Filtering

[vicdry52]

Hello all, I am very new to homebrewing. My son and I started this as a means of a shared hobby. We have brewed (and consumed) two batches thus far. Both have been kits though and we stuck right on the recipe. Our third is now two days into fermentation. We did use a pre-made recipe as a guide but we chose our own ingredients. My questions regard filtering out as much sediment as possible. We rough filtered as we transferred to the carboy and now there is already a thick layer on the bottom there. Not concerned at this point.
1. Will I damage the brew if I filter again on transfer to secondary fermentation?
2. Will I damage the brew if I filter again on transfer to the bottling bucket?
3. Will I damage the brew if I filter again on transfer to the bottles?
In case there is doubt, I don't like sediment in the beer. I will still drink it, mind you, I just prefer it to be clear.

 

[IslandLizard]

Let it be!
Trub is normal in brewing and fermentation. It will all settle out on the bottom when the beer is done fermenting. You then rack/siphon the clear beer off the top into a bottling bucket or keg.

After fermentation has started, anything you do to strain/pour/filter your beer will result in (unwanted) air exposure and result in oxidation and possible infection. Either is bad for beer. Now right before or right after you pitch the yeast, aeration or oxygenation of the wort is beneficial to the yeast. Once you pitch yeast, wort technically becomes beer.

What kind of filtering did you do and what did you have in mind?

On a side note, do not rack/siphon to a secondary either, after xx days, for the same reasons. If your instructions tell you to, just ignore that part. Leave it in the "primary vessel" where it is until packaging. There are very, very few exceptions, none on the beginning brewers list.

 

[Jag75]

Island is right. I will add that if you can get whirfloc it would help you out as well. Goes in the last 10 min of the boil . It will help you transfer clearer wort to the FV.

 

[RM-MN]

Don't secondary, your yeast has probably started to clump up (flocculate) by the time you are thinking of secondary and you'll just stir them up again, plus it introduces oxygen when it shouldn't and opens your beer for a chance of infection. If you were a commercial brewer there are reasons to transfer the beer but not at the homebrew level.

Be patient. Your kits probably wanted you to move to secondary after a week. Ignore that and leave your beer in primary for 2 to 4 weeks to give the trub and yeast time to settle out and compact on the bottom of the fermenter. It will be easier to rack the beer from above that when it is time to bottle. Most of the trub will be left behind if you use any care at all when transferring to the bottling bucket.

 

[Keith81]

Also, since you are carbonating with sugar, you will have sediment in the bottles, it's unavoidable. Yeast is necessary to consume the sugar for carbonation and that will drop out of suspension in the bottle.

 

[Alex4mula]

When I started brewing I started to look for filters and tools to filter beer. Glad I didn't buy any. I quickly found out that the best way to get clear beer is to cold crash, and for almost perfect clear then also add gelatin finings at cold crash. This creates an almost relatively solid pancake at the bottom of my glass carboy. When I transfer I get all clear beer almost without any loss. Now the most common cold crash is a freezer where your fermenter will fit so may not be feasible for all. If you have space go to Craiglist and find an used one and get a temp controller. Will be best investment for clear beer quick.

 

[vicdry52]

Thank you all, I will look at the whirfloc and the cold crash methods. All good info.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes, use Irish Moss or Whirlfloc (refined Irish Moss) 10' before flameout.

I rehydrate the Irish Moss (1/2 tsp / 5 gallons) in about a 1/4 cup of hot wort for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the kettle. Add the whole gelatinous substance. It works faster and better that way, IMO.

Unflavored Knox gelatin (Supermarket, Walmart) works wonderful, no need for $$ brew store products. Look up how to use it to clarify beer.