inhousebrew
Well-Known Member
Alright, so I've been thinking about this and most people (myself included) seem to think that racking to a secondary vessel is not necessary in a majority of instances. Beer in a five gallon carboy can survive and prosper on top of a yeast cake without suffering from autolysis. That said, when bulk aging a beer everyone (or it seems nearly everyone) suggests racking to avoid that risk but what is the time frame for this. A month of aging? Two months? Three months? Six?
I guess, bottom line: what is the absolute longest you'd recommend leaving a beer on the yeast cake for? And at that point, is there any real benefit to racking to a secondary for additional bulk aging versus just bottling and letting it bottle age for an extended period of time?
I guess, bottom line: what is the absolute longest you'd recommend leaving a beer on the yeast cake for? And at that point, is there any real benefit to racking to a secondary for additional bulk aging versus just bottling and letting it bottle age for an extended period of time?