How much trub in dark beer?

[Mothman]

I've made several batches of beer, but currently I'm doing my first ever stout, and I ferment in a bucket.

With previous beers, I could (to a certain degree) see the trub when looking down through the beer.

Better, though, I could shine a bright light through the wall of the bucket and see the level of trub by looking at the opposite wall of the bucket (trub casts a darker shadow) and see exactly what level the trub was at.

In the case of the stout, I can't see down through the beer, and the light-through-the-bucket trick isn't a help either, as it's all just too dark.

Any tricks to help determine what my bottling volume actually will be?

I can guess I'll have around 0.25 gallons of trub (3.5 gallon batch) based on past beers, but my past brews have all been a bit different, some with a bit more trub, some with a bit less, so the 0.25 gal is just a guestimate.

 

[portguy]

When making any batch of beer i always aim for a volume half a gallon bigger than what i want to bottle. I also use a hop sock too. That last half gallon gets bottled coz i don't like to waste any beer. i just mark those last bottles with a T... I always end up with 20 litres of very trub free beer and some more truby tasty ones

 

[Sadu]

Just give it your best guess. If you are a couple of points out with the carbonation it will still be fine, and just make notes for next time.

For me, with 23 liter batches I get about 2 liters of trub/yeast for extract brews or about 4-5 liters for all-grain depending if it's a hoppy brew or not (more wastage on hoppy brews).

Stouts shouldn't be hoppy so just go with your numbers from last time.

 

[jalc6927]

If trub is your concern, and it really shouldn't be, get a clear fermenter and you'll be able to see it that way

 

[andrewmaixner]

You could use CarbTabs / CarbDrops (pre-measured sugar tablets to put in each bottle) and then the total volume calculation won't matter.

 

[portguy]

You could use CarbTabs / CarbDrops (pre-measured sugar tablets to put in each bottle) and then the total volume calculation won't matter.

For that purpose and because it's way cheaper i just use plain table sugar. I calculate the amount or sugar per bottle obtained. Than i just add a calculated amount of water to make a rounded amount of sugar solution that is easy to measure individually.
Example: If i end up with 31 x 0.5 Litre bottles of beer and want 3 vols of CO2:
I need 136,4 grams of table sugar or (4,4 gr per bottle). For ease of use i decide i wish to add 5 ml of the sugar solution to each bottle. I will have to add 69,2 Ml of water to those 136, grams of sugar. Dilute it and will end up with 155 ML of sugar solution that i can divide in 31x 5 ml.

Using a syringe it takes few minutes to complete.

 

[andrewmaixner]

For that purpose and because it's way cheaper i just use plain table sugar. I calculate the amount or sugar per bottle obtained. Than i just add a calculated amount of water to make a rounded amount of sugar solution that is easy to measure individually.
Example: If i end up with 31 x 0.5 Litre bottles of beer and want 3 vols of CO2:
I need 136,4 grams of table sugar or (4,4 gr per bottle). For ease of use i decide i wish to add 5 ml of the sugar solution to each bottle. I will have to add 69,2 Ml of water to those 136, grams of sugar. Dilute it and will end up with 155 ML of sugar solution that i can divide in 31x 5 ml.

Using a syringe it takes few minutes to complete.

Ya, I've heard of people using that method for adding brett, and I've also used it for adding extra sulfite to the portion of a wine batch I plan to store years longer. I just like the carb drops on hand because they are so handy for one-off bottling too.

 

[Mothman]

I don't want to change my process from batch priming to individual, and I don't want to buy new equipment (clear fermenter) just to see the trub, so I'll go with the advice to just estimate.

I think I was more under the impression that the amount of trub is potentially widely different between different brews, but it sounds like that typically is not the case. So my ~0.25 gallon estimate will probably work out just fine.

I'll adjust for future brews if I find I'm off on my guess.

Thanks all!

 

[portguy]

I don't want to change my process from batch priming to individual, and I don't want to buy new equipment (clear fermenter) just to see the trub, so I'll go with the advice to just estimate.

I think I was more under the impression that the amount of trub is potentially widely different between different brews, but it sounds like that typically is not the case. So my ~0.25 gallon estimate will probably work out just fine.

I'll adjust for future brews if I find I'm off on my guess.

Thanks all!

You don't have to change. Just rack the beer carefully to a bottling bucket till you can actually see the trub. Than prime the whole batch. I only batch prime when racking to bottling bucket. But most of the time i use a fermenter that has a spigot above the actual level of usual trub my beers produce. In that case i bottle directly from the fermenter and have to prime individually , in that case i really don't know how much trub and beer i will have to leave behind.

 

[Mothman]

True enough. I'm used to putting the priming solution in first and racking on top, rather than stirring afterwards. You are right, I could do it that way if I find the trub amount is causing me grief.

 

[portguy]

True enough. I'm used to putting the priming solution in first and racking on top, rather than stirring afterwards. You are right, I could do it that way if I find the trub amount is causing me grief.

You can even do partial primings in sequence to avoid over stirring out of fear of not distributing the priming solution evenly.

As soon as you hit let's say 1 gallon mark in your bottling bucket, you prime that gallon. The mere act of pouring another gallon on top will stir that first gallon. At the second gallon mark, prime that one. And so on. At the end it will all be correctly primed and stirred.

Btw: i often do this when pitching yeast...but i'm weird AF..

 

[kh54s10]

I haven't noticed much of a difference in the amount of trub from style to style. I use a five gallon paint strainer bag to contain my hops. The thickest layer of trub I ever had was about 1/2 inch in a 6 gallon better bottle. About a quart and 3/4. Most brews would not fill a quart mason jar.

 

[portguy]

I haven't noticed much of a difference in the amount of trub from style to style. I use a five gallon paint strainer bag to contain my hops. The thickest layer of trub I ever had was about 1/2 inch in a 6 gallon better bottle. About a quart and 3/4. Most brews would not fill a quart mason jar.

My brews will produce about the double of that. And i also use a hop bag. But the amount of cold break could vary greatly from method to method. And yeast properties too. Last time i made a 2 gallon experimental porter i ended up with a 2 pint jars that are stored in the fridge and fully compacted they will measure a pint.