lots of residue when bottling

[Hazydays]

I am a "learner" brewer. I have made a couple of batches so far. using this fermenting bucket. For bottling there is a wand that attaches to the tap with a stop flow valve on the end. This seems to be a very easy system, but I do seem to be getting a lot of sediment in my bottles. My two main concerns are 1) is the tap positioned too close to the bottom, pulling sediment from the bottom of the bucket. 2) There is no way to filter the beer before it enters the wand. I have watched several how to videos and most people seem to use an auto syphon type set up placed into the top of the bucket, normally with a filter bag around the inlet. I would appreciate peoples thoughts on this. Thanks

 

[Alan_Reginato]

1) probably. Put a wedge, or a towel, under the front of the fermenter. That should help. Also, more time conditioning before bottling, could be advised. And after too, for the sediments settle down.

 

[Hazydays]

Thanks, that makes sense. I think the early part of my fermentation was a little cold (in the cellar), plus I disturbed it a bit when I moved it into my new temperature control fridge. So I'll try leaving it another week, then wedging up the front a bit.

 

[RichK]

Are you bottling directly from the fermenter? It's worth having a second "bottling" bucket. Decant from the fermenter into the second vessel, leaving the vast majority of the sludge behind, then bottle from that.

 

[A fool's paradise]

It's worth having a second "bottling" bucket. Decant from the fermenter into the second vessel, leaving the vast majority of the sludge behind, then bottle from that.

Be careful with this though if your brews are hoppy as it will introduce oxygen no matter how careful you are and that might cause oxydation and dark brown beer.........

 

[Hazydays]

Be careful with this though if your brews are hoppy as it will introduce oxygen no matter how careful you are and that might cause oxydation and dark brown beer.........

My current brew is a hoppy IPA, using pellets (which I put in a muslin bag).

 

[AnimatedGIF]

My first thought was that yes, the tap looks a little close to the bottom. I was going to say what @RichK said too, but opinion varies on bottling buckets and I don't want to start that discussion here, but you may benefit from using one (@A fool's paradise has a point about hoppy beers).
From what I have read on here, autosyphons are a useless waste of money.

 

[Hazydays]

My first thought was that yes, the tap looks a little close to the bottom. I was going to say what @RichK said too, but opinion varies on bottling buckets and I don't want to start that discussion here, but you may benefit from using one (@A fool's paradise has a point about hoppy beers).
From what I have read on here, autosyphons are a useless waste of money.

Thanks, love your Tag Line!

 

[DavidDetroit]

For the ordinary brewer, a bottling bucket and auto syphon are the way to go. You can put the priming sugar in the bottling bucket first and then create a swirl for mixing.
Edit: oxygenation is quite relative and if you drink the beer fairly quickly, no one's going to notice but the seasoned pro.

 

[The Baron]

I would never use a bottling bucket as per said the more you transfer from one to another the more chance of oxidation and as you are doing hoppy beers I deffo would resist this but its your choice.
More infections/oxidation are caused by doing this. There is no need to do this as a good process will limit the amount of trub in your FV especially if you do AG.
Its the old percentage game if you transfer twice instead of once you are twice likely to get oxidation/infections the law of averages says this

 

[Hazydays]

I would never use a bottling bucket as per said the more you transfer from one to another the more chance of oxidation and as you are doing hoppy beers I deffo would resist this but its your choice.
More infections/oxidation are caused by doing this. There is no need to do this as a good process will limit the amount of trub in your FV especially if you do AG.
Its the old percentage game if you transfer twice instead of once you are twice likely to get oxidation/infections the law of averages says this

If you do AG?

 

[nickjdavis]

All Grain

 

[Hazydays]

All Grain

Thanks

 

[crowcrow]

I just syphon from the top down, moving it is I go. Always had a very slow speed when I used a tap.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I don't know what the exact chance of infection is in a properly produced and handled batch (I've never had an infection in six years) but it must be astoundingly low; otherwise, hardly anyone would put up with the expense, frustration and wasted time of failures. If the chance is miniscule, then using a bottling bucket is miniscule X 2 which is still miniscule and not worth consideration as a reason not to use a bottling bucket.
With oxygenation, I think it's overthought and overemphasized in relation to almost all new brewers. The beer is quietly siphoned into a bottling bucket with not a lot of surface exposure and then into the bottle. This method will turn out proper beer.
Again, this advice applies to the newer or less stringent brewer.

It is quite difficult to mess up a kit and you almost have to try.

 

[Irishwizard]

I dont believe oxidation exists, except in the mind of pseudo scientist home brewers. Its something else to write about and pretend is a gross problem and get all excited about. Ive brewed for 40 years and never had a problem with a brew that sounds off in some strange abstract way. To be honest if some plank on here mentions it again I'll point them in the direction of Gunge - he will sort you out - you know who you are, get over it.

 

[labrewski]

When I bottled I got loads of sediment in bottles
So I transferred into a second bucket with sanitized tube and muslin,mesh or mini hop bag never had any oxidation hose was just enough to reach bottom of second fv
Sediment was greatly reduced that's without cold crash
I'm a kegger now and wish I would have tried cold crash before transfer I reckon it would have minimal sediment in bottles

 

[dwhite60]

Get an old fashion racking came and use it to bottle. The inlet on them is certainly higher than the valve you have now.

You can even get a piece of copper tubing and make your own.

Also, let your beer sit at least two weeks. Three weeks will not hurt it even.

I DO NOT recommend an "Easy aerator, ER, siphon". Worst piece of kit I ever bought.Aerated four bottles of beer on first use and trashed it. Yeah, there are ways to make it work but it should work without having to mess with it. This is just more work overriding the "Easy" part of "Easy Siphon".

 

[m_kc]

I dont believe oxidation exists, except in the mind of pseudo scientist home brewers. Its something else to write about and pretend is a gross problem and get all excited about. Ive brewed for 40 years and never had a problem with a brew that sounds off in some strange abstract way. To be honest if some plank on here mentions it again I'll point them in the direction of Gunge - he will sort you out - you know who you are, get over it.

I think it exists :) I switch from kegs to bottling in the summer and am pretty sure allot of my bottles get oxidized. Down to poor technique and especially when I'm rushing and splashing the beer around. I get the over fruity, winey taste - I really dislike bottling.
+

 

[roboto]

I think it exists :) I switch from kegs to bottling in the summer and am pretty sure allot of my bottles get oxidized. Down to poor technique and especially when I'm rushing and splashing the beer around. I get the over fruity, winey taste - I really dislike bottling.
+

It definitely exists but if you bottle carefully with a bottling wand you can avoid most of the common issues fairly easily.

My preferred routine is to use a door-stop to raise the tap side of the fermenter and give the beer a day or two to settle toward the end of fermentation (cold crash not required, although is beneficial if you have the ability).
Before bottling I add my solution of priming sugar and gently stir it in before leaving for 30 mins to settle again. (N.B. Now is a great time to sanitise bottles).
The first bottle might have some extra sediment as the tap clears but from 2nd bottle onwards you should be able to have pretty clear beer.

If you have time after the bottles have conditioned and carbonated pop them in the fridge for a few days for the sediment to pack down - this will make it much easier to pour without rousing the residual sediment again.


All that said I'm using kegs generally and bottling from the keg is way easier and no sediment either. Win win.