I decided to do a Kolsch beer and instructions did not say filter the sludge from pot to fermenter. Did I ruin this batch or will it just have a different taste and still be drinkable. I was reading other posts about Kolsch beers and ran across multiple trends and recipes that said don't dump sludge. Let me know what I should do, maybe dump in second fermenter without the sludge for a week? Thanks for feedback!! Cheers!
I have never brewed a kolsch The "sludge" is called trub. Some people try to keep as much trub as possible out of the fermentor, others don't care. I am in the don't care camp. Your beer will be fine, leave it alone and watch your fermentation temps.
I leave the "sludge" aka trub behind, but that's because I harvest yeast. Otherwise no harm from racking it to fermentor.
The reason for leaving the trub behind is that it can give off-flavors with extended time in the fermentor, but it takes a long time for that to happen. I'd say you're fine unless you're planning to leave it for a month or so
Thanks for response! I was making sure that since it was a Kolsch beers that the trub would not hurt end product. There are so many recipes and opinions that it's really hard to keep up with. I bottled my first beer last week and did a Blonde Ale. I told myself, there is no sense in having an empty bucket!! Will keep everyone posted! Thanks again for your input. Cheers!
I've made great beers with lots of sludge in them. The sludge tends to settle to the bottom of the fermenter, bottle, and glass. It's where the vitamins are anyway.
