# Beer Sediment...?



## devolutionist (Nov 18, 2007)

Got a question for all the homebrew folks out there!

We had my sister-in-law's couples shower at our house a few weeks ago, and left over in our fridge waaaay in the back was one last Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier.  Found it in the fridge totally on accident - must've been my lucky day cause I thought they were all gone.  Just an awesome brew if you can find them anywhere - here's a link:

www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de

So anyway, the night of the party I drank three or four of them, but it was dark and I didn't really look at it too closely.  Well today I picked the bottle out of the fridge where it was on it's side for about four weeks behind one of the pull-out trays.  When I picked it up I noticed what was probably about a quarter teaspoon of sediment that had settled out.  

I'm not used to drinking too many beers where sediment's an issue, but I was wondering if I should've left the sediment alone before pouring, or should I have swirled the beer around to re-mix the sediment before drinking?

BTW, I swirled & drank it right out of the bottle.  It was still damn fine, but I'm not exactly a discriminating beer drinker and don't know what was the correct thing to do here.

Any hints or tips will be greatly educational and appreciated


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## jessie50 (Nov 18, 2007)

I just sent Debi to your post for her answer but the phone rang.  She will be right with you when her sister lets her go.


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## deejaydebi (Nov 18, 2007)

Hi Sweetie!

No it's not a problem. It's almost a signature for a homebrew. Sounds like a great beer if it's showing a bit of sediment. 

You can try to save it and throw it in some malt and see if you can get it to multiply and recapture their yeast strain. I woulds be very excited - in fact I am excited!

Some of the best imported beers have sediment in the bottom that homebrews try to reclaim to replicate the yeast. A yeast strain will be the thing that makes one beer different from another even with the same ingrediants. You can almost think of it like adding sugars to a rub. Light brown sugar will taste different then say dark brown sugar or Turbino sugar. That make sense to you?

Drink it and enjoy.


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## devolutionist (Nov 18, 2007)

Thanks Jessie - I was hoping that Ms. Debi would chime in on this one...


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## devolutionist (Nov 18, 2007)

Thanks Debi!  Sure wish there was a way to send a bottle of beer in the mail, 'cause I'd sure send you one if I could.

Thanks for the explanation and advice!


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## stevenp (Nov 19, 2007)

While it's worth a try to culture that yeast, it's rumored that many of the yeasts you find settled at the bottom of the bottle are not the primary strain the beer was fermented with (if I recall correctly, Bell's Oberon is a perfect example).

Since that sediment is mostly yeast, choosing whether or not to drink it can depend on how your body reacts to it. Some people complain of excessive gas/bloating after they've ingested large amounts of yeast, which can be unpleasant.


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## policecom (Nov 19, 2007)

That sediment is actually very good for you. It is packed with vitamins. Here is an except from the Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia:

Serving such a beverage involves either decanting the drink into the serving glass, leaving the sediment behind in the bottle, or pouring all the contents into the glass, including sediment, to be drunk together. This is generally a matter of personal preference, though sometimes the brewer will suggest a preferred method for a particular beer. Yeast sediment has an earthy flavor and is rich in B vitamins. Drinking the sediment has some nutritional benefits, but it does slightly change the flavor and mouthfeel of the beer. In some beer cultures, it's common to pour the sediment into its own shot glass to be drunk separately.

So, there you go. Either way is Ok


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## deejaydebi (Nov 19, 2007)

Ah yeah it does sometimes have an cleansing effect to but no more than smoked meat IMHO.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I'd guess if it hasn't got you after three your not going to feel any effects.

I appreciate the thought of send it to me hon! That was sweet!


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## doozer (Nov 19, 2007)

This is how I was taught to drink wheats, whits, weissens (etc.):[I'll assume the beer is in bottle form]

1) After opening the bottle, let it stand for a few seconds (I can never make it past 10 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





). This is primarily to let the beer breathe just a little to get the aromas flowing.

2) Pour gently against the side of a room temperature (not cold) pint glass. If you use a frozen mug, then you will loose a LOT of the natural aromas and flavors.

3) Leave the last 1/3 in the bottle and gently swirl the bottle a few times to "activate" the remaining yeast and sediment.

4) Pour remaining beer into the glass to achieve a nice aromatic head.

5) Enjoy!

This is the way one is taught to drink a weissen in Germany (apparently), as it was explained to me by a German home brewer. You can definitely appreciate the aromas and flavors better with this method. And the sediment plays a starring role.


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## waterlog (Dec 2, 2007)

It can also give you the squishies. Some people have to tie off the the bottoms of their pant legs after drinking the yeast at the bottom. I tend to leave it in the bottle. It's a little on the bitter side.


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## devolutionist (Dec 2, 2007)

Well the good news is that I didn't have any issues with it, as far as the ol' gut is concerned.

Thanks for the pouring/serving tip Doozer!


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