First brew question, clarifiying a cloudy beer.

A question for them more experienced.
I have recently stared my first official brew an Amber Honey Ale. I have just transferred it to my secondary fermentor after a week in the primary. I have noticed that it has a really great color for about the top 3" and then it starts to get pretty hazy. Is there anything I can do at this stage of the game to settle out some of the sediment in the rest off it? I am thinking of bottling this weekend.

Thanks,

Troy

You will want to chill it as quickly as possible.    I have a 6" computer server fan in my Keezer which help circulate the air.  Rapidly chilling helps the haze forming compounds bind closer together and drop out of suspension. 

At what point should I chill the batch? Should I let it Ferment a couple more days since I just moved it into the secondary two days ago? Also, about what temp would be a good one to hold it at for chilling?

Thanks for the help. I have a ton of questions being new to this.

Troy

Troy-

IMHO, next time leave it in the primary for the entire duration.  There's very little reason to move the beer to a secondary.

Always let the beer ferment out completely before chilling.  Wait a week in the secondary (or two weeks in the primary for future brews).  Take a gravity reading.  Wait two more days, take another gravity reading.  If the two readings are the same, you can chill whenever you are ready.

For most beers you can leave it in the primary for upwards of a month.  You don't need to, but you can if you can't get to it for a while.  It won't hurt the beer at all. 

Don't rush it, your beer will thank you for your patience.

It's fine.  Put it in a dark corner and leave it alone for a week or two (or a month or two).  It 'll clear right up.
I've had brews sit in secondary for months without issue.  In the primary it has a shelf life of at least a month, but I've never pushed it.

At this moment I have two kegs in the fridge, a bottled batch still conditioning, have two more in secondary (keg or bottle them when I feel like it), and crushed grain this afternoon for the next batch.

My general practice is to give an ale a week or two in the primary, then rack it.  At this point I can forget about it.  I'm not in a hurry; I've got plenty of beer.
You, on the other hand, would not harm yourself by doing the whole thing in the primary next time. 
I'm sure you won't let it sit around, lonely and unattended to, long enough to spoil.

RDWHAHB

If it's a wheat beer (Wit) you want a little haze that's in character of the style. If not put it in the fridge for a week that will clear it up. 

Hey guys,
    Thanks for the info. I think I am going to let it sit a couple of weeks, if I can leave it alone that long. I am going to brew up a nut brown and a pretty neutral "lawn mowing" beer this week to help keep my mind off of it.
What do you guys think of about using some dissolved unflavored gelatin as a clearing agent? This was suggested to me by the local brew shop.

Thanks again for the info. I will let you guys know how it all turns out.

Troy

You can...it certainly works.  I'd try it without first....and see if you think it still needs clearing.  I think it'll be fine without.

What do you guys think of about using some dissolved unflavored gelatin as a clearing agent?

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With any clarifying agent you will have loss in the form of increased sediment.  Often that sediment is loose, not compact, so you have to worry about stirring it up when you siphon the brew off of it.  It can be more trouble than it is worth.

UPDATE!!!!

My Honey Amber Ale is going on day 11 in the secondary (glass carboy). On about day 7 I took it down stairs to sit in the basement for a while, out of sight out of mind, it hangs at a steady 58 deg. down there. I looked in at it last night and it has the most deepest, sexiest red color to it I have ever seen.  :-* I may let it sit until the weekend and then bottle it, if I can keep my hands off of it. I am REALLY looking forward to getting a taste of this.

Thanks again for all of the help and letting it sit has truly been the ticket.

Troy said:

A question for them more experienced.
I have recently stared my first official brew an Amber Honey Ale. I have just transferred it to my secondary fermentor after a week in the primary. I have noticed that it has a really great color for about the top 3" and then it starts to get pretty hazy. Is there anything I can do at this stage of the game to settle out some of the sediment in the rest off it? I am thinking of bottling this weekend.

Thanks,

Troy

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You could attempt to lager once it's bottled and carbonated by storing in a cold fridge at near freezing temps for 2-3 weeks, this will increase the speed at which the protiens causing the hazy cloudy effect your are describing, you can also use a whirlfloc tablet 10 mins before the end of your boil in your next batch to further eliminate any cloudyness in your beer.