normal amount of sediment?

what is the normal amount of sediment in bottles? I bottled and put in the basement, dark and cool, I looked at them today and see what looks like yeast sediment in the bottom. How much is normal? can I do anything to reduce next time?
brew is kit extract brown ale
I have most in brown, but I can see it in the clear bottles?

just wondered if it is normal and will it clear?:rockin:

Sediment on the bottom of the bottles is normal. Those are the yeast that carbonated your bottled beer.

Short of filtering, you aren't going to get rid of all the yeast.

The amount on the bottom also depends on your fermentation. For an example, if you primary ferment for 7 days and then bottle, you'll have a lot more stuff settle out in the bottle and have more sediment. If you primary for 10 days, and then secondary for 3- 4 weeks before bottling, you'll have less. I always use a clearing tank (secondary) for my beers and they tend to be pretty clear with just a small amount of yeast sediment in the bottom. Still, that yeast layer on the bottom is a good thing- it is what carbonated your beer!

mikes_brew said:

what is the normal amount of sediment in bottles?

Click to expand...

I think a thin layer, like 1/16th of an inch or so is normal.

In one case, where I accidentally stirred up a lot of yeast when racking from the primary fermenter to the bottling bucket (I've been brewing without a secondary), I ended up with a layer of yeast in the bottles that was at least 1/8 of an inch or more thick. It didn't seemed to hurt anything, although I'll certainly avoid trying to make that mistake again.

I think that is what happened, it was pretty clear before I added the sugar, then I stirred it in pretty good then bottled. it is probaby a little less than or at an 1/8.

thanks for the update.
how do you keep from stirring it up when adding the sugar?

You dissolve the priming sugar in some water (boil it), then cool it and put in your bottling bucket. Then you carefully siphon the beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket, holding the end of the tubing (or racking cane if using) above the sediment in the fermenter. It helps if you keep the tubing that is going into the bottling bucket under the surface of the beer going in, so that the beer gently "swirls" around and mixes with the priming solution without aerating your beer. You don't want to aerate or splash your beer at this point.

Here's a picture and some good info: http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html

To avoid stirring your priming sugar into the beer, pour the boiled sugar mixture into the bottling bucket before you siphon the beer in. This way, when you start siphoning the beer into the bucket, it will mix the sugar up as it runs into the bucket. I do this and I have never had a problem with carbonation. You can also gently (without splashing!) pour the boiled sugar into the bottling bucket while the beer is being siphoned in. The motion of the beer flowing into the bucket will thoroughly mix up the sugar. Happy brewing!

EDIT: Ya beat me to it, YC!

nice trick,
thanks I'll do that next time for sure!

Remember, some people, myself included, like a little yeast shot. In a good Belgian I always save that part for the last gulp. MMMM vitamins.

D