Once you have reached the correct SG and there is no further surface bubbles, to further clear the beer, then I carefully rack the beer off the sediment into aother sanitized carboy. At 3 days I then rack back into my sanitized primary to add the dextrose provided with the beer kit. Often during the fermentation process a surface scum appears, this is a floating yeast bed. Gently rock the carboy back and forth and the bed breaks into little pieces. If it appears the next day continue disturbing it by rocking the carboy each day. This weekend on the 3rd day there was a significant surface scum. I carefully inserted my syphon rod leaving just a small hole in the surface. Using a syphon clamp I secured the rod to the rim of the carboy. As the beer was syphoned out the scum stuck to the sides of the carboy and to the outside of the sypon rod.
The natural carbonation of our beer is done just before bottling by racking the beer back into the primary and then adding 220 grams of dextrose. Dissolving the dextrose in a little bit of hot water prior to adding it to the primary helps to evenly dissolve it – stir well. Once bottled the yeast ferments the sugar in the bottle thus producing additional alcohol and CO2 which is trapped in the bottle. This further fermentation in the bottle produces a new yeast bed in the bottle. To avoid stirring up this sediment always leave your beer bottles upright. Do not drink from the bottle as the rocking back and forth will stir up the sediment. Carefully with one motion pour your beer into a beer glass leaving the last ½ inch behind. As you pour you can actually see when the yeast bed is going to be poured out. One comment on your beer mugs – do not wash them in a dishwasher as the chemicals used to remove spots will remain on the glass and destroy your head. Always hand wash your beer glasses.
