Secondary

Sorry if this has been covered. I'm rather inexperienced. I'm brewing a Hefe that is normally ready for bottling in 10 days. If I want to do a secondary rack can I siphon it into the bottling bucket, clean the primary bucket and then siphon it back in? What would be the advantage of this and how long should I leave it in there before bottling?

Thanks.

illini88 said:

Sorry if this has been covered. I'm rather inexperienced. I'm brewing a Hefe that is normally ready for bottling in 10 days. If I want to do a secondary rack can I siphon it into the bottling bucket, clean the primary bucket and then siphon it back in? What would be the advantage of this and how long should I leave it in there before bottling?

Thanks.

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While racking to a secondary and letting condtion to clarify is a great discipline, many on this forum will suggest a hefe can go straight to the bottling bucket once fermentation is complete.

Secondary is usedd to help the beer get more clear and the hefe's and other wheats get their flavors and unique appearance from being a bit cloudy.

You're the second to tell me the exact same thing.

Then I can be the third!

A hefe is a good example of a beer that will not benefit from a secondary. In fact, some will go as far as to say that you put that beer at risk of damage by putting a hefe in a secondary, and there is definitely some truth to this (e.g., oxidation).

I personally can't think of any good reasons for doing it, and I never have for my hefes. All have turned out very well without a secondary.