HOw do I bottle a cream stout?

[thaddeus333]

This is my first cream stout brew, I used lacotse in my recipe and I need a little help. I have been fermenting for 7 days in the first fermentor and 2 days now in the secondary. I am going to hold out for another 4 to 5 days based upon yeast activity. My questions today are: how do I go about bottling the beer? I have a layer of lactose in the base of the carboy. Am I supposed to rack this material into my bottling bucket? Do I move the racking cane around to ensure that I get as much of the lactose into the bottling bucket? If so how do I keep the lactose suspended evenly in the bottling bucket while I am attempting to bottle the beer? Thanks in advance for any help. This is my second brew ever so, but I am looking forward to a great stout.

[seanhagerty]

How do you know its lactose on the bottom of the bucket?

If you decide it IS lactose, I would stir it up first, then bottle. Being as its a dark beer, you shouldnt have to worry about it being cloudy.

Usually I add my lactose at the end of the boil and dont have any issues with it settling out.

Sean

[BigNastyBrew]

How do you know its lactose on the bottom of the bucket?

+1

[TheDarkSide]

Did you add the Lactose in at secondary?

[Frankenhop]

This is just... strange. Never come across the issue, but my gut's telling me to leave the particulate fallout at the bottom like you would trub. If it settled out in secondary it's going to settle out in the bottle (btw, why the 2-7 days of yeast activity in the post-fermentation stage?); fine if you're brewing a hef, but not for a cream stout. But it's ultimately your call and I recommend trying a sample without stirring before you make that decision.

It probably won't turn out right, but then you'll know to add the lactose at flameout next time and go from there.

[thaddeus333]

Thank you for your replies. I added the lactose during the last 5 minutes of boil. I did use oatmeal and 2 tablespoons of chocolate podwer could either of these be the culprit for my mterial buildup on the bottom? As for the postfermentation time, what would you recomend? My first brew was a wheat so I figured it would be a safe timeline to follow again, but any pointers are great. My OG was 1.42, my current SG is 1.30 if this helps.

Thanks again

[Frankenhop]

Thank you for your replies. I added the lactose during the last 5 minutes of boil. I did use oatmeal and 2 tablespoons of chocolate podwer could either of these be the culprit for my mterial buildup on the bottom? As for the postfermentation time, what would you recomend? My first brew was a wheat so I figured it would be a safe timeline to follow again, but any pointers are great. My OG was 1.42, my current SG is 1.30 if this helps.

Thanks again

I don't know about everyone else but as far as the primary/secondary timing I follow Jamil's advice. For most styles I don't even bother with a secondary as the benefits of getting the beer off of the yeast cake usually don't outweigh the increased risk of contamination. However, that being said, if I were going to recommend a regimen to someone who wanted to use a secondary vessel it would be as follows:

• Keep your brew in primary until fermentation has stopped, confirmed with gravity readings.
• Use your secondary as an conditioning stage to allow most of the remaining yeast and particulate to fall out without keeping your beer on the degrading yeast cake. Over time it can introduce flavors to your beer you probably don't want if you just leave it. You won't remove all of the yeast unless you filter, but this stage will allow you to clean up your beer quite a bit.

Honestly from what I've seen in my brews using a secondary is usually unnecessary and likely a hold-over from the home winemaking practices. Beer doesn't really need it.

As for your particulate problem: what kind of oatmeal did you use, when did you add it, and how did you prep it? You should be adding it to the mash stage of an all-grain brew and a good article on it's use can be found here. If you added the oatmeal after the mash it's likely your problem. Yeast are good, but they're not that good. If they were we'd all be eating our bread through a straw.

[seanhagerty]

Thank you for your replies. I added the lactose during the last 5 minutes of boil. I did use oatmeal and 2 tablespoons of chocolate podwer could either of these be the culprit for my mterial buildup on the bottom? As for the postfermentation time, what would you recomend? My first brew was a wheat so I figured it would be a safe timeline to follow again, but any pointers are great. My OG was 1.42, my current SG is 1.30 if this helps.

Thanks again

Based on your gravities, DO NOT BOTTLE this yet. If you do, you might be asking for bottle bombs.

You may have caused a stuck fermentation by racking too soon. Let this sit for another week or two, then check gravities and see if it has lowered. If it has, let it sit until you get several readings taken on successive days that dont change.

Let this sit for a while before you do anything. A hefe is a quick fermenting, best when drank young, a Cream stout is a long fermenting, best left to age beer.

GL

Sean