Question about secondary fermentation from newbee brewer

I received a 6 gallon Mr beer several years ago (15 maybe?) and never used it. My friend who is just getting started brewing is starting with an all grain, three stage, 10 gallon batch. A very impressive looking system ona rolling stand with 3 stainless steel pots linked via valves and tubing and 3 propane burners along with a stainless cone bottom fermentor and a glass car-boy. This has inspired me to break out my Mr Beer and start brewing. The idea was for me to use the simple Mr. Beer method and for him to use his much more involved process and see how they compared. My intention was to remain true to the original Mr beer instructions and methods as possible. The can mix included in the kit was old and bulged out, so I bought a new can of Coopers Real Ale and 2 lbs of light malt extract syrup. After a little research I decided that I wanted to do a secondary fermentation. I broke down and purchased a 6 gallon brewing bucket and quite a bit of extra equipment including a hygrometer, some iodophor, a second airlock, some bottle caps (the Mr Beer kit included about 5 or 6, 2 qt PET plastic bottles to bottle the beer), a racking tube, a bottle filler tube, some stick on thermometers, a digital thermometer, a 20 qt. stainless stain brew pot, an aeration stone for aquariums, and some bottled O2 ( I already had this on hand) to airate the wort prior to pitching the yeast. So I have strayed quite a bit form the original plan, but neither of us will care as long as the beer turns out good...right? So I brewed my fist batch a 2 days ago and it has been happily bubbling away in the closet at 70 F.

My intention at this point is to rack the brew into the original 6 gallon Mr Beer fermentor (a 6 gallon clear PET plastic container with an airlock, not the brown keg shaped one) and let it sit there for awhile clearing and conditioning. Mr question is this: will there be too much airspace in a 6 gallon container for a 5 gallon brew? Should I consider putting a blanket of CO2 on the top? I have been advised by someone at Wine Craft in Roswell, GA to rack the beer after primary fermenting for just 2 or 3 days so that the beer will ferment more and produce a layer of protective CO2 in the secondary fermentor. After reading some of the advice here I am more inclined to let it sit in the primary fermentor for more than a week or 2 and then rack it to the secondary fermentor for conditioning. Everything is going so well right now I would hate to mess it up. Please advise.

You'll get several responses for this, which is good, because then you can compare. I would leave it on the yeast for 7-8 days. If it is exceptionally easy, I would shoot a little C02 into the secondary before I racked it, if not, don't worry about it. I would leave it in the secondary for 1 month, then bottle. Let us know what you decide to do. Luck - Dwain

it's fine to use a 6 gallon to ferment 5 gallons. I leave the beer in the primary for at least 3 weeks, there is no need for a secondary unless you plan on adding flavoring or dry hopping. after 3-4 weeks i keg or bottle and allow the bottles to condition for 3 weeks. IMO

We get asked this 50 times a day, rather than re-invent the wheel, I pretty much sum everything up, all the arguments here, with all the links, to allow you to make up your own mind, as to what you want to try first. Because the only true way, rather than our opinions, is to try it over multiple batches, and figure out what method you prefer.

Ultimately it is all about your process as a brewer. All methods work, and all methods have the potential to make great beer.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/multiple-questions-about-secondary-fermentation-140978/#post1601829

The only thing that really matters is letting the beer reach it's final gravity, the rest is up to what you believe. .

Many of us believe our beer is better after a month in primary...I have judging scores on my beers that back me up in my reasons, plus the citations of Palmer, which are in the other links.Others have different experiences.

There's an old saying in brewing, "ask 10 brewers a question, and you will get 12 different answers."

You'll have to do your reading, and try it different ways, and come to your own process conclusions on your own.

Have fun exploring and coming to your own conclusions.

DO NOT RACK IT YET. If its only been fermenting a couple days, you're not ready. Its not 'secondary fermentation'. Its just 'secondary'. No fermentation should happen in secondary, so just leave it until your hydrometer readings show you that the beer is done fermenting.

Its better to go a little long in primary than too short.

malkore said:

DO NOT RACK IT YET. If its only been fermenting a couple days, you're not ready. Its not 'secondary fermentation'. Its just 'secondary'. No fermentation should happen in secondary, so just leave it until your hydrometer readings show you that the beer is done fermenting.

Its better to go a little long in primary than too short.

Click to expand...

+ 1000!!!!!!

Thanks for all the advice. I especially like the 12 opinions for every 10 brewers advice. I have found that to be right on the money. After reading this and doing even more research I am leaning toward not using a secondary at all. It seems as if many experienced brewers who have used one eventually go the route of bottling straight from the primary. This of course frees up my 6 gallaon Mr. Beer fermentor to start my second batch which can only be a good thing...right?

I have everything I need to do 2 more 5-gallon batches. (I am still using hopped malt extract "kits" or cans with the yeast on the top of the can.) One is a Brown Ale and I am going to use 2 lbs of honey instead of malt. My plan is to pastuerize the honey first, to kill anything devestating to the fermentation, while supposedly keeping the essential properties/flavors of the honey and adding it to the wort just at flame out. The other is a Wheat/Hefeweizen from Edme and I am going to use DME with that. The can instructions say to use 2.75 lbs of DME, that seems like a lot to me. I used 2 lbs of malt syrup in my first brew. Do wheat beers need more sugar?

Not sure about the included yeast in either of these kits. (My first was Cooper Real Ale and it had 7g of Coppers yeast under the lid.) I have a 14g packet of Coopers I could use for either of these kits.

Back to my first batch, which is on it's 5th day of fermentation and is still bubbling away at about 1 bubble every min or so. When should I check an SG reading and is it really that important to do it until after I leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks? At this point I am content to let it sit undisturbed since everything seems to be going well. Will I learn something from an SG reading that will make me do anything different now?

Thanks again for everyone's help. I know I ask a lot of questions here, but you guys seem to have all the answers. If I could invite you all over for a beer...I would.