getting rid of bottle gunk

[divi2323]

How do you guys get rid of your bottle gunk after the carbonation is finished? I bottle primed and its done but its not appealing to look at when drinking.

 

[Skyforger]

Is your beer hazy? Or are you talking about more clump-like things getting into the pour? If it's hazy, that can be from bottle sediment but also can be caused by various other things, such as a chill haze. If it's clumps from the bottom of the bottle, pretty much the only thing for it is to pour more slowly/carefully, leave it still in the fridge longer, or keg carbonate. There is a real technique to pouring a bottle-conditioned beer, especially if it's a clumpy yeast strain.

 

[Rockape66]

There is a way to get rid of it. It's called riddling, and it is a pretty intense process. That is the way it is done with champagne. Good luck if you try it. I fust hold the glass and bottle in front of a light, pour gently, and stop the pour when I see the yeast clumps get to the neck of the bottle.

 

[GinKings]

How old is your cider when you bottle it? Bottle conditioning a clarifed cider should leave little sediment. If your cider is that unappealing to look at, my guess is that you are bottling too soon. Let the cider clarify before you bottle it. I may wait longer than most, but I typically wait 6 months before I bottle.

 

[divi2323]

Have had differing opinions of when to bottle. The local brew storeguy says to bottle as soon as 3 weeks if I don't mind it cloudy. I'm not opposed to waiting but I bottled about 3 weeks after it finished. I also racked twice with the second time yielding very little sediment.

Its not a ton of sediment but when they are cracked open, the carbonation drags the sediment up and hits the surface. Then it streaks down like fireworks. Taste is perfect but the visual is unappealing.

Was thinking the next batch I would filter and force Carb which will likely yield the results I'm looking for. Ill leave a batch and clear itover a few months.

 

[Devo9]

If you deside to go the riddling route, you'll need to disgourge as well.

Here is a youtube video:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB2dcY9uBGs]Eastcott Vineyard - Disgorging our English Sparkling Wine - YouTube[/ame]

 

[divi2323]

Interesting. And this wont affect the Carb levels in the bottle?

 

[Devo9]

I am sure there will be a small drop in Carb levels, but I can't imagine there would be much.

Disgourging is done by most (if not all) comercial sparkling wine producers from my understanding. Sure many of the pros have large expencive machines to do this work with less carb loss and to make it easier, but I believe this was the method being done for hundreds of years.

 

[Gop]

If it tastes perfect, why mess with it All our home brew beer has sediment in the bottom and we just pour slowly until reaching it.

 

[Devo9]

If it tastes perfect, why mess with it All our home brew beer has sediment in the bottom and we just pour slowly until reaching it.

I see what you are saying, but I want to try this just because it looks like fun! Plus why not mess with it? Part of why I home brew is to try new things...

Just be careful, because you don't want to lose any brew...

I read about making practice bottles here is a quote from a website:

“It takes considerable dexterity to accomplish the disgorging of sparkling wine without waste or mess. This is why we suggest that the amateur winemaker try it first with dummy bottles to acquire some practice in doing it. At the same time as you are adding the sugar and yeast to referment your wine, fill a certain number of bottles (6 - 10) with water and add to each bottle the juice of half a lemon, one level teaspoon of dextrose, and some EC-1118 type yeast. This mixture will become bubbly at the same time as the wine does; thus, you will be able to make several trial runs (don't forget that this is a dangerous sport!) to gain the necessary skill for disgorging your sparkling wine. As you can imagine, this method is far from easy, especially if you are doing it alone. It requires concentration, exceptional dexterity, and a strong thumb, if success is to be attained with any certainly. It is not really recommended for amateur winemakers, unless they are resolutely determined, as there is a very high probability of losing a large part of the product. “

The website is: Making Sparkling Wine
And it has step by step instructions. I am hoping to try it soon and good luck if you decide to!