Drunkensatyr
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- Apr 2, 2007
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OK so this seems to be coming up on almost a daily basis here lately.
For all the questions of: "when should I move my beer to the (secondary, keg, bottles, clearing tank) and the "How do I best clear my beer" here is my take on it all.
When to move: Own a Hydrometer and know how to use it. If you stay at a stable hydrometer reading for several days.....you are safe. To go farther into this subject, I will also lead into the clarifying question. Patience is a virtue. I know it is hard to leave that beer sitting alone in the dark for so long, and none of us want to give our beer a complex, Let it sit. 1 2 3 is a guideline NOT a rule. The longer you can let it sit, the better it will turn out (with few exceptions). You will not pick up off flavors because you let your beer sit on the cake for 13 days. As is becoming ever more a popular idea, the primary is ideal for flavor conditioning. If you are really paranoid, then let the hydrometer settle out for a few days then rack to your clearing tank (carboy, keg...what have you)
As for clarity...again TIME is your best friend. Let that beer sit and it WILL clear itself up. That is the nature of the beast. If you want super clear beer, let it sit then cold condition it for....you guessed it....more time. I promise it will work better than any finning agent you can buy, and it just might taste better too. This is a hobby that has very few short cuts. It takes time for beer to taste it's best (again with a few exceptions). RDWHAHB really is an important mantra here. We all want to drink that killer batch of brew the same week we brew it, but it just doesn't work that way. Yeast are a strange creature. They need time to set up house, then sweep the floors. If you rush them, it might be good beer, but it will be BETTER beer if you can just let em work!
Let experience guide you, not rule you and never be afraid! This is one of the best groups of people I have EVER found for information, but a little preliminary research will answer most all of your questions. Thousands of years can't be wrong.....live long and enjoy your brew!
For all the questions of: "when should I move my beer to the (secondary, keg, bottles, clearing tank) and the "How do I best clear my beer" here is my take on it all.
When to move: Own a Hydrometer and know how to use it. If you stay at a stable hydrometer reading for several days.....you are safe. To go farther into this subject, I will also lead into the clarifying question. Patience is a virtue. I know it is hard to leave that beer sitting alone in the dark for so long, and none of us want to give our beer a complex, Let it sit. 1 2 3 is a guideline NOT a rule. The longer you can let it sit, the better it will turn out (with few exceptions). You will not pick up off flavors because you let your beer sit on the cake for 13 days. As is becoming ever more a popular idea, the primary is ideal for flavor conditioning. If you are really paranoid, then let the hydrometer settle out for a few days then rack to your clearing tank (carboy, keg...what have you)
As for clarity...again TIME is your best friend. Let that beer sit and it WILL clear itself up. That is the nature of the beast. If you want super clear beer, let it sit then cold condition it for....you guessed it....more time. I promise it will work better than any finning agent you can buy, and it just might taste better too. This is a hobby that has very few short cuts. It takes time for beer to taste it's best (again with a few exceptions). RDWHAHB really is an important mantra here. We all want to drink that killer batch of brew the same week we brew it, but it just doesn't work that way. Yeast are a strange creature. They need time to set up house, then sweep the floors. If you rush them, it might be good beer, but it will be BETTER beer if you can just let em work!
Let experience guide you, not rule you and never be afraid! This is one of the best groups of people I have EVER found for information, but a little preliminary research will answer most all of your questions. Thousands of years can't be wrong.....live long and enjoy your brew!