I currently am fermenting a sierra nevada pale ale clone and it has been in my 5 gallon carboy now for a week. I am pretty sure its is done fermenting. My question is should I buy a secondary fermenter or just transfer my beer from the carboy into the bottling bucket and wait another week and transfer it strait to the bottle? If you could give me your input that would be great. Duffman
secondary fermention or not?
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Use your bottling bucket. My original starter kit had a primary & a bottling bucket. If you see a huge amount of trub in the bottling bucket in a week, make another transfer before bottling. You probably won't.
Baron von BeeGee
Beer Bully
You could also transfer it to the bottling bucket, clean/sanitize the carboy, and then transfer it back to the carboy. You're going to need the bottling bucket for bottling anyways. Just be extra careful with sanitation and to not oxygenate the beer in any way.
Thanks David, my first batch was really murky and I really wanted to make sure this batch was perfect. In my first batch I only used a bucket as my primary fermentor, so I decided to buy a carboy to purify my beer and make it more clear this time. I hope it works! Cheers -Duffman
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Unless you are making a hefe weizen I would always recommend a secondary. 
Lounge Lizard
Well-Known Member
This looks like a good thread to ask a question that I haven't been able to find an answer to. It ties in with duffman's too.
Since a secondary is not really for secondary fermentation purposes, it's just a way to condition and get the beer off the trub, what protects the beer from all the oxygen in the secondary?
I understand that you want a secondary container that is only slightly larger than the amount of beer you are making, Still, there is going to be oxygen of varying amounts in the secondary depending on the size of it.
If there is such a thing as food grade dry ice (CO2), it would seem smart to toss a small chunk into the secondary before putting the air lock in place.
What say ye?
Since a secondary is not really for secondary fermentation purposes, it's just a way to condition and get the beer off the trub, what protects the beer from all the oxygen in the secondary?
I understand that you want a secondary container that is only slightly larger than the amount of beer you are making, Still, there is going to be oxygen of varying amounts in the secondary depending on the size of it.
If there is such a thing as food grade dry ice (CO2), it would seem smart to toss a small chunk into the secondary before putting the air lock in place.
What say ye?
Lounge Lizard said:
I wouldn't bother with any dry ice or any gimmicks, personally.
Once you rack over, the yeast will still continue to produce CO2, albeit at a much smaller rate. Being that CO2 is heavier than oxygen, it will force the O2 out of the carboy quick enough to not let anything harm the beer.
Besides, at that point, the alc. content is high enough that it scares (or kills) any nasties off.
TSac
Member
I've always used a secondary carboy to condition and reduce sediment in the bottles. It only cost $20 from my local brew store, definitely worth it.
BeeGee said:
Would I be oxygenating my beer by tranfering it to a bottling bucket? I plan on putting the lid on it right after it is transfered but will that expose it to to much oxygen?
Also do you think that I need to put it into a secondary fermentor or is the bucket okay. I am supposed to add some finishing hops to the brew and would think that it would be bad to leave the hops in the bucket when I go to bottle the beer. Should I buy a secondary fermentor and then transfer it to the bucket? Thanks for your input -Duffman
anthrobe
Well-Known Member
duffman said:
IMHO I would just go out and buy a secondary carboy, especially if you are going to hop the secondary. It will be a good investment and your beers will definately improve as mine did.
If you transfer carefully, you shouldn't expose the the ale to excessive O2. Don't splash, that's the trick. The secondary allows the yeast to do some cleanup of growth products as well as settling out. You could filter from the primary to the bottling bucket, but this is a bit of a hassle for most homebrewers.
Rhoobarb
Well-Known Member
ORRELSE said:
Agreed!
TSac said:
Agreed!
Lounge Lizard
Well-Known Member
ORRELSE said:
Thanks. I'll definitely use a glass carboy secondary with my next batch. My first batch (Coopers Lager) bottled up nice and clear without the extra step, but I can see how conditioning would have made a difference. I may now have bottles with slightly different characteristics. Not that a kit like I used produces all that great of a beer to begin with.
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