double dropping

[ColinKeb]

I was reading about the double drop method of fermentation the other day and was going to try it out on my brew. does it make a difference to home brew or is it really for big brew lengths with large amounts of yeast? has anyone else tried it?

[Martin the fish]

Er, whats double dropping?

Sounds like something i do the morning after a particularly fierce curry

[steve_flack]

In my experience it's a really good way to get a stuck fermentation. My understanding is that when you do it is pretty time critical.

[ColinKeb]

Er, whats double dropping?

Sounds like something i do the morning after a particularly fierce curry

basicaly after the first surge of fermentation is over during the first couple of days you "drop" the brew into another fermenting vessel leaving most of the yeast drub behind. it used to be the practice of most old brewerys apparently.

[ColinKeb]

In my experience it's a really good way to get a stuck fermentation. My understanding is that when you do it is pretty time critical.

thats what I was worried about, given the smaller amounts of yeast etc. also with the smaller amounts Im not sure if it really would be of any benefit.

[sills]

I have tried it twice and both times the wort stopped fermenting.

[john1967]

I have tried it twice and both times the wort stopped fermenting.

Hi all, i'm a new member!!!
I've done the dropping method, no point really and as said before, it kills a good fermentation!!

John

[Maltloaf]

So, why is it double dropping?

Cheers,
ML.

[Stonechat]

I was reading about the double drop method of fermentation the other day and was going to try it out on my brew. does it make a difference to home brew or is it really for big brew lengths with large amounts of yeast? has anyone else tried it?

I always drop my beer into a secondary FV under airlock. Once I did do a double drop, which was bottled on 3/12/07. It was an experiment, but probably wouldn't do it again because of worries about too much air getting into the beer.
In answer to Colin's point about big brew lengths, mine is 25litres. For a 1042OG Pale Ale I brewed on Monday pitched in 179g of live yeast barm. Skimmed off the Krausen head on Wednesday and got 400g of yeast barm to repitch on next Monday, split between two brews. The SG on dropping was 1012. The airlock is still bubbling gently now.
I think the bottom line is if your yeast is a vigorous one do it, if it's not, or you can't be bothered, don't.

[ColinKeb]

what difference do you find it makes though stonechat?

[Stonechat]

The main difference for me is that the beer drops cleaner and brighter. I've never had to use any finings apart from Irish moss as copper finings.
I would not like to barrel or bottle straight from the no1 FV on account of the depth of trub/dead yeast etc on the bottom, whereas on the bottom of the secondary the layer of yeast is very much thinner and sticks enough to avoid getting sucked up the syphon.