When Should I transfer to secondary for High Gravity brew?

CornyKegs 728
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.
losman26

losman26

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2012
Messages
151
Reaction score
8
Location
Greenwich
I'm doing a extract clone of westvleteren 12, and the instructions for the kit say to transfer after one week and leave it in the secondary until it reaches the projected FG (6weeks-1.022). My OG was 1.110, and I just pulled a sample and it was 1.050 after 9 days. They say that the projected FG is 1.022. I made a starter using two smack packs, also the instructions say to pitch another smack pack 3 days prior to bottling.

So when should I transfer? Should I wait it out until it gets close to the FG? Or seeing that I have to pitch another smack pack prior to bottling, should I just go ahead and transfer in a couple of days?

Thanks
 
If you transfer before you hit your target gravity, odds are good you'll stall your ferment and never hit it.

I'd use something like T-58 at bottling instead of wasting another smack pack. Seems like a waste of money, and T-58 is great for bottle conditioning.
 
losman26 said:
I'm doing a extract clone of westvleteren 12, and the instructions for the kit say to transfer after one week and leave it in the secondary until it reaches the projected FG (6weeks-1.022). My OG was 1.110, and I just pulled a sample and it was 1.050 after 9 days. They say that the projected FG is 1.022. I made a starter using two smack packs, also the instructions say to pitch another smack pack 3 days prior to bottling.

So when should I transfer? Should I wait it out until it gets close to the FG? Or seeing that I have to pitch another smack pack prior to bottling, should I just go ahead and transfer in a couple of days?

Thanks
Click to expand...

On a beer that big, I'd go three weeks minimum with 4 being better still in the primary. If it were my beer, I'd never secondary it, as I don't see the need.
 
I let a 1.102 gravity Russian Imperial Stout sit in the primary (nasty primary too, exploded violently during fermentation) for 8 weeks. I kegged it the other weekend. Tasted great, though still a little bit hot and rough around the edges. It will age for another 3 or 4 months before the next sample is taken.

No secondary.
 

Similar threads

H
Yeast starter not starting
Replies
16
Views
1K
HB2112
H
M
Can/Should I add yeast to secondary fermentation
Replies
12
Views
1K
Metwerks
M
Zippy123
Scottish Wee Heavy stuck fermentation or high FG?
Replies
17
Views
928
Zippy123
Zippy123
F
Transferred to secondary too soon. Dump it?
Replies
10
Views
797
WesBrew
WesBrew
D
Stuck fermentation on an imperial stout
Replies
22
Views
696
G_robertus
G
Williams Brewing 300

Latest posts

Back
Top