residue in fermenter

[brew starter]

Hi,

I recently brewed a Hefeweisen 12 BLG . I have a few mesh bags that I pour the wort through into the the fermenter. 100, 200 and 300micron and I have used each of them for different brews over time. I was noticing that it takes forever for the wort to separate from the mash and hops and decided to risk. This time around I just use a giant strainer. Same sized holes as those you would use for flour in the kitchen. Of course there is a lot of fine residue at the bottom of the fermenter now. It is compacting more and more as the days roll on.

Question, is this residue/fall-off bad for the final taste profile? Or should I go back in my next batch to try and clean the wort as much as possible before fermenting?

 

[hotbeer]

Don't know if it is detrimental for a Hefeweizen, but for the ales and IPA's I've been doing, the only difference I have found it that less crud going in the fermenter means that the beer cleans up sooner after the ferment is over.

As far as tastes, I've not noticed anything bad or good from the times I've dumped everything into the FV and the times I took care to keep it out.

Finings like whirl floc and Irish moss added during the boil will help all that trash go to the bottom of your kettle as you cool the wort after boil. Though you do have to plan for the losses you'll have tossing out the wet stuff on the bottom.

It is difficult to filter wort though some do. Even a strainer is a pain. I suppose it's all gooey proteins that like to clog up anything fine enough to keep them out.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Having extra trub in the fermenter also reduces head retention, the less trub the better. If you use whirlfloc and leave as much in the bottom of your kettle as possible via siphon you might better off.

 

[tracer bullet]

From the searching I've done, it might be preferable to have less trub but it doesn't seem to be a big deal. You will find people that go either way and both will say they make great beer.

What I've started doing, when time allows, is to carry out the whole brew process including cooling the wort, and then basically walking away for a while. Go get lunch, do some work around the house, call in to a meeting, etc. After an hour or so get back to the beer and get it into the fermenter. By then so much has settled out in the kettle that very little makes it into the fermenter. It's against my nature since I tend to like to wrap things up pretty quickly but at the end of the day I've accomplished the same things but have clearer wort in the fermenter. Consider it?

 

[MikeScott]

I had never heard trub causes reduced head retention as @bailey mountain brewer mentioned, I'm going to have to look into that.

Some trub is good for yeast health, and I've never taken many measures to avoid it. I've never been overly concerned with beer clarity, but I'm going to be taking steps to try and get it clearer.

 

[hotbeer]

I've never been overly concerned with beer clarity

I'm concerned with beer clarity, but trub in the FV has never been an issue for the clarity of the final product for me. If I can't see through the beer, It really doesn't draw me to want to drink it.

I just wait for it to get clean before I bottle it. More trub seems to have me leaving it longer in the FV to let it get clean. A benefit of the extra time whether it's directly due to the trub or not is that the beers seem to have that special something that makes them seem better than beers bottled in shorter time but just as clean.

 

[lumpher]

I used to just use a false bottom in my keggle and just open the faucet and let it drain into the fermenter. Now I have a Mash and Boil, and I do the same with it. No problems, no worries.

 

[brew starter]

Thank for the feedback. It seems to be going back and forth a lot on this matter so at the end of the day it is the taste that counts, and of course that head retention.
After a week of fermentation the trub has settled to a thin cake at the bottom. about 1.5 liters worth. What I did realize was that aggressive fermentation seemed to be going for longer this time. Usually it ends after about 24hours audibly, but I could hear bubbling going for at least 3 days this time around. Either a slower fermentation or the yeast good some extra nutrients from the trub. Is that possible? Is it good? Bad? who knows.