Should I rack beer a third time to remove sediment?

[bwoods]

I have just completed my first batch and I started with a bourbon barrel ale. It is now in the secondary where I will let it age for 6 months. I am starting to think about what I will need to bottle. I would like to get as much of the sediment out as possible and was thinking about either racking it a third time before siphoning into bottle bucket. Is this a good idea, or should I find some type of fine strainer to place over the bottle bucket?

Thanks in advance

 

[JasonInBTR]

After six months it should clear just fine. Pretty impressive that you're letting your very first beer sit for that long.....mad patience.

Jason

 

[osagedr]

I would think after six months you won't have much sediment to worry about. One thing you might consider if you are worried about it is gelatin. Lots of folks cold crash to enhance clarity if you have a spare fridge or a freezer with temperature control.

But no, an extra racking isn't necessary and has more risk (oxidation and/or infection) than benefit. Moreover...since you are bottling you are going to end up with some sediment anyway (unless you were planning to bottle from a keg).

Welcome and good luck!

 

[corwin6654]

Yes, and definitely don't put any strainer over the bottling bucket. That will aerate your beer and give you some pretty bad off flavors. After fermentation, you really don't want any oxygen to get into your beer.

 

[bwoods]

Thanks alot for the props. I bought an extra carboy so I can do an extra batch while I wait for the bourbon barrel to mellow out.

I do not have a extra fridge so its just sitting in a dark closet with a black pillow case over it.

I am glad you said something Corwin about not using a strainer because I was thinking of doing that.

 

[unionrdr]

I have 2 FV's & a 3rd primary bucket for bottling/secondary as needs be. I just started bulk priming,& found the taps on all three are different diameters. Oh goody. Drive out to Westlake,LHBS closed not only Sunday,but Monday as well. AAAAARGGH!! Had my wife's priming sugar solution sitting in a small saucepan cooling off. Older son added water to it & made rice he wound up not eating.
So,I had do divide my 6oz of dex to get it down to 5oz for the amount my son messed up that was for wife's summer ale. So,flash back to yesterday,now I get no dex,& no tubing the proper size. Bacht! I go all the way back to Sheffield to home cheapo for some 3/8" tubing,had to buy 10' on top of the fact I really needed 7/16". Geez,gimme a break.
So,I get home,jump back on the comp to brewheads.com & use the priming calculator. 4.55oz of sugar to prime 6G to 2.3 atmospheres. 4oz being 3/4C,I decided 1C even to be close enough. I nuke 2C of water in a small glass bowl. Mixed in the ounce of dextrose I had left in a 1C measure & topped off with granulated sugar. Dissolved that in hot water. On top of this,the tubing diameter I bought just won't fit over the cooper's micro brew FV's spout. Solution? Remove pin valve from "little bottler" (cooper's bottling wand),fit wand tube into spout,fit tubing on that,set in bottom of bottling bucket,& cut to length.
And to think I went through all that just to free up fermenters so I could start my whiskely ale. I have to get that in secondary before my wife can do her second batch. That way,the whiskely will be going into bottles when her next one gets done & ready to bottle.
What this means to you is use a piece of tubing from the FV to the bottom of the bottling bucket to reduce o2 mixing with the fermented beer. Maybe I coulda just said that?lolz...had to vent...