IPAs having alot of sludge into fermenter?

I just made my first IPA and noticed that I got alot of hop sludge into the fermenter when transferring from BK; I don't use a pump, so I don't know the best way/technique for getting it over without the excess gunk?
I did a hopstand, etc. and it turned out great, but theres a LOT of sediment in my bottles I even used a paint strainer on the racking cane...
I plan on more IPAs in the future...

What can I do to help lessen my sediment issues?

Thanks!

ditch the paint strainer as it could introduce oxygen to your beer. in the future just rack more carefully into your bottling bucket and you'll be fine. I dump all the trub into my fermenter and still end up with clear delicious beer.

Wait, why is there sediment in your bottles? All that sediment should fall to the bottom of the fermentor if you fermented properly. Then, when you rack to a bottling bucket, you can siphon from above the trub. Plus, even if you get some of it in the bottling bucket, it will settle below the spigot valve level

I've got an elbow on my bottling bucket that sits right at 1/16" from the bottom; some gets in. it helps once i put them in the fridge, I just leave them there for 4-5 days. that seems to help condense it.
I'm trying to "eliminate" it, though...

birdley123 said:

I've got an elbow on my bottling bucket that sits right at 1/16" from the bottom; some gets in. it helps once i put them in the fridge, I just leave them there for 4-5 days. that seems to help condense it.
I'm trying to "eliminate" it, though...

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even so, you should have next to nothing in terms of sediment in your bottling bucket if you are racking carefully

A couple things I do for my IPA's that seem to work well:

• Let them sit at least 30 minutes, possibly at a slight angle, before racking, to give the gunk a chance to settle down (this works both brew kettle -> fermentor and fermentor -> bottling bucket)
• Use an auto-siphon (if you're not, already), it makes it easier to suck from the clear wort and avoid the gunk
• Cold crash, to get more stuff to fall out and make the trub more compact
• Get a "nut milk sack," it's basically a tiny paint strainer, you can rubber band it to the end of your racking cane, and it's small enough to submerge in the bottling bucket, eliminating worries about oxygenation
• Rack to secondary for the dry hop, so you're only dealing with the dry hops and not any yeast cake/kettle trub (yes, this increases risks of oxygenation/infection, etc., etc., but OP's already stated clear beer is a priority, and you won't wreck your beer this way as long as you're careful)

Before transferring from the kettle to the fermenter, I let the fermenter sit for ~15 minutes to let everything settle to the bottom. Using Irish Moss in the boil helps with this. Then I use my autosiphon to rack the wort into the fermenter off of the top of the trub, leaving all the hop sludge etc in the boil kettle.

hunter_la5 said:

Before transferring from the kettle to the fermenter, I let the fermenter sit for ~15 minutes to let everything settle to the bottom. Using Irish Moss in the boil helps with this. Then I use my autosiphon to rack the wort into the fermenter off of the top of the trub, leaving all the hop sludge etc in the boil kettle.

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hmmm, rather than just dump it all in and let it settle later? interesting...

feinbera said:

A couple things I do for my IPA's that seem to work well:

• Let them sit at least 30 minutes, possibly at a slight angle, before racking, to give the gunk a chance to settle down (this works both brew kettle -> fermentor and fermentor -> bottling bucket)
• Use an auto-siphon (if you're not, already), it makes it easier to suck from the clear wort and avoid the gunk
• Cold crash, to get more stuff to fall out and make the trub more compact
• Get a "nut milk sack," it's basically a tiny paint strainer, you can rubber band it to the end of your racking cane, and it's small enough to submerge in the bottling bucket, eliminating worries about oxygenation
• Rack to secondary for the dry hop, so you're only dealing with the dry hops and not any yeast cake/kettle trub (yes, this increases risks of oxygenation/infection, etc., etc., but OP's already stated clear beer is a priority, and you won't wreck your beer this way as long as you're careful)

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I agree with all of this.

In fact, right now I'm dry hopping 2 ounces in the primary, so as to experiment with not using a second container at all.
Just dry hop/cold crash, angle back the fermentor and rack from the higher end into my bottling bucket.

I put a large hop sack over the opening of the fermenter so it filters quite a bit out as I transfer to the fermenter. Make sure to leave a lot of slack in the sack to it can collect a lot of trub. It also helps aerate the wort.

Yeah, stainless strainers, and a hop sack in you fermenter bucket will collect a lot of the junk. I've done that in the past. Currently I whirlpool a bit, the ntransfer everything to a carboy. Then use gelatin and cold crash, and transfer to keg, I think a cold crash with gelatin, then a careful transfer to a bottling bucket would make a big difference.

I use Irish Moss in the BK and chill the wort as much as possible. I put one paint strainer on top of another in a metal strainer to strain out the trub. A very small amount of dust sized trub gets through into my fermenter, and a 3 day cold crash after fermenting always gets me clear beer.

I always do a secondary for dry hopping and have had great success with gently swirling the fermentor every other day (keeps the pellets in suspension and allows them to sink). Within a week, they're all at the bottom and very easy to avoid. Haven't had oxidation issues or any particles in bottles.

chuckthebutcher said:

http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

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His issue isn't with the flavor, it's sediment in the bottles. I'm not sure how that xbeerment is relevant.

Don't fear the sediment, man. Especially in a hoppy IPA. I try to strain as much as I can, and try not to get greedy when siphoning to my bottle bucket, but some trub will always make it in. That's no big deal. We aren't pros with high end filters. This is homebrew

hezagenius said:

I put a large hop sack over the opening of the fermenter so it filters quite a bit out as I transfer to the fermenter. Make sure to leave a lot of slack in the sack to it can collect a lot of trub. It also helps aerate the wort.

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I just finished another IPA and did this;
One word; GENIUS!!
Worked great, just found my new method
Thanks!

I actually used a 5gal paint strainer...

birdley123 said:

I just made my first IPA and noticed that I got alot of hop sludge into the fermenter when transferring from BK; I don't use a pump, so I don't know the best way/technique for getting it over without the excess gunk?

I did a hopstand, etc. and it turned out great, but theres a LOT of sediment in my bottles I even used a paint strainer on the racking cane...

I plan on more IPAs in the future...



What can I do to help lessen my sediment issues?



Thanks!

Click to expand...

First I use a hop basket for most of my hop additions. It eliminates a lot of the hop gunk. Sometimes when a recipe calls for FWH or a flameout addition w/ stepping/hopstand I start a very gentle whirlpool & SLOWLY speed it up to avoid hot side aeration. I out on the lid and let it settle.
I do employ a pump w/ a CFC chiller & recirculate but prior to that I still produced a nice pyramid of trub in the middle of my BK which allowed me to drain to my fermenters w/ a minimum of trub.
I also do a secondary the majority of the time, particularly when I dry hop. I agree w/ a previous poster that toward the end of the dry hop I gently shake the carboy each day & any hop sludge settles to the bottom & can be easily avoided when transferring to either a bottling bucket or keg.

I pour from my kettle to my fermenting bucket, but I use a plastic strainer that is made to fit the top of the 5 gallon bucket... you can get them in anything from 25 micron to like 600 micron...they are on eBay cheap if you search "5 Gallon EZ strainer Bucket Pail Filter Biodiesel " I've used mine for many, many batches.

As long as we bottle carbonate there will always be something in the bottoms of our bottles.

I have a valve in my BK. I open it and drain all but a very little of the thickest part at the bottom. I then ferment for at least 14 days. All the trub compacts. And very little gets out of the fermenter.

Siphon carefully out of the fermenter and you shouldn't have very much in the bottling bucket. What little is there should settle to the bottom and not get into the bottles.

MindenMan said:

As long as we bottle carbonate there will always be something in the bottoms of our bottles.

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This needs to be a sticky somewhere (like the beginning forum), I went YEARS depressed at my racking ability until I figured this out.

Ah yes, but seeing what is left in the bottom of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale will depress anybody that bottle conditions.