Aeration when going into secondary

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ERASMO

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I am getting ready to rack into a glass carboy a brewers best belgian triple and had a question. I just received some oxygen aeration equipment and wanted to aerate the wort. Would it be ok to aerate after I transfer into the secondary?

Also I have a 5 gal and a 6 gal glass carboy. Which would I be better off using for secondary? I was thinking the 6 gal because it would give me more head space for any foaming.

Thanks
 
Do you want your beer to taste like wet cardboard????

After fermentation is complete, you want to minimize oxygen exposure, not increase it. Adding more will cause the beer to oxydize, and be ruined.

If you want to play with your new toy, go fill an ale pail with water and blow bubbles in that with your wand. Add a little starsan and you will really have fun!:D
 
+1 on NOT increasing oxygen after fermentation is complete. You need to be careful to not introduce any oxygen when you rack, just make sure your not splashing the wort (use a auto siphon).

To answer your question on which size is best for secondary, the 5 gallon one is if you are making 5 gallon batches. The reason is, in your secondary you want minimal headspace so there isn't any oxygen inside your carboy. You won't have to worry about "foam" in secondary, because fermentation is basically completed... so it wont be creating "foam". Your 6 gallon one is great to use a primary for 5 gallon batches, but if its a big beer be sure to use a blow off tube.
 
I'm so confused. Has this beer fermented in the primary and is now moving to the secondary? If so then DO NOT add oxygen and use the smaller carboy.

If your moving undermentioned wort from the brew pot to the secondary, then your using the wrong term and you should add oxygen and use the larger carboy.

Which one is it?
 
SORRY

My instructions say to rack into secondary before fermentation has completely stopped. So I was thinking if fermentation is still occuring maybe it needed a little more o2.

I will not!

Thanks for the replies
 
No need to apologize :) Most of those kit instructions are going to be different than what most people will recommend on this site. The majority will say its best to just leave it in the primary for 3-4 weeks, not even using a secondary. And that if you do secondary, you should be sure fermentation is complete.

But there isn't a wrong/correct way to do everything when it comes to brewing. That is the art behind it, and why each time you brew its a unique experience. All those little aspects that can be changed, will effect the outcome of the beer in the end so that is half the fun, experimenting!
 
Whats your OG? Although the kit says rack before its done, if you have a high OG, you would benefit from leaving it on the primary yeast for longer.

This reminds me of a funny story. When I first started brewing, I thought that for some reason you wanted to knock the residual CO2 out when racking. I would hold the siphon well above the level of the liquid in the receiving vessel and swish it around. I had some great cardboard beer for a couple batches!
 
I don't know of anyone who would recommend moving to secondary before its done fermenting. I think that is for the people who want to drink their beer 2 weeks after pitching yeast! Let it sit in primary for at least a week before you even touch/open it.
 
Thanks again for all the input.

Here is the section of the instructions -- just so you can see.

Two-Stage (Secondary) Fermentation
Brewer’s Best® recommends home brewers
employ the practice of a two-stage fermentation.
This will allow your fi nished beer to have
more clarity and an overall better, purer fl avor.
All you need is a 5-gallon carboy, drilled stopper,
airlock and siphon setup to transfer the
beer. You will also need to monitor and record
the SG with your hydrometer when the beer is
in the ‘primary’. When the fermentation slows
(5-7 days), but before it completes, simply
transfer the beer into the carboy and allow fermentation
to fi nish in the ‘secondary’. Leave
the beer for about two weeks and then proceed
to Bottling Day.
 
ERASMO said:
Thanks again for all the input.

Here is the section of the instructions -- just so you can see.

Two-Stage (Secondary) Fermentation
Brewer’s Best® recommends home brewers
employ the practice of a two-stage fermentation.
This will allow your fi nished beer to have
more clarity and an overall better, purer fl avor.
All you need is a 5-gallon carboy, drilled stopper,
airlock and siphon setup to transfer the
beer. You will also need to monitor and record
the SG with your hydrometer when the beer is
in the ‘primary’. When the fermentation slows
(5-7 days), but before it completes, simply
transfer the beer into the carboy and allow fermentation
to fi nish in the ‘secondary’. Leave
the beer for about two weeks and then proceed
to Bottling Day.
Click to expand...

My first brew (which I did 5 weeks ago) was a Brewers Best. It was a holiday Ale, big beer.. OG of like 1.070. Although the instructions were pretty decent for the most part... I followed that section you just pointed out to a T. I racked 6 days in, left it site for about another 10 days then I bottled it.

Now from what Ive read on this site, I should have easily let it sit int he primary for 3-4 weeks, especially since its a big complex beer.

I've been trying my beer each week as its carbonating, and its not horrible by any means but its pretty sweet. I believe it could have fermented longer and aged... and it would have been better. But you live and learn!
 
ERASMO said:
Thanks again for all the input.

Here is the section of the instructions -- just so you can see.

Two-Stage (Secondary) Fermentation
Brewer’s Best® recommends home brewers
employ the practice of a two-stage fermentation.
This will allow your fi nished beer to have
more clarity and an overall better, purer fl avor.
All you need is a 5-gallon carboy, drilled stopper,
airlock and siphon setup to transfer the
beer. You will also need to monitor and record
the SG with your hydrometer when the beer is
in the ‘primary’. When the fermentation slows
(5-7 days), but before it completes, simply
transfer the beer into the carboy and allow fermentation
to fi nish in the ‘secondary’. Leave
the beer for about two weeks and then proceed
to Bottling Day.
Click to expand...

Just like in that movie where Robin Williams plays the English teacher: Rip that page out and throw it away! RIP IT OUT!

Actual you can do all that and make great beer. But you don't have to the beer may even better if you just leave it in the primary till it's done and go straight to the bottle.
 
ERASMO said:
SORRY

My instructions say to rack into secondary before fermentation has completely stopped. So I was thinking if fermentation is still occuring maybe it needed a little more o2.

I will not!

Thanks for the replies
Click to expand...

Do not introduce oxygen back into it. I think the kit was referencing it is OK to transfer to secondary when fermentation is not absolutely complete.
 
There is nothing wrong with transferring before fermentation completes. This will get the beer off the majority of the trub while still transferring most of the yeast. It's much more of a pain, since you have to monitor the fermentation much closer, and there's not been shown to be much benefit, but it won't cause any problems, either.
 

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