First beer brew !

[Linkoln]

Good day fellas,

Just finished bottling my first ever brew (whery). Everything went as it should, but still come up with couple questions you may help me with.

The kit I using states I can make 40pints(23l) of beer, but I managed to get just 20.5liters of beer, I lost about 2.5liters due sediments on the bottom, does it seems about right ? How much liters you loose when transfering from FV to bottling bucket ?

While was syphoning from FV to bottling bucket and transfered about more than half of the bucket, the yeast-cake at the bottom started to break down and unstick from the bottom and float to the top of the bucket, the less beer was in FV the more frequently and bigger chunks started to break and float to the top. Is it normal ? I checked few yt video, and everyone left with smooth 'cake' at the bottom.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Galena]

What are you siphoning with? If you use an autosiphon it has a trap at the bottom that means it doesn't suck from the very bottom. I have never really had a problem and able to stick the tube right into the yeast without disturbing it. I usually lose about 1 litre in the bottom of the FV

 

[Linkoln]

I used this sypho https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-syphon-pack/p/0022573

 

[BrewMeHappy]

I'm not sure if you did but I tilt my FB by propping it up on a block of wood on the one side a day or two before bottling to give the sediment time to gather at the one end before I syphon it. That way you get the most amount out of your brew.

I'd expect to lose about 1L out of a brew just because you want to avoid sucking up the sediment and the less you disturb it the better.

 

[yrhendystu]

I used this sypho https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-syphon-pack/p/0022573

I have that one and as long as the brew is clear it works great.

How long did you brew for before bottling?

I'll brew for about two weeks then take the bucket off the heat for it to cool down. It's in the shed so gets quite chilly, especially at night. The cold helps to draw down the sediment so I find my bottles are far clearer than they were when I first started.

When I first started I bottled as soon as it was done, now I have a good stock built up i can take my time.

 

[Linkoln]

I have that one and as long as the brew is clear it works great.

How long did you brew for before bottling?

I'll brew for about two weeks then take the bucket off the heat for it to cool down. It's in the shed so gets quite chilly, especially at night. The cold helps to draw down the sediment so I find my bottles are far clearer than they were when I first started.

When I first started I bottled as soon as it was done, now I have a good stock built up i can take my time.

I kept in FV for 11 days, the trub at the bottom just loosened from the bottom and started float to the top in chunks, and it started breaking when syphones more than half bucket.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Everything that happened isn't unusual. If you wanted to get 21l (for example) adjust your recipe and volume to account.
By being gentle and not disturbing the trub, you'll get less of it moving around.
+1 on setting the FV where you'll be siphoning from ahead of time.
Also, congratulations!

 

[damienair]

I’ve done only 3 beers and a wine so far. You’ll find your own technique will improve on each batch. My first brew I bottled straight from the fermentation bucket and used coopers carbonation drops. For my second brew I had a go at siphoning to a bottling bucket and batch primed. I messed up at the very end when siphoning and disturbed the sediment at the bottom and ended up wasting about 3 litres. I then tried my hand at a white wine and had to rack it off twice. I did better and managed to bottle 29 bottles from a 30 bottle wine kit. Just over a week ago I bottled my 3rd beer which was dry hopped. Again I siphoned it to a bottling bucket, batch primed and was very careful not to disturb the sediment. I did much better and bottled 41 x 500ml bottles. I find moving the siphon down along with the beer as it empties especially when there is a 3rd of the brew left worked well. Towards the end I gently moved the FV over the side of a table and gently tipped the FV off the side and very gently moved the auto siphon onto the settled sediment.

 

[Ezza]

Fit a tap to the FV,problem solved.