How to accomplish 2-stage fermentation

I've done two beers so far - an IPA and an Irish Red Ale - both beginner brews and my kit with glass carboy and plastic bottling bucket has sufficed. Now, I'm interested in doing more advanced beers such as a Belgian Dubbel that call for 2-stage fermentation. So, my question is: can I do this with what I have i.e. 6-gallon glass carboy and 7 gallon bottling bucket. If so, what is the best approach. If not, do I need another carboy?

Thanks

It's not really "2-stage fermentation", and you don't really "need" a secondary tank, but it helps. The term "secondary fermenter" is a misnomer actually. There's really no fermentation going on in the secondary vessel. It just allows for some bulk conditioning, as well as for more solids to fall out of suspension resulting in clearer beer. But even a belgian dubbel can be done without a secondary.

If you were to secondary in your bottling bucket, then once you added your priming solution and stirred the beer, it would rouse all the sediment that had been falling out of suspension and cloudy up your beer again. You COULD do it without any extra equipment, but there'd be one extra racking step, which increases your chances of oxidation and contamination. But it could be done:

1. Primary fermentation in carboy for 7-10 days or whenever gravity stops dropping.
2. Rack to bottling bucket, age for 2 weeks or more.
3. Rack back to original sanitized carboy leaving the settled trub in the bottom of the bucket.
4. Clean and sanitize the bucket, add cooled priming solution, rack beer from carboy back into bottling bucket for bottling.

It's kind of a roundabout way, but it'd work. Ideally, you should have a dozen carboys and/or buckets, like I do.

You could perform your primary in the plastic bucket. Then to the carboy for "secondary" and then back the plastic bucket with the priming solution for bottling. I am still new to this so correct me if I am missing something.

Good Luck.

-Ron

That's what I usually do Hefe. It's much easier to clean all of the primary fermentation sediment from the bottom of a plastic bucket than it is from the inside of a glass carboy. As Evan said though, every time you rack the beer, you expose it to infection but as long as you're careful and use proper sanitation procedures, you shouldn't run into much trouble.

eurc51 said:

I've done two beers so far - an IPA and an Irish Red Ale - both beginner brews and my kit with glass carboy and plastic bottling bucket has sufficed. Now, I'm interested in doing more advanced beers such as a Belgian Dubbel that call for 2-stage fermentation. So, my question is: can I do this with what I have i.e. 6-gallon glass carboy and 7 gallon bottling bucket. If so, what is the best approach. If not, do I need another carboy?

Thanks

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Belgian Dubbels do not use a 2-stage fermentation. However most big beers benefit from extended conditioning and clearing in a "secondary". It is not required but may produce better results with big beers.
I tend to think you need another carboy or fermentation bucket or 2 so that you can have more than one batch brewing at a time. Your normal strength beers should spend about 3 weeks in a fermenter before bottling, big beers can benefit from an extra month or so in a secondary. With multiple fermenters you can brew more often and build up a stash of beer so you can allow your beers to properly condition in the bottle.
Craig