Secondary Fermentation

ElevatorAssassin said:

Hello,

I boiled my second batch, an American Pale Ale, about three weeks ago, left it in the primary fermenter for a week and then racked it to a secondary. The primary was pretty active for about three days and then slowed down. Now, nearly two weeks have passed, yet I can still see bubbles rising if I shine a light on the brew. The airlock bubbles only once a minute, if even that, but I'm just wondering if this is normal for a secondary fermentation?

The gravity reading is about 1.017, and it smells awesome, but should I wait for the bubbles to stop and the beer to clear before bottling?

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ifishsum said:

I would wait...it sounds like you have a slow finisher, probably because it was racked to secondary before it was finished. Most kit directions say to move to secondary after one week, but that's not always the best course. The whole purpose of a secondary is to let the beer age and clear, there really is not supposed to be any fermentation going on there. So yes, wait until it clears up. What was the gravity before you transferred it?

I always wait at least 10 days (usually 14) before transferring to secondary, and always check the gravity first. If it's not at the FG it's supposed to be, it stays in primary until it won't drop any further. Once I put it into the secondary, it usually clears in about a week and by the second or third day there, there is no airlock movement at all.

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MNBugeater said:

You will find alot of people don't even bother with Secondaries. What you are seeing is likely what you would have continued to see if you had left it in the primary fermentor.

Take a gravity reading in 3 days or so. Time is arbitrary, I literally pulled that number out of thin air. Take one in 5 days is you get busy..no worries. Then wait another 5 days and take one again. Repeat. When you get 3 gravity readings that are unchanged..bottle or keg. If you want to provide some additional benefit, let it sit in your secondary for a week or two after you see the gravity stop changing. This will allow the yeast to clean up your beer.

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davesrose said:

The last beer I brewed had a slight layer of bubbly kraeusenlike film on top. It still stayed even after my FG was hit. My belief was that it was some protein cooagulating up on top....but then when I transfered to secondary, all of it settled as soon as I crash cooled it.

For your situation, it sounds like your fermentation is too long. To get a good fermentation, make sure you've aerated your wort, have at least had the yeast out of the fridge and shaken (or hydrated if dry)... a starter is optional, but is recommended for getting fermentation to start quicker. Also make sure that the wort is at the recommended temp of the yeast manufacturer. It could be that by now, most all your yeast is spent. If you have patience....wait a few days and see if the gravity has changed. It might not: could be there's just not much activity anymore. Your FG wouldn't be spot on, but you'll still have mighty drinkable beer!

There are many forum members who do believe in just keeping beer in primary and just forgetting the secondary. I prefer to still secondary and crash cool to really make sure everything has settled. But the important thing to remember is that secondary "fermentation" is a misnomer....it really should be thought of as conditioning.

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steelerguy said:

What FG were you expecting?

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