Do you still secondary ferment before you keg?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

dtduffy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2009
Messages
53
Reaction score
1
Location
Reno
I just got my kegging setup ready to go. I normally do a 1 week secondary before I bottle. Should I still do the same before I keg?
 
Personal preference. I've quit doing secondaries, and have kegged from day one. For most of the ales I make I do 3 weeks primary, then 1-2 weeks to carb up in the keg, kind of like doing a secondary I guess, and then I pour off the first pint.
 
I'm a proponent of secondaries. Crash cool or not, I believe it really helps knock the last bits of yeast, etc. out of suspension, resulting in clearer beer and cleaner kegs/bottles. I usually try to do longer secondaries, but will do a short one in a pinch - like I mentioned - to get the beer to clear up.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I think I'll keep with my secondary process for now. My beers are coming out super clear and I'd like to make sure that keeps happening.
 
I skip the secondary. I usually leave my beer in primary for around 3 weeks and then rack to the keg. I shortened the dip tubes on my kegs just a little and I let them carb at serving pressure for 2-3 weeks in the kegorator before serving. By then everything has settled to the bottom and I get crystal clear beer. I might get one beer less per keg by doing that but I can live with that.
 
I always 2ndry simply becasue I never know when I will get around to bottle or keg, and I only have one 6.5 gal. fermenter for primary.
 
Only if it is neccessary. I.e., fruit beers, dry hopping, or something I want to be really clear.
 
3-4 week primary, 3 day crash cool, then to keg.

I will bottle about a gallon or so after a few weeks in the kegerator.
 
For those talking about clarity, it really depends on how well you can rack with no sediment transfer.

When I first started, I did the auto siphon held by hand and always got a little trub. Then switching to the dual port carboy cap that holds the cane relatively still and at the same height, the amount of trub transferred out of primary was greatly reduced. Now I ferment in kegs and use a brewers hardware sanke fermenter that does not move at all. I just racked a jalapeno ale that sat in primary for a month and a half, and it was crystal clear straight out of primary.

If you're not making secondary additions, don't need to free up your fermenter, and have a good system for sediment free racking, I don't see a need for secondary.
 
Thanks for all of the comments. I'm kegging tomorrow for the first time. Wish me luck!
 
Back
Top