So I am new to homebrewing and have only done a handful of batches so far,, but I have always heard to leave the sediment behind in the bottle. I have been drinking the sediment under the impression this is similar in nutrients to real ale. My question is "is this ok to drink and does it have nutrients or am I just drinking sludge?"
There are nutrients in the sediment although I can't find any proof with a quick google search. I don't pour it in because I prefer my beers to be as clear as possible. I think there is enough nutrients in the beer without the bottom "sludge".
Thanks as long as there is no harm in drinking it then. Surprisingly my beers really havent had much and the more they bottle condition the less there is. Thanks for the info though.
Nope. No harm. As you may know there are a lot of commercial breweries that bottle condition. Some pour it in the glass and some don't.
I don't drink the sediment, but there is no harm in it. If you elect to leave it in the bottle, you are losing 1/4 oz at most. Is there harm in it? Nope...but it is all personal preference.
Most of the sediment is yeast. It has tons of B vitamins and is not bad for you at all. I would, however, consider pouring some without the yeast as it can effect the flavor of the beer. Also, re: there being less sediment the more they condition, you don't have less sediment, it just compacts into a smaller space.
I agree on it possibly effecting flavor. I have transported cornies which get stirred up in transit and super cloudy when pour even the day later sometimes. I remember one beer, I think it was our Kolesch, where it definiately changed the taste until it settled out more.
I had a red ale recently which definitely tasted sweeter and cleaner if you left the sediment in the bottle. The longer it sat, the better, for this particular beer. My Belgian style ales seem much less sensitive to it, though, and I am enjoying one now both ways. I pour the first half of the bottle, then let a little of the sediment go in with the 2nd half.
Have you tried jumping the beer to a new keg? This is what I tend to do when I don't want a beer to cloud up in transport b/c, like you, a couple times I had some really cloud up and not settle for days on end.
Aw, so jump it before the transport, that makes sense. It's usually not an issue - we brew/keg in one locale, then I bring it home that day to get it carbed for a week or so anyway. But I'll have to remember that if I ever wind up grabbing one that's already been sitting.
BTW I've only had that issue with some of the more powdery yeast, like your kolsch, others like 1968 seem to not cloud up or if they do, they settle before I ever drink it.
From the times I've used 1968, it seems to paste itself to the bottom of whatever container it's in when it flocculates out. I've even had trouble getting it out of the vial (WLP version).
On a different note, I personally think drinking the sediment can give you gas . I know quite a few other brewers that claim the same.
