Fermenter/Bottling Bucket Logistics?

My first post, and my first batch. I really enjoy lighter beers, like Warsteiner, and would like to start off with these.

I'm using the "True Brew All Malt Pilsner" ingredient kit with the "Gold Complete Beer equipment Kit (K6)" which includes a 6 gallon carboy.

The ingredient instructions say to leave wort in the fermenting vessel for a week, then add a sugar mixture, and bottle, allowing the bottles to age another 3 weeks. My fermenting bucket has a spigot on the bottom, so it's also my bottling bucket. I don't suppose I should be adding the sugar mix to the fermenting bucket then bottle right away, as this would include all the sediment. So at some point I should transfer the beer into the carboy, sans sediment, then back into the bottling bucket, then into the bottles. Right?

(1)...Should I do all this transferring on the same day? (ie. Siphon clear beer into carboy, waste the sediment, then back into the cleaned bottling bucket, add sugar, then bottle?) Is there a better way?

I was reading a post on this forum that says I should leave the beer in the primary fermenting vessel for a month, NOT to use the carboy, then bottle.

(2)...Does that apply to this recipe? Is there a better way?

I'm brewing in the Denver area, and my garage is approx 40F this time of year. I understand that pilsners like cooler, slower fermentation periods. For now, I've got it in my 65F basement, until I hear otherwise.

(3)...What do you all suggest I should use for time & temp with this beer?

Any other suggestions related to my situation would be VERY much appreciated. Thanks!

-You should definitely transfer it to another bucket before bottling. You don't want any of that nasty sediment in your beer.

-Leave it in the basement, your garage is too cold.

-You should let it ferment for at least 2 weeks before priming/bottling. The only way to be sure when it is time to bottle though is to take a gravity reading once a day for three days. If the gravity doesn't change, than you are good to go.

Although its too late for this brew, I would recommend not fermenting in the bottling bucket in the future. I left sanitizer in my bottling bucket overnight once and came down to a horrible mess on the floor. The bottling valve had leaked.

For future brews, i would suggest getting a separate fermenter with an airlock grommet in the lid and no valve. Ferment for however long you wish, boil 2 cups water, disolve your bottling sugar, cool, and pour into your empty bottling bucket. Rack with a racking cane or autosiphon (these devices include a standoff that will allow you to get most of your beer with minimal sediment) and the bottle from the bucket valve.

for THIS batch, I would recommend you disolve sugar in 2 cups boiled water. place in your other container ( carboy?) rack over with a racking cane or autosiphon (not the bottling valve) then clean the bottling bucket and rack back.

I recommend you not use the bottling bucket valve to transfer to the (carboy?) for 2 reasons. First, you will get a lot more sediment, and second you will aerate the beer, which common logic suggests leads to oxidation and premature spoilage. You put the sugar in the empty vessel to allow the beer to slowly swirl and mix with the bottling solution. Hope this helps.

That same kit was my first kit as well, many moons ago. Yes it's a pilsner as far as the malt and hops are concerned...but the yeast is an ale yeast. So it's not a true pilsner, as they are lagers but I remember it turned out well (I've been brewing ever since!)

Anyway, keep it in your 65 degree basement; that's a perfect temp for an ale yeast. Good luck!