Filtering hops during transfer from fermenter to bottling bucket

[JonGardner]

I am only on my 5th batch of beer, strictly extract pre-made kits so far. My latest batch is nearing the end of its fermentation (2 weeks on Sunday). I have two questions.

1. I saw fermentation bubbles within a few hours. With my previous batches, this activity goes for 3-4 days, then quits. This time, I have had bubbles continue until yesterday-12 days. I'm not at all concerned because it smells awesome, but I am still learning, so want to understand why. Is it typically the character of the yeast being used that makes this difference?

2. I dry hopped as per the recipe instructions, (adding them directly to the beer) but now have a 3/4" thick krausen-like layer on top which shows no signs of flocculating. I haven't had to deal with this before. How do I make the transfer from my fermenter (Fermonster wide mouth 6.5 gal.) to my bottling bucket (basic 5 gal. bucket with spigot) without getting a ton of unwanted material with it? Other info: Temperatures have fluctuated some, but remained within the recommended range for the yeast. The beer is very murky and the trub on the bottom is much less than in previous brews. Also, I used 1/2 tab of Whirlfloc 5 min. before flameout, plus added a vial of ClarityFerm to reduce gluten.

 

[user 338926]

Opinions I was given here are that yes, it's normal to have that bubbling last sometimes.

Is this the first brew you dry hopped?

Was this batch warmer at the end than the last ones? Even 5 deg F? If so, I's say that can partly be the cause of it not clearing as the others did. Any beer I have that still has gunk on top I cold crash (stick in fridge and cool to finish). It even helps with not picking up any of the chunks of foamy trub that's in the bottom of the fermenter when you move it to whatever finishing vessel it's going into. . If you cool it, all that stuff WILL fall.

 

[JonGardner]

I dry hopped once before, but it fell nicely and didn't get in the way.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I am only on my 5th batch of beer, strictly extract pre-made kits so far. My latest batch is nearing the end of its fermentation (2 weeks on Sunday). I have two questions.

It could be that your beer just needs a little more time. Fermentation can vary based on the yeast used, the recipe or other conditions. If you are seeing krausen and bubbles on day 12 and the beer is still "very murky", to me that is a sign that fermentation is still finishing up. Recipe instruction sheets just give a general timeframe.

What yeast did you use? How big was the dry hop addition? What style beer is this?

 

[JonGardner]

It could be that your beer just needs a little more time. Fermentation can vary based on the yeast used, the recipe or other conditions. If you are seeing krausen and bubbles on day 12 and the beer is still "very murky", to me that is a sign that fermentation is still finishing up. Recipe instruction sheets just give a general timeframe.

What yeast did you use? How big was the dry hop addition? What style beer is this?

This is a grapefruit IPA recipe kit from Brewers Best. The yeast was named San Diego, from Apex Cultures. The dry hop addition was two ounces of Chinook.

 

[thefigure5]

How do I make the transfer from my fermenter (Fermonster wide mouth 6.5 gal.) to my bottling bucket (basic 5 gal. bucket with spigot) without getting a ton of unwanted material with it?

You could hang this type of hop filter on the rim of your bottling bucket and put the transfer tube in it.

 

[hotbeer]

Leave it in the fermenter till all the stuff suspended in it falls to the bottom. If it's murkey looking as you said, then that is yuck.

Beer can spend a lot of time in the FV without anything bad happening. In fact beer I have left longer in the FV tends to be the beers I like better.

1) all sorts of things can cause your beer to bubble even when it's finished fermenting. So don't equate bubbles to fermentation. Don't think lack of bubbles means anything either.

2) if you have stuff floating on top when you've decided it's time to rack your beer out of the FV, then remember it's only the stuff between the top and the bottom that you need to put in the bottles. So push your racking cane or tube below the surface! Or close your spigot before the top layer starts to come out.

 

[mashpaddled]

You should check the gravity before moving the beer. It sounds like there may have been an issue with fermentation where adding the dry hops agitated the yeast into completing fermentation at this late stage. Might also be an infection carried in with the hops (rare) or coincidentally kicked off at the same time you dry hopped.