Secondary too big?

is it a bad thing that im using a 6 gallon secondary carboy with 5 gallons of beer?

No, even if it's done fermenting, the brew will out-gas CO2 while racking and keep the oxygen out..

A larger secondary isn't a bad thing... Like david said, your going to put out some CO2 gas that will coat the batch... The only thing is your airlock activity will not reflect positive secondary fermentation as accurately as if it was in a 5 gallon... No problems though... If you look at it in a realistic way, you can even step up your volume .5 gallons in your brews and get a half a gallon more without having to worry about space in the secondary....

ive only used 6.5 carbloys for my 5 & 5.5 gallon batches. Never had a problem

All my Initial fermentations are done with a six gallon fermentor any head space will be filled with CO2 so it will not create any problems.

were you still seeing activity in your air lock of the secondary after the primary fermentation? its been about a 3 days since i racked to the secondary after the activity reallllllyyy slloooowwwed down after day 6. so, should there still be activity in said secondary or have i managed to kill my batch?

It's supposed to be slowed down compared to your primary fermenation. The yeast is just clicking away slowly eating up the last of the fermentables. Often times the slower the better. Makes for mellower, smoother beer. Plus, like watching water come to a boil, watching a secondary fermentation just makes it seem like it is taking forever. Forgetaboutit
Bubble..................bubble.............................bubble............................

When it's done you will know.

musicman said:

were you still seeing activity in your air lock of the secondary after the primary fermentation? its been about a 3 days since i racked to the secondary after the activity reallllllyyy slloooowwwed down after day 6. so, should there still be activity in said secondary or have i managed to kill my batch?

Click to expand...

you have definitely killed it. Please bottle it up and send them all to me for proper disposal.

Secondary fermentation is a bit misleading. Think of your secondary as a clearing tank. The majority of your fermentation is done in the primary. Yes there is sometimes a bit of finishing up going on in the secondary, but most of the time its sole purpose is to let everything fall out of your beer to improve clarity.