Lots of sediment ok?

Good day everyone. Last night I brewed up an extract pumpkin ale beer. The directions called for one pound of pumpkin pie filling, but I used pumpkin pie spices instead of the filling (the LHBS I purchased the kit from said this was a better way anyway). So during the last 10 mins. of the boil I added my spices and then cooled it down.

After cooling, I set up my strainer and poured my wort thru it into my fermenter. However, there was so much sediment it fully clogged up my strainer and some of the wort spilled over the edges. I tried to take a sanitized spoon to move it around to help the liquied go thru, but it was taking too long so I just ditched the strainer and poured straight into the bucket.

I mixed it well and topped off to 5 gallons and took a sample for OG. I then pitched my liquid yeast (it hissed a bit like opening a soda aftet I let it sit out for 4 hours) After letting the OG sit for about a minute, I noticed lots of sediment going to the bottom. I'd honestly say about an inch or so. I sealed it up last night around 11p and this a.m. at 6am there was no bubbling.

Did I screw this up real bad and is all that sediment a bad thing?

Am I going to have to secondary (I was hoping to just leave it in the primary for 2 weeks)?

Thanks,
Cris P.

You wont HAVE to secondary, but I would wait about 3 weeks and see what it looks like then. Only time will tell how much drops out in the primary. If you can rack off gentle, you should be fine, if you aren't usually lucky about how much sediment you leave behind, a week in a secondary especially if you can crash it may help.

As far as the yeast not taking off yet, give it time.

I'd really prefer NOT to secondary and let it sit for 2-3 weeks. Should I be concerned at all about all that sediment (spices, hops, etc.) in there?

I did taste my hydro sample...and it did taste pretty darn good!

Cris P.

You can leave it on the yeast if you want, using a secondary is not a requirement.
However, you might consider transferring your wort to a separate container for bottling. Your objective is to have less chance of trub ending up in your bottles.

Sounds good. Should I be concerned about it not being strained all that well and having the spices and hops sitting on the bottom?

It's OK... a HUUUGE amount of sediment in pumpkins is normal. But as much as I am an adovcate of no secondaries for normal beer, pumpkin beers ARE the few I would secondary and more likely tertiary. Having done my first pumpkin several years ago without a secondary, I wouldn't wish that on anyone at bottling time. I would leave the beer in primary for a month like I usually do. Then rack to a secondary for a week if not two. Then if it appears there is still a lot of pumpkin gunk in the bottom of the secondary. I would carefully rack it to a tertiary vessel at least for a couple days before bottling.

I've never needed the tertiary myself, but the guy that originally taught me all grain and who is the king of pumpkin beers imho, uses one all the time.

I use a siphon to draw the wort from the fermenter into my bottling bucket, careful not to disturb the goop on the bottom. I actually add my priming sugar mixture to the bottling bucket then throw the wort on top of that - easy peasy. You just don't really want the spice and hop stuff to end up in your bottles. I don't bother with the strainer in my funnel anymore (when I transfer from my kettle to the fermenter). It was a nightmare - took forever to pour 5 gallons of sticky wort through the strainer. I just deal with it after it's settled to the bottom - so I don't transfer it to my bottling bucket.

Does that help?

A couple recommendations, set up your fermenter wherever you'll transfer it a few hours ahead of time so that it's not stirred up in the beer when you're siphoning.

Second, if this happens again, stop pouring the wort when the strainer starts to fill up and dump the strainer out. I'm guessing this is obvious in retrospect (and the question is about what to do with your current beer) but figured I'd mention it just in case.

Thanks for the support! I think what I'll do is let it stay in the primary for 3-4 weeks then bottle it up. I'll siphon carefully and move the siphon down as the liquid level goes down and will let the primary sit for a few hours before racking.

As far as the strainer goes...I think I may not use one anymore. It just seems to be more trouble than it's worth. It does help to aerate, but I'll just stir it a bit longer next time. I didn't want to empty the strainer b/c it was holding so much wort. I tried to use a spatula to move it thru, but it was taking too long. After all that, I just ditched it and poured the rest of the wort in not straining. So I did get some out, just not all.

My GF just went home for lunch and told me that it's not bubbling, and can't smell anything. I pitched the liquid yeast last night at 11pm. The yeast was at room temp. (after sitting out for about 4 hours) and the wort temp. was 72 degrees. Should I be concerned yet??

s2cmpugh said:

My GF just went home for lunch and told me that it's not bubbling, and can't smell anything. I pitched the liquid yeast last night at 11pm. The yeast was at room temp. (after sitting out for about 4 hours) and the wort temp. was 72 degrees. Should I be concerned yet??

Click to expand...

No...first, bubbling of an airlock is irrevelant...beers can ferment and hardly bleep if ever. And secondly, as this sticky states https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/

And thirdly, rarely does yeast NOT take off....

Relax.

This sounds like a job for.... relaxing.. dont worry.. ing.. and have a home brew..... ing..

I'll follow the advice of RDWHAHB. This was my first time using liquid yeast and when I unscrewed the top of the vial some of it spewed out and into the wort.

I won't worry!

Thanks everyone!

Well it started bubbling last night and I'm keeping the temps right around 70!