Beer Filtration / Next Brewing Steps

[jdlev]

Thanks for all the help so far everyone...I've definitely learned a lot just from these boards!

I've read that a lot of home brews produce quite a bit of sediment. I've thought of one way to reduce the sediment is to add a filter in between the fermenter and the keg when I go to transfer the english brown. I was thinking about using a well filtration unit to reduce the sediment. Has anyone tried this? Is it worth the extra cost and effort? I think a big pet peeve of mine will be dirty beer....

Also, I feel like I'm forgetting a step (b/w the fermenter and kegging stage)?

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think my next step is to wait until I see no more than 1 bubble per minute from the bubbler at the top of the fermentation bucket. When that's complete, I basically clean the nozzle on the bucket with a bit of star san, sanitize the tube and the keg with some more star san, and then transfer the beer to the cornelius.

Last step is to force carbonate at ~35lbs with the CO2 tank, making sure to bleed out the O2 first through the ER pressure release valve. After 7-10 days...It should be good. Should I add any priming sugar to the keg when transferring from the fermenter? Also, I think I ended up with about 4.5g of beer...should I add some extra spring water when I do the transfer, or go ahead and crack the lid on the fermenter and risk contaminating the batch (it's about 3.5 days in the fermenter so far)? Should I even waste my time adding an extra 1/2g of water?

I've seen people shake the kegs (albeit on youtube), to force the beer to carbonate faster? Any pros/cons to doing that?

 

[impur]

I think it will depend on how fine the well filtration filters are. You could use a paint strainer or some screen as you transfer to filter out the trub/hops/hot break. I just dump it all in the fermenter, then try to leave as much as possible in the fermenter when i rack to the bottling bucket. There is some sediment in my bottles, but by leaving a small amount of beer in the bottle when i pour it, i don't get any into my glass.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think my next step is to wait until I see no more than 1 bubble per minute from the bubbler at the top of the fermentation bucket. When that's complete, I basically clean the nozzle on the bucket with a bit of star san, sanitize the tube and the keg with some more star san, and then transfer the beer to the cornelius.

Don't go by the airlock to determine if fermentation is complete. You really need to test it for a few days in a row. I do 3 tests 3 days in a row, and if you have the same FG all 3 days you know fermentation is complete.

I don't keg so i can't help you on the last part sorry.

Good luck!

 

[NorCalAngler]

I think a big pet peeve of mine will be dirty beer....

Filtration is very expensive. A much easier solution would be to use gelatin then cold crash the beer before transferring to the keg.

Also, I feel like I'm forgetting a step (b/w the fermenter and kegging stage)?

Nope, once the beer is sufficiently conditioned (typically 3+ weeks in primary) then you can keg.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think my next step is to wait until I see no more than 1 bubble per minute from the bubbler at the top of the fermentation bucket.

The airlock is not the way to tell if it is time to transfer. The beer usually ferments out in seven days or less. However, lots of good things happen in the following weeks to condition the beer and clean up all of the mess from fermentation. The only way to know your beer is done is to take hydrometer readings over two or more days to see if the gravity is stable.

Should I add any priming sugar to the keg when transferring from the fermenter?

I don't keg, but from what I understand you do one or the other. You either prime the keg with sugar just like bottling or you force carbonate.

Should I even waste my time adding an extra 1/2g of water?

Nope, volume is not as important as the quality of the beer. You will completely change the character of the beer by watering it down. Take the 4.5 gallons and enjoy it.

 

[JVD_X]

You're wrong.

Let's be civil! You can also you a refractometer!

Back in the day when hydrometers sold for 80 bucks it was a suggested method to count the number of bubbles per minute coming out of the airlock.

Of course, the preferred way now is to take a gravity reading.

 

[jdlev]

Don't go by the airlock to determine if fermentation is complete. You really need to test it for a few days in a row. I do 3 tests 3 days in a row, and if you have the same FG all 3 days you know fermentation is complete.

I don't keg so i can't help you on the last part sorry.

Good luck!

When should I start getting the final gravity readings (I assume that's what "FG" stands for)

I placed this batch in the fermenter Saturday evening...so it's been almost 4 days. In looking at the bubbler...I'm seeing about 1 bubble every 35-40 seconds. I haven't checked on the brewing packaging instructions...I assume that's where I can find the 'expected' final gravity of what the beer should be at when it's complete?

 

[NorCalAngler]

Let's be civil!

I was saying it in jest because he asked us to tell him if he's wrong, but context is lost on the interwebs. I took it out.

When should I start getting the final gravity readings

I wouldn't even start to take gravity readings until 7 days after fermentation. I would only take a reading that early to make sure I didn't have a stuck fermentation where the yeast quit working too early. Once I see the reading is stable and the yeast have done their job like I expected I would leave the beer in primary for another 2 weeks for a total of 3 weeks in primary.

The beer kit should tell you what your expected final gravity is.

 

[jdlev]

Filtration is very expensive. A much easier solution would be to use gelatin then cold crash the beer before transferring to the keg..

Can you go a little more in detail? How would adding gelatin clear up the beer, and what exactly is 'cold crashing'?

Nope, once the beer is sufficiently conditioned (typically 3+ weeks in primary) then you can keg.

The airlock is not the way to tell if it is time to transfer. The beer usually ferments out in seven days or less. However, lots of good things happen in the following weeks to condition the beer and clean up all of the mess from fermentation. The only way to know your beer is done is to take hydrometer readings over two or more days to see if the gravity is stable.

What happens after the primary is complete? I was hopin to be drinkin beer in 2-2.5 weeks...now it sounds like I should wait a full month

 

[AviatorTroy]

Cold crashing is just sticking your fermenter in a fridge at about 35 degrees or so for a few days, that precipitates out most of the things that make beer hazy. I don't keg either so I couldn't tell you the next step, but this schedule usually works for 90% of the beers I make...

Primary for a week, krausen usually falls around then. Then I might take a gravity reading, or I might not. I give it a gentle shake to stir up the yeast and encourage it to finish up.

After 2 weeks, I may rack to secondary, but I haven't been doing a secondary at all lately (unless its a lager) and everything's been fine. Also at about 2 weeks I let the temprature come up to whatever my basement is at, about 70 or so. Isn't really necessary with ales, but it will clean up diactyl, and again, encourage the yeast to finish cleaning up after themselves.

After 3 weeks, or so, I scratch my a$$, and decide that it's time to do something with it so you can cold crash for a day or 2 if you want (I usually don't), and then bottle or keg.

I don't use finings like gelatin, but I do use Whirlfloc at 15 minutes to go in the boil. Works for me.

:fro:

 

[impur]

When should I start getting the final gravity readings (I assume that's what "FG" stands for)

I placed this batch in the fermenter Saturday evening...so it's been almost 4 days. In looking at the bubbler...I'm seeing about 1 bubble every 35-40 seconds. I haven't checked on the brewing packaging instructions...I assume that's where I can find the 'expected' final gravity of what the beer should be at when it's complete?

The other guys pretty much covered, so i'll just give you my experience. The airlock activity is a good general tool to let you know that fermenting is still happening. So as long as you are seeing a few bubbles a minute, I don't bother testing. I typically leave my brews in primary for 3 weeks, testing at day 19, 20 and 21. Then, as long as the FG hasn't moved, I bottle when i get some free time. I leave the bottles at room temp for ~3 more weeks then start enjoying.

 

[RichBenn]

Jdev,

If you want to drink good beer, don't rush it. The "freshness dating" stuff the commercial guys have thrown out bears no relationship to what is good for homebrew, unless you are doing more corn or rice than malt.

Back to your original question. You want clear? You want tasty? LEAVE THE BEER IN PRIMARY FOR 2-3 WEEKS, AND KEG FOR 2-3 WEEKS AT SERVING TEMP AND PRESSURE(12 psi at 42 degrees, for instance).

Do the search on cold crashing and fining if that doesn't work. Actually, if it doesn't, you could also have other problems, so start using whirlfloc during the boil if you don't already. And search for info on "chill haze".

Also, pay attention to NorCalAngler. Answered your questions pretty good, I'd say.

 

[Sea]

Good advice here. I just want to add that you won't want to pressurize your keg at 35 PSI for 7-10 days, this will greatly over-carbonate your beer. You can force carbonate at 30-35 PSI for about 24 hours, then drop down to serving pressure at about 10-12 PSI depending on your setup, or you can force carb at serving pressure the whole time, and it will take about a week to carbonate. And deffinately don't add any sugar if you plan to force carb.

 

[Yooper]

What happens after the primary is complete? I was hopin to be drinkin beer in 2-2.5 weeks...now it sounds like I should wait a full month

A month from grain to glass might be ok, but could be pushing it. It depends on the beer. A mild (see the "10der and mild" thread) can be ready and quite drinkable in 2 weeks, but most other beers need more time than that. A month could work for many beers that don't have complex flavors or high OGs.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, and instead of setting the pressure on the co2 to 30 psi or so, just set it for your serving pressure, probably around 11 psi in the fridge, and wait 10 days. It'll be perfectly carbed up!

 

[lamarguy]

A lot of homebrewers will speak negatively about filtering beer but they either don't know or forget that most craft beer and all macro beer is filtered.

If you wish to avoid the extra 2 - 3 additional necessary to drop enough yeast out of suspension using gravity, I highly recommend you consider filtration. Finings can certainly speed the clearing process but are no match for good filtration.

Filtration is inexpensive and can range anywhere from coarse (5 micron) to fine (1 micron). Personally, I filter everything except for "bright" beers with a coarse filter. "Bright" beers gets the 1 micron treatment.

 

[JVD_X]

When should I start getting the final gravity readings (I assume that's what "FG" stands for)

I placed this batch in the fermenter Saturday evening...so it's been almost 4 days. In looking at the bubbler...I'm seeing about 1 bubble every 35-40 seconds. I haven't checked on the brewing packaging instructions...I assume that's where I can find the 'expected' final gravity of what the beer should be at when it's complete?

IMO -When you don't see it bubbling or 3 weeks - whichever comes first.

 

[jdlev]

Thanks to everyone who joined in this discussion...tons of great info...I love the interwebs

 

[RichBenn]

Good advice here. I just want to add that you won't want to pressurize your keg at 35 PSI for 7-10 days, this will greatly over-carbonate your beer. You can force carbonate at 30-35 PSI for about 24 hours, then drop down to serving pressure at about 10-12 PSI depending on your setup, or you can force carb at serving pressure the whole time, and it will take about a week to carbonate. And deffinately don't add any sugar if you plan to force carb.

Alot of people on the boards here recommend just setting at serving pressure and waiting 3 weeks rather than forcing it. The advantage is it forces you to age it and not drink it young.

I make wine as well, mostly red. So many people here have trouble waiting a month to drink their beers, but it's nothing like waiting several years for a wine to start showing.

 

[jdlev]

I guess I'll wait then...it gives me an excuse to start a second batch since I have a second empty cornelius laying around

Any recommendations on my next recipe since this is a english brown...I was thinking of maybe a Belgian?