How can I prevent yeasty flavor in beer / cider?

[JoshInWV]

I have made about 5 extract kits so far, and 3 ciders (two completely home made). I bottle my beer with carbonation tablets and have had no problems with doing it that way. The only complaint I have is that I tend to get a yeasty flavoring in the beer or cider that I have bottled.

One of the people at the local brew shop suggested I re-rack the wort or must after about every 3 days of fermenting so that the liquid doesn't sit with the dead yeast fallout on the bottom. That doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I'd be worried that I would introduce the possibility of contamination every time I re-rack, and it will mean that I must have at least 2 extra carboys on hand.

Are there any ways to prevent yeasty notes in the final product? Filters would filter out the yeast in the end product but remove the yeast vital to carbonation wouldn't it?

 

[GPP33]

That's terrible advice. I leave mine in primary for 14 days and have never had such a flavor. The days of "secondary" are long gone, with the exception of adding stuff like fruit. How long do you leave it in primary until you bottle? Are you careful not to suck up yeast from the bottom?

 

[OswaldvW]

I know the days of secondary is long gone, but in this case you can let your beer ferment for 5-10 day, then move it to secondary and let sit for 2 weeks or so. This will help remove the amount of yeast that goes into the bottle. Using a secondary does increase your risk of infection as you are adding another step and another vessel that has to be perfectly clean.

Or, you could move to kegging. The first few pours will have some yeast but the rest of the pours will be clear. One of the main reasons why is because chilling the beer plus time will help to have the yeast drop out.

Also, some yeasts have a stronger flavors and don't flocculate very well. Look for yeasts that really drop out of suspension at the end of fermentation and stick to those kinds of yeasts if they work for you.

 

[JoshInWV]

That's terrible advice. I leave mine in primary for 14 days and have never had such a flavor. The days of "secondary" are long gone, with the exception of adding stuff like fruit. How long do you leave it in primary until you bottle? Are you careful not to suck up yeast from the bottom?

I leave mine in the primary up to 14 days and I always am careful not to siphon off the bottom. I don't go any lower than the spigot on my bucket.

What do you mean the days of the secondary are long gone?

 

[OswaldvW]

Conventional wisdom now is to avoid doing a secondary. The problems with a secondary include:

Oxygenation
Sanitization

Many people go now from primary to bottling bocket or primary to keg.

 

[Sailingeric]

Are you pouring slowly from the bottle so you don't store up the settled yeast from carbing.

 

[Kerrbrewer]

My process is to rack to bottling bucket first. That way things settle while I sanitize everything. IME yeasty is a taste of a beer that needs more time. I also leave ales 2 weeks on the trub, lagers a month most times, ciders go into a secondary for months.. Alot of folks nowadays seem to try to be speeding up a process that requires time to get the best product possible in most cases. If you need your primary fermenter, and your beer isnt clear enough yet, rack to a secondary smartly. If you have alot of trub in your bottles, pour it in a glass. Two hard pulls on a bottle can stir things up and you start tasting trub. I secondary many beers I bottle because I really enjoy drinking beer in bottles that have so little trub in the bottle that it stays on the bottom. I keg beer too for family parties or for a nice long lagering.

 

[flars]

Are you brewing wheat beers where some yeast flavor is desirable? Which yeasts are you using?

 

[OleBrewing]

honestly I think you have it down. timely matters depend on yeast. depending on variety and style is what you will get. unless plan on filtering

 

[JoshInWV]

Lots of good advice here, I'll try to answer your questions:

Sailingeric - Absolutely yes I pour slowly out of the bottle.

Kerrbrewer - when you brew your ciders, do you cold crash them or just a straight fermenter? Honestly, I have no desire to speed up the process. There is something about that anticipation of tasting your own creation.

flars - I've not made a wheat beer yet that I am aware of, I usually use white labs yeast, the oktoberfest I used sasafal(?). I also only use spring water for my beer. I've NEVER used tap water here so I have that going for me.

OleBrewing - Thanks man, I mean I know I have it down, it's just that yeasty flavor in my ciders. Esecially my pear-blackberry. If I filter, would that mean I have to switch over to forced carbonation due to the filter removing all yeasts?

Thanks in advance y'all.

- Josh

 

[Kerrbrewer]

Josh I leave them in the primary until they get close to final gravity. My ciders/cysers I use champagne yeast so its easy to tell they are 1.000 or less, very dry. Then I rack them to a seconary, usually a 3 gal carboy with very little headspace. I keep the airlock topped off with cheap vodka and keep them in my ferment chamber if there is room. If not I keep them near the AC return air vent which is the coolest spot in my S. TX home with a black shirt over it to keep the light off it. The longest I have left one like this is 6 months, it was for my family Christmas gathering and it was a big hit. Oh and trust me it took awhile to get enough beer in the pipeline so I could let things take their sweet time. Take your time, enjoy the hobby and enjoy the fruits of your labor!!