Sediment at the bottom of the bottles

[AmusedBystander]

What is that stuff at the bottom of bottles? Is it yeast? or sugar? or both?
And more importantly, how can I reduce the amount of sludge in the bottles?

 

[Joecalderoni]

Its mainly dormant yeast cells! As long as you are bottle conditioning youll be having them! You could use issing glass to help clarify the beer but only if your not alergic to fish or anyone else who drinks your beer! Cheers

 

[kapbrew13]

Probably dead yeast and sediment from fermenter that sneaked into your bottles. No worries. I hear yeast is nutritious.
Do avoid use whirlfloc or Irish moss and carefully siphon about 95% of the beer. Don't get down toward the bottom of the fermenter.

 

[bartbert]

Probably dead yeast and sediment from fermenter that sneaked into your bottles. No worries. I hear yeast is nutritious.
Do avoid use whirlfloc or Irish moss and carefully siphon about 95% of the beer. Don't get down toward the bottom of the fermenter.

Curious as to why you recommend avoiding the use of whirfloc or Irish moss?

 

[kapbrew13]

Stupid phone!!! Grrrr!!!
Do avoid should be DO use whirlfloc or Irish moss.

 

[bartbert]

Ok. That makes more sense. For a minute there I was worried that you had heard something bad about whirlfloc.

 

[Golddiggie]

Also, the yeast isn't dead... I can hear it calling out right now... "I'm not dead, it's only a flesh wound"... Yeast will go dormant (to sleep) in the fridge (in bottles or kegs). Let them warm back up, place them where there's food to be had, and they'll go active again. Well, unless they've been dormant for so long that they have lost all interest in food or reproduction (sort of like most people when they get past a certain age range)...

If you don't want ANY sediment in the bottles, then filter your brew once fermentation is complete, keg it up and carbonate with CO2. Once it's carbonated that way, you can bottle out of the keg (there's a few options for doing that).

Where I live, currently, there's not enough room to put in a keezer. So I have to bottle. I hope to be moving soon. I'm going to make damned sure I have the room for a keezer in the next place. If I have my way, I'll make sure I have room for two decent size chest freezers. That way, one can be used as a fermentation chamber. Since I'm fermenting in Sanke kegs now, getting a freezer with enough clearance shouldn't be an issue. I'll probably get the fermentation chamber (freezer) larger than the keezer. That way I'll be able to bottle condition while fermenting (most of the time). Or at least have a safety net during the summer time... Although it might not get warm enough where I land to matter. :rockin:

 

[Revvy]

If you are bottle conditioning your living beer, it's a natural part of the process.

Read this, and learn to love the yeast. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/anyone-using-filter-bottling-123758/#post1379528

Although you can't totally eliminate it, I talk about how you can limit it, here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/appearance-question-too-much-trub-solids-223539/#post2621825

I get very little sediment in my bottles, but even if I do, who cares? It's a part of living beers, including a heck of a lot of my favorite commercial beers.

 

[mky375]

The best way I found to reduce the "sludge" is right after you pitch your yeast put your fermentor someplace where you can rack to your bottling bucket. Don't move it let the fermentation finish, and leave it for another 3 weeks (usually mine takes a month). Rack to your bottling bucket without moving your primary doing your best not to disturb any of the yeast on the bottom.

There will be enough yeast to carb up your beer in there, it might take a little longer but it will. Most of my batches have a yeast ring like the sierra nevada pale ale bottles.

 

[ChshreCat]

As said, a long primary and/or secondary will help minimize the sediment. Also, some yeasts create a nice, compact layer at the bottom of the bottle that doesn't get stirred up as easily when you pour. I've found US-04 and US-05 to be this way.

 

[Golddiggie]

You don't need to leave it where you'll rack from for that long to get a nice reduction. If you move it a few hours ahead of time, it should be pretty damned clear. When bottling at home, I would move it to the racking spot anywhere from 2-24 hours ahead of time. That's when I was fermenting in carboys. Now that I'm using kegs, it's less of an issue (no chance of light getting to the brew). Unfortunately, I'm not fermenting at home right now. Next place I live, I will be again. I will try to get the fermenter into position a day (or so) ahead of when I'll be racking to the bucket.

More time in position won't do any harm, I just don't see it being all that necessary. But, do what makes you more comfortable. If that means it's in the racking spot for 3 weeks, then so be it. My place is just too damned small for me to do that. Plus, I can't do that at my buddy's place... They need to eat where we bottle.