Gunky Wort

[MendenhallBrewingCo]

Are spider nets or any kind of filter/netting take away the flavor of the wort after fermenting / before bottling? Or is the gunk good for the wort?

 

[Bensiff]

You don't want "gunk." But, you don't need filtration, you can let break material settle. After boiling and cooling let the wort settle and try not to get the cold break material into the fermenter. Once fermentation is complete let the beer clear before racking to the bottling bucket, again try to not transfer any of the material at the bottom. There is debate about whether or not the cold break is good for the fermentation, I side with avoiding it going into the fermenter as much as possible as it is associated with some off flavors and lowering aging stability.

 

[MendenhallBrewingCo]

If a spout/nozzle is at the bottom of the kettle and after the cooling, wouldn't the gunk be transferred to the bottling bucket if all sentiment went to the bottom and the spout / nozzle is at the bottom when you open it up? ( this of course is for full boils ) but for partial boils, do you just have to be careful or filter/strain it when transferring wort to bottle bucket?

 

[chickypad]

You shouldn't be transferring from the kettle to the bottling bucket, rather to the fermenting bucket or carboy (I'm one who just dumps everything in without trying to filter). After fermentation let everything settle, cold crashing if you wish, and gently rack to the bottling bucket leaving the trub and yeast cake behind.

 

[MendenhallBrewingCo]

That's what I meant, from fermenting carboy ( I have glass ) to bottling bucket. Just be careful with the wand but do not get the gunk in the bottles. So you don't filter? if you did or know someone who does, do they say or you think it'll be that much if a difference?

 

[chickypad]

Filtering after fermentation usually involves pushing the beer through a filter with CO2 (usually with kegging, as you will remove the yeast and can't naturally carbonate). I don't know of other methods of filtering or straining without oxygenating the beer.

What kind of difference are you looking for, just clear beer? You should be able to get that without filtering. Letting the beer sit in primary 2-3 wks +/- cold crashing should give a nice compact cake that's easy to rack off of. Other things that help the finished product are whirfloc in the kettle, chiling the wort quickly, and after bottle carbing or kegging chilling the beer undisturbed and upright for a couple wks (for chill haze).