Question and introduction

Let me preface this by saying I read the FAQ and a lot of the topics on the board and really haven’t found the answer to my question. I am also just really excited about brewing and it seems like the regulars here are too so I just wanted to make an introductory thread of sorts to A. introduce myself and B. get this question asked.

A. So basically I’m a 28 year old father to be running a restaurant and get to use all the cool equipment here to make my product. I’m also pretty handy (can sweat pipes, use tools, run electric) so if anyone has any cool project ideas I will gladly take those. I’m pretty into cooking/recipes and enjoy drinking more than eating so this is right up my alley. All in all I’m just pretty excited about brewing in general and have done so much research in the past 9 days in the fermenter that I am driving my lady nuts so I figure you guys here are probably in the same boat as me.

B. For Christmas I received a starter brew kit (7 gallon bucket with the spicket and a 6.5 glass carboy and all the other junk that comes with such kits) Made my first batch and am getting ready to go into the secondary with it. From what I have read here a lot of you are down on going to the secondary and I was wondering for what reasons? (a lot of people are just saying to skip it from what I read but never really stated why)

Right now the beer tastes good and all the readings are spot on, its just a little yeasty and just a little hazy so I figured the sit time in the carboy should be a good thing. (It’s a dark porter by the way)

The main reason I want to go to the carboy is so I can make another batch. I have only 1 bucket so I figure why clean/sanitize it just to let it sit till bottling... might as well make another one while the first is chilling(figuratively not literally) in the carboy and make use of this freshly clean/sanitized bucket.

I am also thinking of kegging eventually. I have access to free kegs so, I mean, why shouldn’t I is what I figure. But right now I’m going to stick to bottles since I have made all my employees pour all bottled beer into glasses so I have a ready supply of bottles.

Cliff notes- why shouldn’t I go into the carboy basically?

6.5 gallon carboy is a primary. So, you're already ready to start a new batch. Leave batch one on the yeast cake. Just buy a new bottling bucket. You'll have 2 primaries, and a bucket, and brew twice as often.

The main reason I want to go to the carboy is so I can make another batch. I have only 1 bucket so I figure why clean/sanitize it just to let it sit till bottling...

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That's one reason some do rack the beer into another vessel. Rack away. I would leave it in the bucket for 2 weeks total before doing so though.

Many of us don't secondary because it really isn't necessary and is an extra step. Some occasions will require a secondary (dry hopping, adding fruit/spices, or a long fermentation/conditioning). I usually just leave in the primary for 3-4 weeks and rack from there. If (the big IF....) your beer has reached it's final gravity, meaning that the hydrometer readings are consistent for 3 straight days, than you can move your beer to the secondary. Your just starting out, so the juggling of your fermenters is a common problem. The seven gallon bucket sounds like it is actually a bottling bucket. Some use them for fermentation, but I prefer to leave it for it's purpose, bottling. The carboy with the kit was probably designed to be your primary fermenter. No biggie.

I would buy a 6.5 gallon Better Bottle or carboy. Then buy a spigot from your LHBS and turn ur bucket into a bottling bucket. You said you were handy with tools so that's an easy project.

Sometimes a little extra time on the yeast cake can clean up some off flavors and turn a good beer into a great beer. I think the consensus is at least 2 weeks even if active fermentation is done. I've just gone with having 2 fermenters and stagger my brew weekends. Its way too much fun to be limited to one fermenter.

Btw I know exactly what you mean by the wife getting sick of listening to you. Mine rolls her eyes and gets a vacant look every time I start talking about it. She does like the fact that I can give it away to her relatives during holidays and stuff though. I think shell enjoy it more when she's not pregnant and can take part in my final product (she told me she was pregnant the week before my first batch was done lol)

The bucket I am using as the fermenter is indeed a bottling bucket. The 2 stage brewing steps that came with my kit said to use it as the fermenter then switch to a carboy, then back to the bucket add the sugar and bottle away.

What you are saying is to use the carboy as the primary? and what use a china cap on top of a funnel to get it from big ass pot to little ass jar opening? I used the clothe thing that came with the kit at first but after it fell in twice and I had to resanitze everything twice I said f- that and just used a real nice china cap to do my straining in.

I also have all these gallon glass jugs that I have turned into mini-carboys for the sake of making a batch of Hef, then breaking it down into smaller test batches and test to see how much of what fruit does what to the beer (while keeping 1 gallon strictly Hef as my control)

My lady loves the Hefs, so I figure I will get one going so when she pops out my son I can give her some of this beer she doesnt want to hear about so I can stop getting the stink face

Russonomics said:

The bucket I am using as the fermenter is indeed a bottling bucket. The 2 stage brewing steps that came with my kit said to use it as the fermenter then switch to a carboy, then back to the bucket add the sugar and bottle away.

What you are saying is to use the carboy as the primary? and what use a china cap on top of a funnel to get it from big ass pot to little ass jar opening? I used the clothe thing that came with the kit at first but after it fell in twice and I had to resanitze everything twice I said f- that and just used a real nice china cap to do my straining in.

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You don't need to strain it. Just sanitize a large funnel and dump the whole pot (after the wort has been cooled) into the carboy. The more spash in the bottle the better, as you'll aerate you wort in the process.

A big strainer works nicely for aerating the wort, and it filters out the hops.

Russonomics, splitting your batch up will be great for testing your Hefs. More work on bottling day, but well worth figuring out which batches you'll want to repeat.

For about $15 you can get a 6 1/2 gallon fermenter bucket with lid and about another $2 for an airlock. Now you can have one brewing in the carboy and one it the bucket and still have the bottling bucket available to use for either one.

Russonomics said:

I also have all these gallon glass jugs that I have turned into mini-carboys for the sake of making a batch of Hef, then breaking it down into smaller test batches and test to see how much of what fruit does what to the beer (while keeping 1 gallon strictly Hef as my control)

My lady loves the Hefs, so I figure I will get one going so when she pops out my son I can give her some of this beer she doesnt want to hear about so I can stop getting the stink face

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Lol yep sounds exactly like what I've got going on at home. I already asked what kind of fruit beers she wants me to have ready when she can drink again and she's suggested cherry and blueberry. Going to be making those as soon as I find a good price on the fruit at the store. I've thought about doing what you are and get a couple smaller secondaries so I can make one base beer and turn it into two different fruit beers.