How Does a Late Transfer to Secondary Vessel Effect Fermentation

I have a batch of Amber Ale which we have recently brewed. It has been fermenting in a fermentation bucket now for 4 weeks. I just checked the instructions and it was supposed to be transferred to a secondary vessel after 1-2 weeks, and then fermented in that from 2-4 weeks. If I am to transfer this batch tonight, how long do I now keep this batch to ferment in the secondary?

No need to transfer to secondary at this point. Most likely the beer has finished fermenting and can be bottled.

Secondary isn't necessary. After 4 weeks I'd say it's ready.

To answer the question in your title, not very much. As mentioned, you have likely fermented all you can at this point. I guess you are not using a hydrometer or refractomoter, so if you are just brewing a standard strength beer, you are probably at the point of bottling.

If you don't have a hydrometer,get one. It's the best way to know when the beer is at FG. Short of waiting a month or more to make sure. But at this point see if it's clearing nicely. If so,then I agree it's likely ready to bottle.

Yes, you beer is likely ready for bottling at this point. Concerning the secondary, many people will ferment only in a primary, never using a secondary unless you have particular reason ( dry hopping, etc). So no worries there! Just try to rack it off to bottle in way that least disturbs the sediment at the bottom.

Fermentation is likely long done at this point.

Secondaries are not at all necessary, unless you are doing fruit, oak, etc additions.

I do secondary all of my beers, but I do so to free up my primary, and to give myself a safety net against getting trub in my bottling bucket.

You're not going to change the beer either way.

I've been busy traveling, etc. and I plan to move the batch after a month in the first fermenter to a secondary so I can dry hop it. (I'm doing Dennys Rye IPA from an extract kit)

It's still sitting at ALE temps but I knwo the fermentation has stopped.

The time lag shouldn't mess things up too much should it?

You opinions are welcome.

thanks

You should be fine. Also no reason to use secondary really. I've been dry hopping in the primary with good results and a cold crash before bottling.

Adaman05 said:

You should be fine. Also no reason to use secondary really. I've been dry hopping in the primary with good results and a cold crash before bottling.

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Huh??

Your instructions suck. Dont listen to them.

I was still planning to expose it to some more hops in a secondary vessel.

Have I missed my moment??

i hope not

You have not. If you really want to secondary to dry hop you can, but what Adaman05 was saying was that you can just go ahead an dry hop in primary. I've done it many times with no issues.

As for cold crashing, that just means that you reduce the temperature to close to freezing for a day or two before bottling to try to compact the trub to get less in the bottles. I've never done it but I was thinking of doing it for my pale ale that I'm dry hopping now just to see how it affects it.

mtnagel said:

You have not. If you really want to secondary to dry hop you can, but what Adaman05 was saying was that you can just go ahead an dry hop in primary. I've done it many times with no issues.

As for cold crashing, that just means that you reduce the temperature to close to freezing for a day or two before bottling to try to compact the trub to get less in the bottles. I've never done it but I was thinking of doing it for my pale ale that I'm dry hopping now just to see how it affects it.

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Yeah, you can just throw your dry hops in the primary. I cold crash my pale ales as I typically dry hop pales with 3 ounces of dry hops. Cold temps for a few days does wonders to drop out all that hop trub to the bottom.

While I have the attention of a cold crasher )), do you do it at the end of the dry hop period or add it at the end of the dry hop period?

mtnagel said:

While I have the attention of a cold crasher )), do you do it at the end of the dry hop period or add it at the end of the dry hop period?

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My last dry hop was 10 days. I did 8 days at room temp, and the last two in the fridge. My current dry hop will be 7 days - 5 room temp and 2 in the fridge.

Cool thanks.

I cold crashed for almost 2 weeks. (just got too busy) and bottleed last night.

The beer appeared clearer in the tubing than previous batches. Could just be me. But I poured a small glass from the bottom of the bottling bucket and it looked and tasted great.

The real test in 2 weeks.

I bottled about 10 days ago. Left it sitting at room temp or so for a week then into the fridge. It's scheduled to come out on Wed for serving but I wanted one early. No fffssh upon opening and no bubbles or head when poured.
I fear the worst. Taste is okay. But no head. Does it really need the whole 2 Weeks per the instructions? I added sugar (dissolved and boiled) to the bottling bucket then siphoned my beer from the carboy and started bottling. It was pretty mixed from the siphoning so I usually don't bother with stirring.

Any ideas??

Thanks
Buddy

CBUDGO said:

I bottled about 10 days ago.

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Your problem has nothing to do with this thread, your beer's not carbed because you only bottled 10 days ago.


The 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer. Beers stored cooler than 70, take longer.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.


Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

Carbing is foolproof. You add the right amount of sugar, leave it at the right temp, and it will carb. We're not making coolaid...it takes as long as it needs to.

If a beer isn't carbed by "x number of weeks" you just have to give them more time. If you added your sugar, then the beer will carb up eventually, it's really a foolroof process. All beers will carb up eventually. A lot of new brewers think they have to "troubleshoot" a bottling issue, when there really is none, the beer knows how to carb itself. In fact if you run beersmiths carbing calculator, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.or, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.

Tottaly my bad on the hijacked post. I thought this was one I started last month. I just grabbed the wrong one.

So I'll pull my bottles from the fridge and get em back to 70 ish degrees and wait some more.

Thanks again.

CBUDGO said:

Tottaly my bad on the hijacked post. I thought this was one I started last month. I just grabbed the wrong one.

So I'll pull my bottles from the fridge and get em back to 70 ish degrees and wait some more.

Thanks again.

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No prob,,

After about a week in the warmth, give them a bit of a shake. That will give the yeast a chance to get off the surface and start working again.