Ready for Secondary??

Hello all, I've been enjoying my 1st batch of homebrew while keeping an eye on my fermenting 2nd batch and had a question.

Beer style is what the recipe calls a dark strong Belgian ale.
OG was 1.070
White Labs Abbey Ale Yeast WLP530
Fermenter bucket sitting in water at about 66 F
Fermentation started between 30-40 hours after pitching.
Lots of percolation activity for about 3 days before slowing down

It's now been 2 weeks in the primary and still showing signs of fermentation. CO2 is still bubbling out of airlock but much slower than before. Not that I'm worried about my beer. I know those yeasties had a lot of work to do and need time to do their thing. My question is should I wait till the bubbling stops before racking to a secondary? I'm willing to wait, but I'm ready to start my 3rd batch to get a "pipeline" going and want my primary back.

Have you taken a hydro reading? I like to leave my beer on the yeast for at least 3 weeks. Just my 2 cents but I would wait a bit longer.

Haven't touched it since brew day. I want it to stop fermenting before I do.
Has anyone else used this kind of yeast? Is it just slow at that temp with the heavier wort?

I'll wait longer.

Or..... forget the secondary and brew your next beer now.

Nothing against folks who like using secondary, but since I stopped using it I would never look back. its just so much easier.

Unless you are doing a BIG GRAVITY beer (barleywine, Imperial Stout etc), save your stress and drop the secondary altogether.

Just my 2 Cents

1.070 Strong Belgian ale is a pretty big beer that could stand some secondary time to improve. Take a reading and if it is where it should be, rack that baby. Bubbling will not tell you if it's finished, only a hydrometer will.

I don't have any personal experience with that yeast, but it's not uncommon to have about 3 days of really active fermentation, then a slow-down. I'd take a hydro reading if you're curious.

And I'm with the Duke, I've been leaving my beer alone for about 3 weeks, then bottling or kegging. No messing with secondaries!

bockman said:

Hello all, I've been enjoying my 1st batch of homebrew while keeping an eye on my fermenting 2nd batch and had a question.

Beer style is what the recipe calls a dark strong Belgian ale.
OG was 1.070
White Labs Abbey Ale Yeast WLP530
Fermenter bucket sitting in water at about 66 F
Fermentation started between 30-40 hours after pitching.
Lots of percolation activity for about 3 days before slowing down

It's now been 2 weeks in the primary and still showing signs of fermentation. CO2 is still bubbling out of airlock but much slower than before. Not that I'm worried about my beer. I know those yeasties had a lot of work to do and need time to do their thing. My question is should I wait till the bubbling stops before racking to a secondary? I'm willing to wait, but I'm ready to start my 3rd batch to get a "pipeline" going and want my primary back.

Click to expand...

A strong belgian is your 2nd brew?!?!?!?!!??! They clank when you walk don't they?

Thanks for the responses. I'm gonna wait a few more days.

Jonesy & JR,
I've read some of the discussions about secondaries and decided to give it a try it in the interest of clearing up the beer. I want to share my brews with friends and don't want to have to give them a lesson about how to pour a beer without also pouring out the yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

As for the strong Belgian being my 2nd batch, I guess I just want to brew the kinds of beers that I love most. I'm trying to work up to a brewing a dopplebock. As my handle may suggest, that's my favorite and is also my goal.

Cheers!

I was debating a secondary on my (pending) second batch, which is an IPA. From what I'm gathering, there's no major benefit to that other than clearing it up a bit? My brews are only shared with a couple of guys who have done some homebrewing also, so they know and don't care about a bit of sediment.

I like the idea of starting a 3rd in the other fermenter...

Bottom line, though, is clarity / sediment reduction the main benefit of secondary?

You're right, the main reason (usually) for a secondary is for letting the beer clear a bit. If you're drinking it yourself or sharing it with homebrew friends who don't care, then skip it.

Some use a secondary for dry hopping or oaking. Personally, I dry hop in the primary between days 14 and 21.

bockman said:

Thanks for the responses. I'm gonna wait a few more days.

Jonesy & JR,
I've read some of the discussions about secondaries and decided to give it a try it in the interest of clearing up the beer. I want to share my brews with friends and don't want to have to give them a lesson about how to pour a beer without also pouring out the yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

As for the strong Belgian being my 2nd batch, I guess I just want to brew the kinds of beers that I love most. I'm trying to work up to a brewing a dopplebock. As my handle may suggest, that's my favorite and is also my goal.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I hear ya, and I commend you for your efforts and I am sure your beer will be delicious! And, YUM to the dopplebock. I love that style.

I, and many others I am sure, do not agree about the secondary making a clearer beer. I have made some crystal clear beers, none of which were transferred into a secondary. Sorry, but even if you use a secondary you will still have a bunch of yeast in your bottle, because the yeast multiplies when you add your carbing sugar. Then, it dies or settles into the bottom. Your friends will have to either bring commercial beer, or put up with the yeast in your homebrews.... all of them... secondary or not. Or, you could use a Co2 gun, or keg. If you inject your beer for Co2, I might agree you will get a clearer beer by using a secondary.

I was definitely wrong about the kind of beer you are making, though, I too would secondary with a strong belgian to get it off the trub. Common consensus seems to be 3 weeks on your trub/hops is about the max to avoid autolysis or off flavors from the hops. In no way does my decision to secondary the Belgian have to do with clearing, though.

JimFowler said:

I was debating a secondary on my (pending) second batch, which is an IPA. From what I'm gathering, there's no major benefit to that other than clearing it up a bit? My brews are only shared with a couple of guys who have done some homebrewing also, so they know and don't care about a bit of sediment.

I like the idea of starting a 3rd in the other fermenter...

Bottom line, though, is clarity / sediment reduction the main benefit of secondary?

Click to expand...

If you do not bottle and carb with fermentables, then I agree its the only real reason. Unless you have a big beer (like a belgian, or 8% + beers), where you want to condition it longer than 3 weeks. RE my last post...

I generally rack to the secondary after two weeks. The only time I wait longer is with really high gravity beers. I say rack and brew.

I say rack an brew......as well....Your gonna get more fermentation in secondary so no worries.....I do 3 weeks on primary then rack to secondary unless dry hopping then I rack after 2 weeks so I can get my hops going. I hear you on getting the primary back but best to just buy another one. I have two and need a third at this point saves time and a third would allow me a free one to brew on a spur of the moment thing, however I know if I get a third it's going to be going all the time like the other two.....

There is no way I would put off brewing if I had the ingredients and a fermenter available. That would make me insane. But thats just me, and I'm addicted. After all, if you delay brewing a week it will be a week longer before you get to taste it. Send me the stuff and I'll brew it for you.

:rockin: I agree if I got the stuff I want to brew it asap.....That's how I got my second primary...I wanted to brew got the stuff but had no fermenter free so I had to get another one.......... :rockin:

Well, I opened up that baby today and it smells heavenly. It's gonna be delicious!

The hydro reading was a still little higher than I expected at 1.030 (OG was 1.070). There was a layer of foam floating on top (krausen?).

With this info, do you still recommend racking now? Can I expect more gravity drop while it is in the secondary? Most similar recipes I've seen call for an FG of around 1.020 or less. My recipe did not list what gravities to expect.

I wouldn't expect the gravity to drop much in the secondary, as you'll leave most of the yeast behind. I'd leave it in the primary another week or two to see if it drops further. Check your gravity and if it's the same for 3 days running, then you can be pretty sure your fermentation is complete. Although with this batch, who knows?

This batch is still actively fermenting. In the last 3 days SG went from 1.030 to 1.025. It's been 18 days in primary and still going. Still being patient.

Is it unusual for it to be going so slow?

Sometimes it just happens that way. 18 days in the primary is not overly long, and if fermentation is still happening, leave it alone.