Taking *some* sediment from primary

[tonyolympia]

After bottling my first-ever beer (an IPA), I started reading these threads and noticed people talking about siphoning some amount of the yeast layer off the bottom of the carboy into the bottling bucket. (Side question: is that layer what's called "trub"?)

When I siphoned, I was fairly careful not to get much if any of the sediment into my bottling bucket. I just thought that's what I was supposed to do. Did I make a mistake?

FYI, four days after bottling I opened up a bottle because I thought (wrongly, as it turns out) that there was a crack in the neck. There was a fair amount of carbonation in there, even after only four days. So, it seems like I got enough yeast into my bottler to maybe do the job. But I'm curious: what would my beer have been like if, like some people, I really scraped the yeast with my siphon while racking off the beer?

 

[Hang Glider]

I do my best to leave all the trub behind, not siphon some INTO my bottling bucket!

There is still plenty of yeast in suspension, as you have found out. Not sure where you picked up/read that, but I doubt very many of us actually try to get trub into the bottling operation.

 

[bgruis]

I think you did what you were supposed to do. Sometimes you will be able to see the white yeast layer above the sediment...but it's not always real evident.

 

[BendBrewer]

You would end up with more sediment in the bottom of your bottles. For most batches there is still plenty of yeast in suspension to get the job done. When you start bulk aging for 6 months or more you might want to start considering grabbing a little yeast when you transfer or I think some guys even add a small amount of new yeast in those cases.

 

[TipsyDragon]

yes that stuff at the bottom of the carboy is called trub. i try to leave as much as i can but sometimes i accidentally suck some up. don't worry yourself one way or the other. there is more than enough yeast floating around to carbonate your beer as you found out.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

You want the beer as sediment free as possible going into the bottling bucket and bottles. The beer has more than enough yeast in suspension to get the job done. Some add a 2nd yeast for bottle conditioning for big beers but that is a different matter. What you did is correct, try to rack/siphon the beer as cleanly as possible without disturbing the trub when transferring or bottling. The remaining yeast will get the job done. As for what would happen if you stirred up the yeast..Not much it would just take longer for you beer to settle and clear in the bottle and you could end up with a heavy yeast taste for a while.

 

[tonyolympia]

OK! Thanks, friends. Those few posts I saw must have been from really adventurous brewers, or else I just misunderstood.

 

[BendBrewer]

Some people do 'Stab' the yeast cake when transferring to 'secondary'. That sounds more like what you might have read.

 

[malkore]

Yes a little extra yeast in secondary helps clean up the beer, as taking it off the yeast too quickly doesn't allow the yeast ot metabolize things like diacetyl and acetylaldehyde.

of course, do a long primary with no secondary and the goal is to rack as cleanly as possible.

you done good!

 

[mrk305]

Yeah, I read on here also a couple days ago that someone tried to get a little yeast trub into the bottling bucket so there would be yeast available for bottle conditioning. I don't do that. Don't do that.