Question about yeast after bottling

[demens]

One of the things i was not happy about in my 1st brew was the color of the beer. It was very cloudy and overall had a muddy quality to it, did not look very appetizing at all.

Its been a week since i bottled it. I can't see exactly whats happening inside the bottles but i do have 1 "sample" plastic bottle. I figured rather then pouring what was left in the bottling bucket down the drain, i'd pour it a empty water bottle just for the hell of it. Ended up with about 1/3 of the bottle.

Anyway, it seems like it actually cleared up quite nicely. I was not aware that thats even possible. I used a primary fermenter and a clearing one for a total of 3 weeks and figured that was pretty much the way my beer is gonna look. Are my eyes playing trick on me in that bottle or can it actually clear up?

I think it did clear up since there is a pile of something rather nasty looking on the bottom. Moving the bottle around makes it look like actual mud! Is that suppose to be Yeast? Its not floating around, its mostly stuck to the bottom but it looks disgusting. Moving the bottle around makes some of it go up and make the beer cloudy again but it doesn't look like there are chucks of it. I'm hoping thats just the left over crap from the bottom of the bucket and the rest of my bottles dont have that, do they?

 

[flabyboy]

Put it in the fridge for a few weeks after 3 weeks of bottle conditioning and it will really clear up

 

[raf1919]

is it safe to drink still? if the seditments get into glass.

 

[broadbill]

It may clear up more as the beer ages in the bottle.

The sediment in the bottom of the bottle is indeed yeast, left over from the carbonation process. Its normal and in all of the bottles. That is part/parcel of bottle conditioning beers. Many excellent (and expensive) beers made in the world are bottle conditioned.

You'll get used to the bottle conditioning (after learn how to properly pour a bottle conditioned beer-FYI you can't drink it directly out of the bottle nor should you drink a fine hand-crafted beer out of one).

If you can't get over bottle conditioned beers....look into kegging.

Good luck!

 

[superjunior]

is it safe to drink still? if the seditments get into glass.

sediment won't hurt you. your beer is still very young, give it time..

 

[ongreystreet]

I like that Idea of one clear bottle for visual checks during bottle conditioning. I might try this and just keep it in a paper bag.

 

[demens]

I knew there would be yeast on the bottom on the bottles, i just thought it would look differently.

I've seen floating chuncks in Porters, or sometimes in Wheat beer. I always thought that was it and thats what i was expecting. But this sediment doesn't look like fluffy harmless chucks, it looks like mud.

Btw, i saved some of the yeast from the primary ferm. by washing it, and after a week or so in the fridge it has settled on the bottom on the jars and looks rather light in color, not white, but not muddy like it looks in the bottles.

I guess i just have to hope it settles even more in the bottles and handle them very carefully as to not stir it up. Then be careful when pouring.

 

[demens]

I like that Idea of one clear bottle for visual checks during bottle conditioning. I might try this and just keep it in a paper bag.

Didn't think of the paper bag, but they are all in a dark closet so it should be ok.

The purpose of it is just for checking anyway, i didnt even sanitize that bottle. I knew i wouldn't be able to wait the required period before popping the 1st bottle to try, so i figured i'd use this one just to see if the carbonation process was good and under way. The plastic bottle isn't sealed perfectly but the pressure from inside has rounded it out a bit.

I caught a cold this week so i wasn't thinking about opening anything early.

 

[mlyday]

I like that Idea of one clear bottle for visual checks during bottle conditioning. I might try this and just keep it in a paper bag.

When I bottle mine I always bottle one in a clear bottle and one in plastic bottle. The clear on lets me see whats going on in the bottle and the plastic one lets me see how its carbing up.

 

[hotbrew]

Keep in mind that after your done bottle conditioning and you put them in the fridge, the cold environment will help settle out the yeast further. It's called "cold crashing" and you will hear the term more when you get into yeast propagation and using yeast starters. Though in this case, it's not really cold crashing... more of "put it in the fridge so I can drink it".

If you really don't like the yeast sediment, be careful when you pour the bottles. Some people like it however; the odd ones even take yeast shots with a lot of Belgian bottle conditioned ales.

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

learning to pour a homebrew is part of the game. some of the guys on here could probably pour a clear beer without losing much from the bottom. others will pour most, swirl the bottom and dump in (wheats mostly)

i pour at an angle slowly until i see sediment. still working on my technique for the perfect pour. (some will argue a perfect pour is one that hits the bottom of the glass )

let it cold condition for a while yet and it should turn out clearer.

Brost (Boobs)

 

[Tamarack]

I knew there would be yeast on the bottom on the bottles, i just thought it would look differently.

I've seen floating chuncks in Porters, or sometimes in Wheat beer. I always thought that was it and thats what i was expecting. But this sediment doesn't look like fluffy harmless chucks, it looks like mud.
.

Different yeasts can look and taste very different. Most of them taste good too.
Also, you can definitely drink a homebrew out of the bottle, but you'll notice the flavor will change as you get closer to the bottom.

As a loose rule, if it smells good while fermenting, the sediment will probably be good -if you like it 'hefe' (with yeast).