Dark_Ale

Recipes 

Does anyone kinda roll there secondary with a circular motion to stir it up a little. I know the yeast need some oxygen was wondering if this would help move things along faster? I heard when you bottle you dont want much oxygen in there. I have a beer that is almost done and just has patches of bubbles on top. At first it kinda looked like an infection, but at a closer glance its real small bubbles but just in patches. Its been in the secondary for about 3 weeks now, should finish around 8%alc. Anyway just wondering what anyones thoughts are.

rooftopbrew

Recipes 

You don't want the yeast to get access to any oxygen in secondary. Secondary should be a chance for the more yeast to settle out and to ferment that last .010 gravity point. Plus, you're keeping the beer off the old trub (dead yeast, protein, and hops) which can significantly affect the flavor of the beer if together for too long.

I can't remember the reason not to get more O2 in secondary, but it had something to do with changing the metabolism in the yeast. I think it makes the yeast try and reproduce instead of convert sugars to alcohol.

Janx

Recipes 

No shaky. You only aerate once...after cooling the wort. The yeast will do fine in the secondary without being jostled. Remember, what is happening here is on a microscopic level. The stuff settled on the bottom has very little to do with the fermentation.

The small patches of bubbles are normal. Wait until they're gone. Then wait another week. Your beer will be better the longer you let it sit in the secondary.

Cheers!

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