Do you use a secondary fermenter

I am wondering how many of you use a secondary fermenter/carboy. I keep finding recommendations online saying they are fairly necessary but then I read forum posts or see videos where the brewer doesn't use one at all. If you do or do not use one, and feel like explaining why you do or do not use one... please do! I just brewed my first batch... a dark stout and I'm not using one this time. Thanks!

I have to vote yes, because I do secondary, but I am in the NO SECONDARY camp.

I don't think secondary is helpful, much less necessary, but I don't always have time to bottle. If I am bent on brewing, I move a batch to secondary, usually to re-use the yeast cake.

Im with you, I dont know why people dont use them...I leave the beer on the yeast for 3 weeks normally, then rack to secondary, I know its not absolutly necessary, its just the way Ive always done it. I normally leave it in the secondary for another 2 weeks, then cold crash for 2 days and bottle\keg
seems to work for me, but would like to know reasons\opinions for only using primary

I put no.

My real answer is sometimes. For a normal ale its still no. Just 3-4 weeks in primary then to a keg. Its just too much trouble having to rack so much. In recent years, its pretty much been accepted that the reasons homebrew books of yore suggest a secondary are pretty much moot.

My only exceptions are for really big beers that need long term bulk aging. I don't really want to age a beer for months on end on all that yeast and trub. I don't use fruit, but that would be another reason to secondary. I dry hop in the keg, but if you bottle, that would be another reason.

Thanks for the replies so far. I should have included a "Sometimes" option...dang.

I'd vote "sometimes" if it were an option, but also fall into the "It's not needed most of the time" camp. 90% of my beers aren't that big so a month in primary is just fine before hitting the bottle or keg. I had a winter warmer that spent nearly 3 months in a secondary after sitting a month in primary. Occasionally I'll move to secondary to dry hop, but even that is usually a stretch.

For me it depends on the beer. Most ales I ferment about 10 days, rack to secondary (harvesting the yeast) for 10 days, and then bottle. Some ales I don't use secondary and just primary for 2 weeks. The hydrometer is your friend. But I agree about not fermenting in the primary for more than 2 weeks. I just hate the thought of my beer fermenting on top of all that trub. Of course, I use a secondary for all of my lagers. It's usually primary for 2 weeks, secondary for 3 weeks to months.

I secondary virtually everything, although it is obviously not always necessary. I feel it works better on my system to secondary when dry hopping (occasionally even tertiary if I am using gelatin), and always feel I get cleaner tasting beer if I pull it off the trub after a couple weeks, then bulk age for a couple more.

I guess I use 'em cause I got 'em and it frees up a primary for a new brew day. Where I live temperatures can vary as much as 70-80 degrees F between nite and day in my garage so I have a chest freezer to stabilize temps. I can only fit 5 6 gallon PET primaries in it but if I rack I can squeeze 4 5 g secondaries and 2 5 g primaries.

I voted Yes, although it isn't set in stone that I will use it. As with many others on here, it depends on the beer/circumstances. I mainly use it to dryhop and or lager. If I am making a small ale I don't waste my time.

I voted no. Sure I also sometimes move to a secondary in order to harvest some yeast but that involves a different motive.

I voted yes because the yes vote was lagging.

I used to do so all the time, but for the past few years, I've only done it when necessary.
For me, "necessary" means when dry hopping.
For others, it could also mean when adding various things other than hops to the beer, or brewing high gravity beers that need bulk conditioning for prolonged times before bottling.

-a.

:rockin: I vote yes....I'm new only 3 batches under my belt. I read alot on here and asked this question. I also asked people who I know who brew. I think it's a preference thing. I do because of a few reasons. One I know it's been done that way for many many years so why fix it.....

Then I decided well you have to figure out your process. I use ecxtract kits with speciality grains. Those small pieces get in the wort and the first time I used my hop pellets with out bags...So secondary helps me with that stuff......

Also I enjoy seeing the beer and well my secondary is a Better Bottle.....while my primaries are ale pales....I know use a carboy for primary well the buckets are cheaper and I can have more beer going.....

Last and I just figured this out. I racked to secondary an irish stout with a nice cake left....now after it's been secondary I see another nice cake so I know that the stuff is falling out of my beer....

Lastly I didn't have to buy another primary this weekend to brew since I freed one up......

So I'm rockin the secondaries..........:rockin:

I voted yes. I have so far, but am going to try going without on my next batch (much to the consternation of a BJCP-certified buddy of mine, who was shocked at the idea). I'll probably keep doing it most of the time, both because I like adding spices and whatnot and to free up my primary.

No, after cold crashing the primary, clear beer goes to the keg where it can condition as needed.

Sometimes - for aging a big beer or when I need the yeast but otherwise no (I voted no).

Not usually. For lagers, of course I do. Occasionally, I want to use some oak or add ingredients in the secondary, so I will rack to a carboy to do that. I'm getting to where I even dryhop at the end of primary right in my ale pail, and don't bother to rack even for dryhopping. As a bonus, I found that it's easier to add and remove hops in an ale pail than a carboy.

In the last year, I think I've used a secondary maybe 3 times.

Thank you for the responses. I have to admit, I didn't do extensive research before posting the poll but now I see that there are a many reasons why you would want/need a secondary... I guess I'll stick to only a primary and then bottle/keg until I get more advanced. I am defiantly going to look into adding fruit extracts and spices etc. in the future.

As a new brewer, someone who prefers bigger beers, and also prefers their homebrew with a little bit more clarity I use a secondary and likely always will.

I have never even tasted my first beer other than taking sg readings. However, I primary in glass and secondary in glass and after a week with no gravity change (14 days total) I transferred it into secondary where within 24 hours the beer was significantly cleared. Now whether or not this has anything to do with anything I think it proves to me that the secondary does aid in clearing. I will continue to use a secondary unless this first batch turns out bad which I doubt will happen. I voted YES

I do because I have a (1) 6.5gal carboy and (2) 5gal carboys.
I don't like using a blow-off tube, so I always primary in the 6.5 then transfer so I can free it up for the next batch.

It also helps when I dry hop, and I've also been rinsing the yeast off my last two batches, which I just did last night!

Every beer is different. I use a secondary fermenter when appropriate (as I deem it). I also sometimes use a clearing tank for extended conditioning or for clearing a beer with stubborn yeast.

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/

Both primary only and secondary fermentation schedules have their benefits and downsides.

Another "sometimes" yes.

I voted yes. But sometimes is more like it.. The only time I use a secondary is to dry hop..

Almost always.

No, except for long term. I even dry hop in the primary. But, I am not reusing the yeast.

No...sometimes. I have an old ale sitting on bourbon-soaked oak in secondary now but most of my ales ferment in the primary for two weeks then get bottled or kegged.

So are people answering "yes" if they use them for long term storage, dry hopping etc? I'm kind of surprised at how many people are answering yes. I think a lot of people are taught the 1-2-3 rule from old homebrewing books and kit instructions, and that old habits die hard.

Edcculus said:

So are people answering "yes" if they use them for long term storage, dry hopping etc?

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I answered yes because I use them for fruit beers. But usually I don't.

billvon said:

I answered yes because I use them for fruit beers. But usually I don't.

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Yea, thats kind of what I was wondering. Is it the norm or the exception.

I'm new to homebrewing and have a few questions hopefully someone can help me out with.
What is the main reason why people use a secondary fermenter?
Is a glass carboy recommend for it? and does an airlock need to be applied?

Also for my first batch(Lager) i used a can kit, fermented for about 2 weeks and bottled. I tried my first after 3 weeks after bottling and it tastes fruity or green as i've been told.
Now I've been told to ferment for 3-4 weeks and use a secondary fermenter.
What were the Benifits of leaving it in the fermenter longer when the hydrometer says its finish?
Thanks for your time.

I personally like to get the beer off the trub. And I like to harvest and re-use my yeast. That's about the only reason I use secondaries. For me it also helps to set up a standard schedule that I can sort of formalize to say I have consistently brewed my beer in the same schedule etc.

I'll put together yeast starter to get an aggressive fermentation going in primary, leave it for a week and assuming the bubbling has stopped, I'll move it to secondary for two weeks to clear. Then cold crash for 2 days and keg. Depending on my current beer stockpile I'll either force-carb the keg or let it sit in the basement until there's room in the rotation.

Do I "have to" use the secondary? Probably not. It's just my system.

yes...to store my mixed sanitizer

I transfer some brews to an aging vessel when aging once fermentation is 100% complete and the brew is otherwise ready. I don't do it for the misconceived clarity you think you get from the transfer. I do it when I'll be aging with something that works BEST off the yeast. Or when I want to stop another flavor addition before adding another one (very rare). The vast majority of my batches simply go full term in primary before going to serving kegs.

All said and done, less than 10% of my beers ever go to another vessel, other than serving kegs, from primary. I make sure I have enough primaries to cover what I'll be brewing.

Simmo5 said:

I'm new to homebrewing and have a few questions hopefully someone can help me out with.
What is the main reason why people use a secondary fermenter?
Is a glass carboy recommend for it? and does an airlock need to be applied?

Also for my first batch(Lager) i used a can kit, fermented for about 2 weeks and bottled. I tried my first after 3 weeks after bottling and it tastes fruity or green as i've been told.
Now I've been told to ferment for 3-4 weeks and use a secondary fermenter.
What were the Benifits of leaving it in the fermenter longer when the hydrometer says its finish?
Thanks for your time.

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The main reasons to use a secondary from what I understand is for clarity and to reduce any off flavor that could be created from leaving the beer on top of yeast for so long. Personally use a secondary for every beer except for belgian whites. The main reason I do it is just for clarity and because it can't hurt much if at all. The only time I would say that I would recommend definitely using a secondary is if you're dry hopping, or doing extended fermentations (beyond 2 months). I don't think hops like yeast too much. Really it's up to you.

Also from what I understand the main reason to do an extended amount of time in the primary is if it's a high ABV beer. There are tales of people even disturbing the yeast on the bottom a bit just to keep the yeast actively fermenting. The main reason to do extended time in a secondary is if the beer has complex flavors which is usually the case with high ABV beers due to so many grains being in them, or especially with spiced beers like pumpkin or christmas ales.