911 bottling issues

[Sap23808]

i recently brewed a 5 gallon batch of hard Apple ale using danstar Nottingham ale yeast and 5 gallons of fresh pressed Apple juice. After transferring the completed product to bottles, and trying to keep the lees out, I allowed them to sit for a few weeks. When I went to drink it there was a bit of off flavor toward the bottom of the bottle. Upon closer inspection I realized that there was some white gunk at the bottom of the bottle. Anyone have any idea how I can correct this issue?
I am thinking that it is some residual yeast and that racking and allowing it to settle for another week before bottling might help. I've also been thinking of using cambden tablets just before bottling to insure that the yeast is deactivated prior to bottling. I doubt it is a problem with sanitization because I used starsan on everything.

 

[slym2none]

That's yeast flocculating out. Perfectly normal.

 

[BrewsWillis]

Sounds like its yeast I would honestly let it sit for a couple of more weeks if I were you.

 

[Sap23808]

So will the yeast eventually go away on their own or am I supposed to do something?

 

[Sap23808]

I ask this because I bottled it back in December and just don't want others drinking it as a matter of pride...

 

[okbecker]

The yeast is in the bottle to stay. Nothing you can do currently with it. If you let them sit in fridge, the yeast should settle to the bottom and remain fairly compacted. Generally do not pour out until the end of bottle pour...use a glass and leave a little beer in bottle, yeast should stay behind with it.

 

[slym2none]

No, they don't go away. They are in your cider. You put them there.



It's just like pouring a home-brewed beer: get them cold and keep them cold for 2-3 days. Nottingham tends to stick very well to the bottle, so you can pour most everything out while not getting the yeast in your glass - at least, you don't have to leave half an inch of liquid behind, just a millimeter or two.

 

[Sap23808]

Appreciate it gents, I was thinking of doing a secondary fermentation to let it fall out then use cambden tabs to stop the fermenting prior to bottling but I guess I should just let it go naturally that way the malic acid gets turned to lactic acid. I just don't want a ton of lees in the bottom of my bottles if I don't need. Any suggestion on how long to let the brew sit in bottles so that the above mentioned transformation occurs?

 

[signpost]

Are you doing a still cider? As in, not carbonated? I'm guessing so, since you are using the campden tabs.

If so, you can just wait longer before bottling the next time around. The longer you wait, the more yeast settles out. That way, when you bottle it there won't be as much left behind to settle to the bottom of the bottle.

 

[SLFcentralOH]

No, they don't go away. They are in your cider. You put them there.



It's just like pouring a home-brewed beer: get them cold and keep them cold for 2-3 days. Nottingham tends to stick very well to the bottle, so you can pour most everything out while not getting the yeast in your glass - at least, you don't have to leave half an inch of liquid behind, just a millimeter or two.

When I first started brewing, not that long ago, I started out using Notty. It came with my first extract kit and I continued to use it when I switched to all-grain. Later, I started using other things including US-05. Out of the handful of the more popular dry yeast I have tried none of them stuck to the bottom of the bottle as well as Notty. I have been rather disappointed with US-05 in regards to this.

 

[Sap23808]

Are you doing a still cider? As in, not carbonated? I'm guessing so, since you are using the campden tabs.

If so, you can just wait longer before bottling the next time around. The longer you wait, the more yeast settles out. That way, when you bottle it there won't be as much left behind to settle to the bottom of the bottle.

Yes it is a still cider. I don't mind the bit of yeasties in the bottom of the bottle but I think next batch I will re rack and allow to sit in secondary for 30 days prior to bottling. Last batch went straight from primary to bottle in about 30 days.

 

[Maylar]

Appreciate it gents, I was thinking of doing a secondary fermentation to let it fall out then use cambden tabs to stop the fermenting prior to bottling but I guess I should just let it go naturally that way the malic acid gets turned to lactic acid. I just don't want a ton of lees in the bottom of my bottles if I don't need. Any suggestion on how long to let the brew sit in bottles so that the above mentioned transformation occurs?

The only thing you did wrong was to bottle it too soon. The yeast that you're seeing in the bottles would have fallen out if you had given it enough time.

Next time, use some pectic enzyme when you pitch yeast. That'll help the cider to clear. Also rack to secondary when fermentation is done, that helps too and you can watch the clearing process.

Campden does not stop fermentation. It does serve as an antioxidant though and is often used before bottling for that.

The chances of having natural malolactic fermentation (acid transformation as you put it) in your bottles is very remote.

 

[Sap23808]

The only thing you did wrong was to bottle it too soon. The yeast that you're seeing in the bottles would have fallen out if you had given it enough time.

Next time, use some pectic enzyme when you pitch yeast. That'll help the cider to clear. Also rack to secondary when fermentation is done, that helps too and you can watch the clearing process.

Campden does not stop fermentation. It does serve as an antioxidant though and is often used before bottling for that.

The chances of having natural malolactic fermentation (acid transformation as you put it) in your bottles is very remote.

Thanks for that info very informative.