secondary fermentation

I am doing a secondary fermentation for the first time. When siphoning from the primary, I still want to leave the last inch and/or trub behind, right?

nolabrew85 said:

I am doing a secondary fermentation for the first time. When siphoning from the primary, I still want to leave the last inch and/or trub behind, right?

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Yes and secondary fermentation is a misnomer as there should be no further fermentation occurring. It is really a bright tank for clearing the beer and bulk conditioning.

Is the same true about the lack of continuing fermentation when you add fruit puree to your secondary since you are introducing more sugar for the remainin suspended yeast to consume? I used a little less malt because I was adding sugar later and then put in secondary after 4 days in primary.

nolabrew85 said:

Is the same true about the lack of continuing fermentation when you add fruit puree to your secondary since you are introducing more sugar for the remainin suspended yeast to consume? I used a little less malt because I was adding sugar later and then put in secondary after 4 days in primary.

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In that case, if you are adding additional fermentable then fermentation would in fact take place although, technically at only 4 days primary, initial fermentation has not been complete so you really are just continuing in a second vessel. I'm sure someone else will chime in.....

Thanks

Yep, adding more fermentables in the secondary is going to cause...... a secondary fermentation!

Dun dun dunnnnnn......

You're both correct. Leave the trub behind. You will have enough yeast in suspension from accidental movements and swipes of the trub from your racking cane for a secondary fermentation. Even after the primary fermentation has finished, there is still some fermentation continuing as the yeasts will begin to feast on fusel alcohols and diacetyl they created during their first feast. That's why giving your beer a nice diacetyl rest for a few days (or in my case, a week) will do your finished beer a world of good as the yeasts convert those primary alcohols into more flavorful esters and ethanol.

Thanks man. I never new that about the diacetyl rest. I usually let it rest for a while after before bottling but thought I was just letting it settle a bit.