it once primary is finished. However, several posts in this thread have put doubt to that theory. Yet, is there an oxidation problem - I would be racking to a 10 L demijohn with little headspace but leaving significant headspace in the primary. Comments?
I reckon either experiment would be valid. Try to disturb the CO2 layer as little as possible and it should still blanket the surface of your brew as it's heavier than air. There will be a slightly increased risk of infection tho.
Mick, I like your thinking on this. Be great if you had access to CO2 for blanketing the primary again. If not, I'd think about just removing any airlock device and replacing with some sort of dust filter before transfer (loosely packet cotton wool arranged somehow?). Maybe that would be enough as only dust and particles can carry any nasty micro-organisms in. The CO2 already present is heavier than air and maybe enough? Requires some thought.
Cheers, Ed
So the bartender says to the horse "Why the long face?"
Just so happens I do have access to CO2! I'm a molecular biologist and can make dry ice from the CO2 bottle in the lab! I'll add to both racked and unracked.
Excellent and I look forward to the results. Of particular interest for me would be recording what you can for appearance, flavour, and the final gravity for both. Good luck with it.
Edit:
Nearly forgot. And time spent in primary, secondary, etc, etc
Cheers, Ed
So the bartender says to the horse "Why the long face?"
I have racked every brew for ages now and i can tell you that they deffinately take a little longer to carb/condition, but i have yet to have one that is bad and if left for the appropriate amount of time they will carb up just the same as a brew that wasnt racked and will be a damn sight clearer, anyway each to thier own but it works for me and i plan to continue no matter what
I have been racking for some time now - although a relative newbie to brewing. I started racking when i obtained an extra three fermenters at a great price
A question - I have been using the Morgans "tea bag" style hops in my brews. When I rack, I have been disgarding the hops, however, should I be putting the tea bag hops over into the racked container as well?
mark68 wrote:I tried racking on a few of my brews ,and found that i had less carbonation.My brews turned out flat and horrible,so i gave it up.
I have found that if I rack after 3 days while the yeast is a little active, I get more CO2 in my bottles. This may be due to the more yeast is active and transferring to rack.....then to the bottle.
A homebrew is like a fart, only the brewer thinks it's great.
Give me a flying headbutt.......
and I look forward to the results. Of particular interest for me would be recording what you can for appearance, flavour, and the final gravity for both. Good luck with it.
