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I into my 3rd generation of homebrew ideology and need some input.

At first, I was a dedicated workhorse of the early microbrew scene, constructing a a welded stainless 10 gallon outfit in my garage, digital, liquid yeast snob, culturing on agar agar, etc. Then I brewed extract for convenience with more than a full time job, mostly for high gravity products.

Now I'd like to get back into all grain for economics sake, buying hops by the pound, pre crushed grain, and getting fast starts with the newer high quality dry yeasts. I don't mind spending extra effort, like making a starter or doubling up even when using dry yeast.

What I am concerned about is the extra protiens that contribute to the trub base with grain in my preferred single stage blow-by in plastic fermenters. I couldn't stand cleaning carboys with a blowby system, because their shape seriously makes it difficult. I also am a freak about preferring not to rack at the exact time the brew is most vulnerable, early in fermentation when I get home from work and find my CO2 production has fallen off. I like plastic for its ease of cleaning and the fact if I scratch it etc, I can throw it away. Will the proteins and hop residuals seriously affect my attempts to make a nice daily drink (nothing I keep around to impress) without chances of off flavors if using a nuetral ale yeast.

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Relax, don't worry & have a homebrew

Many Australians use a technique called Brew-in-a-Bag. It creates what I can only describe as a shit-ton of trub in the fermenter. I've used this method as my pilot system with good results. The 1-2 gallon batches I make are at least half protein and hop leftovers. I have yet to detect a off-flavor I can attribute to this leftover.

This is a two-day old fermentation. The 1.5 inch dark-gray band is beer, the rest is floating trub. I'll chill this near freezing for a week to drop that crap.

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    Dean is right, it's not a big deal. While I prefer to do primary and secondary type fermentation (i.e. racking off the main cake after main fermentation is completed rather than real secondary fermentation) there isn't much reason other than additional clearing to move it unless you are going to leave it on for more than a month. In that case I would consider moving it to a second container for clearing and aging.
    – TinCoyote
    Feb 17, 2010 at 17:10
  • This beer is now two weeks into fermentation and the trub has settled. If I remember I'll take a picture before bottling and add it to the answer.
    – Dean Brundage
    Mar 2, 2010 at 14:48

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