Secondary fermentation question.

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Phan71

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I have yet to make a batch using secondary fermentation (I'm on my third batch now), but I am thinking of doing it with my current batch. I have a couple of questions:

1. When should I transfer to the secondary fermenter? I brewed on Friday, so it's been four days, and there's no longer any bubbles coming out of the airlock.

2. How long should it stay in the secondary?

3. Anything else I should know?


Thanks.
 
Using a clearing tank (AKA bright tank AKA secondary) is just a way of getting the ale off of the trub & making it easier to transfer to a bottling bucket later. (Commercial brewers frequently use conical fermenters and just take the trub out of the bottom) Two weeks is about right. If you use a carboy, then go by when the ale has cleared.
 
I've always used the 1-1-2 rule so far and like you, I've only done 3 batches. From what I've read, if you have no bubbling activity, then it's done fermenting, go ahead and rack it. There is a lot of reading out there on getting the brew off the trub ASAP, then there are those that say let it sit. The one thing that you have to be weary of is autolysis. That's when the yeast go cannibalistic on themselves. That will produce some funky taste. For that reason, I rack to secondary after one week. A key sign of autolysis is that the bottom layer will turn a orange-red color.
 
Phan71 said:
I have yet to make a batch using secondary fermentation (I'm on my third batch now), but I am thinking of doing it with my current batch. I have a couple of questions:

1. When should I transfer to the secondary fermenter? I brewed on Friday, so it's been four days, and there's no longer any bubbles coming out of the airlock.
It sounds to me like you could do it tomorrow night or Thursday.

2. How long should it stay in the secondary?
At least 1 week.

3. Anything else I should know?
:mug:
 
Thanks for the input, everyone. I went out and bought the carboy today, and will probably rack tomorrow night.

Thanks again!
 
Ol' Grog said:
There is a lot of reading out there on getting the brew off the trub ASAP, then there are those that say let it sit. The one thing that you have to be weary of is autolysis. That's when the yeast go cannibalistic on themselves. That will produce some funky taste. For that reason, I rack to secondary after one week. A key sign of autolysis is that the bottom layer will turn a orange-red color.

How long does it take for that to happen? About a month or so right? or do i just have not idea?:drunk:
 
Good timing on this post. I just racked to secondary tonight. I plan on leaving it for at least a week before kegging it. Its my first batch and I am hopeful that I did everything correct. So I have at least a week to get my kegorator set up.
 
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