Straight from primary to bottling bucket - How do you avoid trub?

[RugerRedhawk]

Ok, I dumped my wort into the primary without staining. Some people said to strain, many said no need, so I just dumped it. Anyway if I plan to go straight from my primary to bottling bucket (no secondary), what technique should I use to avoid transferring the junk at the bottom? Just a matter of keeping the siphon off the bottom? Leave the last 1/2" of beer/trub in the primary? Thanks for any tips, while clear beer isn't my #1 priority, I'd like to attempt to prevent transferring unwanteds as much as possible.

Or without straining would I be better suited doing a secondary?

 

[JLem]

going from primary directly to bottling is tricky and not just because of the trub. You will need to add priming sugar and you need to make sure that it is thoroughly mixed in. It is touch to get a good mix by just dumping the priming solution into the primary.

Normal procedure is to mix up the priming sugar, dump it into a bottling bucket and then transfer the beer - this is usually enough to sufficiently mix in the sugar. If you have a secondary vessel, I would use it like a bottling bucket. Add the priming solution, rack the beer, then bottle.

 

[RugerRedhawk]

going from primary directly to bottling is tricky and not just because of the trub. You will need to add priming sugar and you need to make sure that it is thoroughly mixed in. It is touch to get a good mix by just dumping the priming solution into the primary.

Normal procedure is to mix up the priming sugar, dump it into a bottling bucket and then transfer the beer - this is usually enough to sufficiently mix in the sugar. If you have a secondary vessel, I would use it like a bottling bucket. Add the priming solution, rack the beer, then bottle.

Sorry I think I worded my question wrong. I am definitely transferring to a bottling bucket. Just looking for tips to avoid sucking the trub up into the siphon when transferring, that's all! I'll edit my first post so it makes more sense.

 

[kgraber]

Just keep the siphon a little above the trub. You should be able to see the trub in the siphon tubing if you are too close, just pull up a little and it should start to flow clear. That's how I do it. I get a little sediment in the bottling bucket but nothing major.

 

[astropunk]

wrap a small sanitized hop bag or cheesecloth around the tip of the racking cane, and gently place it into the corner of the bucket. Slightly tip the bucket so the racking cane is at the lowest point, and be careful not to move it around and stir up the trub.

 

[kgraber]

wrap a small sanitized hop bag or cheesecloth around the tip of the racking cane, and gently place it into the corner of the bucket. Slightly tip the bucket so the racking cane is at the lowest point, and be careful not to move it around and stir up the trub.

Excuse my ignorance but won't this possibly introduce oxidation since you will be pulling through the cheesecloth/hop bag holes?

 

[teetee523]

I've done this a couple times since I usually just dump the wort in without filtering and then bucket. I haven't had too much of a problem because I keep it in the primary for 3-4 weeks and by then there will be a yeast "cake" at the bottom where most of the stuff, including the hops, will settle to. So when you siphon just don't put the tube into the cake. There was also some dried stuff at the top from the bubbling but that also didn't get in the way. And cleaning after racking wasn't really that hard either, just had to dump the whole thing out, although it's a little gross.

One note though: I did use hop pellets, if you used whole hops it'll probably be different. And I second putting the priming sugar in the bottling bucket and then racking. Just make sure the spigot is closed!

Good luck!

 

[astropunk]

Excuse my ignorance but won't this possibly introduce oxidation since you will be pulling through the cheesecloth/hop bag holes?

There shouldn't be any air in in the filtering material once it gets soaked by the beer. What tiny amount remains will be negligible...but that may just be my own ignorance speaking!

 

[RugerRedhawk]

I've done this a couple times since I usually just dump the wort in without filtering and then bucket. I haven't had too much of a problem because I keep it in the primary for 3-4 weeks and by then there will be a yeast "cake" at the bottom where most of the stuff, including the hops, will settle to. So when you siphon just don't put the tube into the cake. There was also some dried stuff at the top from the bubbling but that also didn't get in the way. And cleaning after racking wasn't really that hard either, just had to dump the whole thing out, although it's a little gross.

One note though: I did use hop pellets, if you used whole hops it'll probably be different. And I second putting the priming sugar in the bottling bucket and then racking. Just make sure the spigot is closed!

Good luck!

Thanks, so you're saying by 3-4 weeks the bottom should be a bit firm so it may not really be an issue unless I actually stick the fermenter into the cake or something. I'm going to dry hop, but I think I'll put those in a sanitized muslin bag since they'll only be in there a week. My first batch I moved to a secondary after a week or so, so stuff wasn't all that firm. I avoided most of it, but was just looking for advice in this thread to get clear beer I also used Irish Moss, but forgot to add it to one of the brews until the final minute of the boil.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks, so you're saying by 3-4 weeks the bottom should be a bit firm so it may not really be an issue unless I actually stick the fermenter into the cake or something. I'm going to dry hop, but I think I'll put those in a sanitized muslin bag since they'll only be in there a week.

Some yeast strains (like nottingham or S04) make a tight compacted yeast cake, and it's easy to siphon from above the yeast cake without any issues at all.

What I do is start the siphon in the middle of the beer- under any floating hops debris, but above the yeast cake and just lower the siphon as the level of the beer drops. I'm really good at it by now- but it's easy even for beginners! I even dryhop with hops just chucked right in the primary, and can siphon all the clear beer out without a problem.

I don't use any strainer bags when I siphon as I tried but all I managed to do was plug up my siphon!

 

[Homercidal]

Some yeast strains (like nottingham or S04) make a tight compacted yeast cake, and it's easy to siphon from above the yeast cake without any issues at all.

What I do is start the siphon in the middle of the beer- under any floating hops debris, but above the yeast cake and just lower the siphon as the level of the beer drops. I'm really good at it by now- but it's easy even for beginners! I even dryhop with hops just chucked right in the primary, and can siphon all the clear beer out without a problem.

I don't use any strainer bags when I siphon as I tried but all I managed to do was plug up my siphon!

What she said!

 

[Homercidal]

Oh yeah. I love my autosiphon. It makes things much easier when bottling.

 

[RugerRedhawk]

Some yeast strains (like nottingham or S04) make a tight compacted yeast cake, and it's easy to siphon from above the yeast cake without any issues at all.

What I do is start the siphon in the middle of the beer- under any floating hops debris, but above the yeast cake and just lower the siphon as the level of the beer drops. I'm really good at it by now- but it's easy even for beginners! I even dryhop with hops just chucked right in the primary, and can siphon all the clear beer out without a problem.

I don't use any strainer bags when I siphon as I tried but all I managed to do was plug up my siphon!

Ok, I'm not going to put too much thought into it I suppose. How much do you typically have to leave at the bottom? I have WLP051 and WL001 in my two brews right now.

 

[Bensiff]

I don't do anything special, just siphon and go. I do use the little red cap thing that fits on the tip of the racking cane which really helps to reduce how much material you suck up as it redirectst the direction of the siphon. I get yeast cakes that are solid enough that I tip the carboy at the end leaving very little beer behind. What little I do get in the bottling bucket will settle out in the bottle no problem.

 

[Bensiff]

Oh yeah. I love my autosiphon. It makes things much easier when bottling.

I have one of those that I rarely use...I'm just too lazy. I take the end of the siphon hose in my starsan soaked hand creating a sort of continued length of the hose in my fist and mouth start the siphon by putting my mouth on my hand. Keeps everything sanitary and my laziness appeased.

 

[HawksBrewer]

+1 to autosiphon, best $8 I spent thus far.

 

[borovy3488]

My primary bucket has a spigot on the bottom. Could I use this with transfer tubing to go to the bottling bucket? Or would this pick up too much trub? Any suggestions? No autosiphon here!

 

[Yooper]

My primary bucket has a spigot on the bottom. Could I use this with transfer tubing to go to the bottling bucket? Or would this pick up too much trub? Any suggestions? No autosiphon here!

I guess it depends on how deep your trub layer is and where the spigot is on the bucket. I've never been happy with a spigot on the fermenter (I have a better bottle that has a diptube that moves and a spigot) so I just rack/siphon and it helps keep out hop debris as well.

 

[RM-MN]

I'm with Yooper. I start the siphon a bit above the trub layer and as the level of the beer goes down, I lower the siphon until at the last, I tilt the bucket until I can get as much beer as possible without too much yeast. I let the bottling bucket sit for a short amount of time as I get the bottles ready to fill and by then most of the yeast that I did get sucked up have settled and I fill my bottles with very clear beer but I don't worry about total clarity because I naturally carbonate the bottles and there will be some yeast in the bottom anyway. Give it some time in the bottle and it will all settle out again.

 

[teetee523]

Thanks, so you're saying by 3-4 weeks the bottom should be a bit firm so it may not really be an issue unless I actually stick the fermenter into the cake or something. I'm going to dry hop, but I think I'll put those in a sanitized muslin bag since they'll only be in there a week. My first batch I moved to a secondary after a week or so, so stuff wasn't all that firm. I avoided most of it, but was just looking for advice in this thread to get clear beer I also used Irish Moss, but forgot to add it to one of the brews until the final minute of the boil.

Yeah, it hasn't been a huge issue for me so far, but I have only done 3 week primaries, not sure about any sooner than that. I haven't dry hopped yet but I was actually just going to do it in the primary because I have a porter in the carboy and don't want to have to take it out early! Mostly me being a little lazy.

I haven't used Irish moss as of yet, I am on a brew that I'm in the middle of brewing right now! I have only done dark beers and not noticed cloudiness but this one is an IPA and I was trying to get it clear.

I have heard that alot of people will rack to secondary for clarity but Revvy has posted a few times saying his beer is just as clear with 3-4 weeks in the primary. I'm kind of a just primary because it's so much easier and less chance of contamination.

Good luck though and post your results!

 

[Revvy]

The only filtering I've ever done has been through my kidneys. And I get extremely clear beer, usually forgetting even to add moss to my boil.

I get little if any sediment in my bottles, simply by opting for a long primary. This is my yeastcake for my Sri Lankin Stout that sat in primary for 5 weeks. Notice how tight the yeast cake is? None of that got racked over to my bottling bucket. And the beer is extremely clear.

That little bit of beer to the right is all of the 5 gallons that DIDN'T get vaccumed off the surface of the tight trub. Note how clear it is, there's little if any floaties in there.

When I put 5 gallons in my fermenter, I tend to get 5 gallons into bottles. The cake itself is like cement, it's about an inch thick and very, very dense, you can't just tilt your bucket and have it fall out. I had to use water pressure to get it to come out.

This is the last little bit of the same beer in the bottling bucket, this is the only sediment that made it though and that was done on purpose, when I rack I always make sure to rub the autosiphon across the bottom of the primary to make sure there's plenty of yeast in suspension to carb the beer, but my bottles are all crystal clear and have little sediment in them.

Half the time I forget to use moss, and you can't tell the difference in clarity.

Another thing is to leave your beer in the fridge for at least a week. The longer you chill the beer in the fridge, the tighter the yeast cake. I had a beer in the back of my fridge for 3 months, that I could completely upend and no yeast came out. Longer in the cold the tighter the yeast cake becomes. Even just chilling for a week (besides getting rid of chill haze) will go to great lengths to allow you to leave the yeast behind, but with only a minimum amount of beer.

I get the barest hint of sediment in my bottles....just enough for the yeast to have done the job of carbonating the beer.

 

[Jazzimi]

Something else you could do (I think I've seen it mentioned somewhere else on this forum) would be to put a small block under your fermenter right after throwing in your wort, kinda keeping it on an angle and leaving it to ferment. So that when it comes time to rack, with the cake formed and all, you'll have a "clear" area in the bucket to set the bottom of your racking cane. Especially since you're using a bottling bucket, you shouldn't have a reason to throw the trub into suspension when it comes time to prime.

 

[IceFisherChris]

Place your primary bucket on the shelf and wait half a day. Anything that got stirred up should mostly settle. Other than that just keep your siphon off the bottom and lower it as the beer level goes down. When you get to the bottom start to tilt the bucket. And don't worry if you have to leave some beer in the bucket. It usually isn't as much as it seems.