Do you rack to secondary fermentor?

[Good Ed]

At each stage their is evidence of yeast being dropped from the brew... If you put straight into a bottle your going to get mucky beer....

By racking off to another vessel you are actually mixing the yeast back into suspension, and it is quite misleading to say that you get "mucky beer" without transferring to a secondary, I bottle every time from the primary with crystal clear beer.

 

[Drunken Horse]

At each stage their is evidence of yeast being dropped from the brew... If you put straight into a bottle your going to get mucky beer....

By racking off to another vessel you are actually mixing the yeast back into suspension, and it is quite misleading to say that you get "mucky beer" without transferring to a secondary, I bottle every time from the primary with crystal clear beer.

From what I've read (and in my limited experience seen) the racking is only going to carry over what is already in suspension (although it might mix it in a bit more than previously) but degassses the beer slightly which makes it easier for the remaining yeast to settle out this has been my experience with the few beers I've racked. This makes it a good time to add finings if you are going to.

Obviously the argument is if you just leave it alone in primary it will clear but will it affect the flavour? For me racking to secondary has given me cleaner beer with less of a yeast flavour. Have to go with whatever works best for you.

 

[Good Ed]

We always have a healthy discussion on this subject, and some do and some don't.

I don't think off flavours from yeast autolysis is a problem for homebrewers using small flat bottomed fermenting vessels and with using a good healthy yeast. I usually bottle anywhere between 10 and 24 days and have no carry over yeast flavours or off flavours. Autolysis is an issue on a commercial scale with large conical fementors however, and they take control measures and get the beer off the yeast quickly.

 

[jonnymorris]

By racking off to another vessel you are actually mixing the yeast back into suspension, and it is quite misleading to say that you get "mucky beer" without transferring to a secondary, I bottle every time from the primary with crystal clear beer.

Agree entirely. White and Zainasheff bust this myth in their book, Yeast. It'll clear quicker if you just leave it alone and unless your brew has leapt out of the FV and made a bid for freedom (Ref: GAs explosive fermentation) there's little point in racking to a secondary.