Filtering and or cold crashing and bottling

[05wrangler]

I have been reading here in the forum for a while and search but haven't found an answer. Here's what I got going on....

I bottle my beer not keg. And doing so I use corn sugar. It is to my understanding that the yeast in the beer reacts with the added sugar and carbonates (bottle conditions) the beer for a few weeks.

My problem is that I have a good amount of yeast at the bottom of my bottles. This doesn't bother me to much but jut trying to perfect as I go. So I thought about filtering with a 1 to 2 micron filter or cold crashing. Or other tricks to drop the years before it makes it to the bottle. Will dropping/filtering the yeast out affect my carbonation since I use bottles and corn sugar and not keg and c02?


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[Nuggethead]

If the beer has completely fermented and you allow it to clear and settle, whether you cold crash or not, you shouldn't have a lot of yeast in the bottles. Don't rack the beer to the bottling bucket from the bottom of the fermenter either or excessive yeast will siphon to the bucket. Always rack carefully from the top and leave the crud behind. There will be plenty of suspended yeast still in the clear beer to carbonate even if you cold crash. You shouldn't have to filter out yeast if you allow the beer to finish and clear after all krausen has fallen and the surface is clean of floaties.

 

[05wrangler]

I do keep to the top when racking my beer over to bottle but when getting to the bottle perhaps I'm getting to close. I also use Irish moss now and out a grain sock over my siphon tub just in case. I think I'll try and keep a little more in the fermenter when racking over to bottle. Night be trying to be to greedy.


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[adamelb]

There are many ways to get clearer beer when bottle conditioning. The most important might be your racking technique, avoiding trub will mean little sediment in your bottles. If you're getting so much sediment that you have to leave a full oz or two in the bottle, you're likely picking up a good deal of trub.

Other things to try and improve clarity would be adding some Irish Moss, or cooling your wort quickly. There are also multiple fining agents available such as gelatin or isinglass. These work with bottle conditioning without adding yeast, sometimes slower, but certainly effective.

Here's a couple articles that cover most the ways beyond having a nice clean transfer. Good luck and cheers.

http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/03/26/6-tips-for-crystal-clear-home-brewed-beer/

http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/12/30/fining-agents-improving-beer-clarity/

edit: just saw your post about using the Moss. Maybe look into the finings? Also if your fermenter allows, scale your 5 gallon recipes to 6 and you might not feel so greedy about that cloudy stuff at the bottom, that's what I've done.

 

[Nuggethead]

Cold crashing will help the trub to compact tighter in the bottom and then when you rack, you can gently tip the fermenter to one side and support it with a rolled towel or something and siphon from the edge as the level drops. You can get all but a cup or two without sucking up the junk if your careful. Filter bags wont due much for yeast but do help with hop material after dry hopping.
Irish Moss works to get the proteins out of the wort at the end of the boil but doesn't effect yeast and trub during racking.

 

[chickypad]

A 1 micron filter will remove yeast, so your bottles won't carbonate. The option there would be to filter to a keg and force carb, then bottle from the keg. If you follow the advice above and get really clear beer going into the bottles you should have just a dusting of yeast at the bottom after carbonating.

 

[BigFloyd]

If you have the means to do so, try cold crashing the next batch 5-7 days at 35*F or so. It will give you clear beer and a more compact yeast cake (making it harder to suck up in the siphon).

There's still enough yeast remaining to bottle-carb just fine, but you'll see a lot less yeast trub in the bottom of each bottle.

I suspect that once you start cold-crashing, you'll forget all about filtering.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Cold crash and get a bottling bucket. Should solve all your problems.

 

[hunter_le five]

I used to filter all my beers, but honestly it was a pain in the @$$ and was more work than it was worth (in my opinion). Now I just do an extended primary, cold crash, add fining agents (gelatin), and I get clear beer without all the fuss. A little bit of cold aging helps too.


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[shortyz]

yep cold crash with gelatin if u want clear beers...

but to be quite honest ive done it both ways, clear as day and a little chill haze. not a difference in taste. So on that note, bottle it and drink it.

i kind of like a cloudy beer because i know the brewer/brewery hasnt filtered the piss out of it.

 

[Hello]

I thought you couldn't use gelatin if you bottled?

 

[05wrangler]

I thought you couldn't use gelatin if you bottled?

Idk hopefully someone will chime in on that. This is a pick of the yeast in the bottom of one of my half gallon growler sry about the flash guys


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[pumpkinman2012]

I use whirlfloc, Clarity Ferm, Cold Crash, and gelatin, my beer is consistently crystal clear:

 

[05wrangler]

I use whirlfloc, Clarity Ferm, Cold Crash, and gelatin, my beer is consistently crystal clear:

Do you keg or bottle?


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[julioardz]

I bottle and regularly use Whirfloc, cold crash, and use gelatin. I get clear, well carbonated beer, and there is very little sediment in the bottle when compared to batches that aren't cold crashed or treated with gelatin. The only problem I ever had was with a 10% ABV batch that never carbonated up to the level I expected. It could have been due to stressed yeast, but I can't be exactly sure if the gelatin and cold crash had anything to do with it not carbonating.


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[Hello]

Idk hopefully someone will chime in on that. This is a pick of the yeast in the bottom of one of my half gallon growlerView attachment 189061View attachment 189062 sry about the flash guys


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It's my understanding that gelatin will almost completely cause all yeast to drop. Therefore, you wouldn't have enough yeast to eat that sugar you add. I am fairly sure about it but I haven't tried it myself so hopefully someone will confirm or correct.

 

[BigFloyd]

I don't use gelatin for most beers and never have tried it for those that are being bottle conditioned. Others have done it and bottle-carbed successfully.

The longer (usually a week) cold crash has been more than satisfactory for me. It also helps to be careful moving the fermenter just before racking so that you don't stir anything up. I've got it set up to where I only have to move it about 5ft for siphoning.

 

[shortyz]

i will chime in on the gelatin and cold crashing + bottling theory. i have done the exact same brew with and without gelatine and cold crashing. The carbonation took the same amount of time both times. standard ale yeast

GELATIN DOESNT EFFECT BOTTLE CARBING!!