Moving to Secondary, Bottling - How Long To Wait?

Williams 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.
D

DaPearl9

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
Brooklyn
So our first homebrew batch is nearing the end of primary fermentation, at least according to the recipe. It is a Brown Ale and we've been letting it sit for a week. The current plan is to move it to secondary tonight and let it sit for a week to ten days then bottle it. Reading some of the threads here I'm wondering whether we should let it sit longer in primary, sit longer in secondary, both, how long to bottle age it, etc.

I know my roommate is getting impatient but I'd rather get the best possible beer we can. Any advice?
 
i believe most people generally recommended to move it once krausen has fallen and fermentation has slowed/finished (as told by the hydrometer)
 
3 weeks in primary than bottle. That will give the yeast time to clean up and drop out.

Or if you really want to secondary, 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary than bottle.
 
I usually move to secondary within 7-10 days depending on the health of the fermentation. Once racked, I will let it sit another 7-10 days. Higher gravity beers you may want to let sit a bit longer in both primary and secondary. Gravity readings can be a good guide to help you decide when is the right time. You just don't want to bottle while the gravity is still changing (still fermenting), otherwise you may get exploding bottles. I always put my bottles in case boxes and then wrap in a big trash bag just in case.

Bottle age it for a while - it will help clear up the sediment and give a good carbonation. Although hard to do, I try not to drink any until after about 2 weeks bottle conditioning.

:)

ryan
 
Clonefarmer said:
3 weeks in primary than bottle. That will give the yeast time to clean up and drop out.
Click to expand...

This +1.... the whole secondary thing I personaly believe is overrated... Your just introducing another chance for the beer to get infected.... 2-3 weeks in primary then bottle and condition for 2 weeks and 90% of what your brewing is ready to go!!!!!

Wheat beer I would even go as little as 2 weeks in primary then bottle as long as fermentation is done... as they are best when fresh....
 
You will find that many of us leave our beers in primary for 3-4 weeks, skip secondary and bottle. Just search for the 10,000 threads under "long Primary" or "no secondary" and you will see all the resaons why we do it, and the explanations behind...There's at least one thread a day on the topic, so it's really not hard to find the discussion pretty much hashed to death.

As much as you are excited you will find that your beer will benefit from time on the yeast in primary...

If anything, if you insist on secondarying, wait till it's been in primary for ath leat 10 days...even better and even 2 weeks then secondary for another 2.

THough if you just go three to four weeks, you can skip secondary entirely and bottle.
 
Revvy said:
You will find that many of us leave our beers in primary for 3-4 weeks, skip secondary and bottle. Just search for the 10,000 threads under "long Primary" or "no secondary" and you will see all the resaons why we do it, and the explanations behind...There's at least one thread a day on the topic, so it's really not hard to find the discussion pretty much hashed to death.

As much as you are excited you will find that your beer will benefit from time on the yeast in primary...

If anything, if you insist on secondarying, wait till it's been in primary for ath leat 10 days...even better and even 2 weeks then secondary for another 2.

THough if you just go three to four weeks, you can skip secondary entirely and bottle.
Click to expand...

I swear I read this in another thread today, we are breaking records here or should I say this is a broken record.

Anyways, as far as the original post, I know everyone can't wait until the first batch of homebrew is done so they can drink it but the best thing to do at this point is to brew another batch and get that one fermenting so you don't have a problem with waiting as long as you have a homebrew in your hand. If you don't have a second fermentor, get one, I am sure you will need it if you have friends drinking your beer too.

Don't worry about racking to a secondary, just let it finish and clear all in your primary if you can fight the urge and wait 4 weeks you will be rewarded.
 
humann_brewing said:
I swear I read this in another thread today, we are breaking records here or should I say this is a broken record.
Click to expand...

Of course you read it already...and I just posted something similar in another thread not five minutes ago...gotta a problem with that?


This is the typical "It's my first batch I'm in a hurry" thread that we get 10 times a day...the answers the same...wait.
 
Revvy said:
Of course you read it already...and I just posted something similar in another thread not five minutes ago...gotta a problem with that?


This is the typical "It's my first batch I'm in a hurry" thread that we get 10 times a day...the answers the same...wait.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I am not good at conveying my sarcasm over this medium. Oh and yeah I gotta problem with that :)

I know you have been posting it all over, I have been following you around like a Hawk, like a hawk I tell you... oh wait, that is watch like a hawk... you get the idea though :)
 
humann_brewing said:
Sorry, I am not good at conveying my sarcasm over this medium.

I know you have been posting it all over, I have been following you around like a Hawk, like a hawk I tell you... oh wait, that is watch like a hawk... you get the idea though :)
Click to expand...

Uh huh...I know all about your type...:D

605326.jpg


Go post your answers in after mine, and back me up.

:mug:

(you are right though...today does seem rife with noob when to secondary threads today...you would think they woul dlook at the other threads with the same title in the beginners forum though...oftern they are stacked on top of each other....oh well.)
 

Similar threads

B
Moving from Primary to Secondary?
Replies
10
Views
586
mac_1103
mac_1103
CarolusMag
Secondary fermentation needed?
Replies
5
Views
1K
Kickass
K
F
Fermenting a Dunkelweizen - when to bottle?
Replies
7
Views
469
SFC Rudy
SFC Rudy
kevcruse96
Secondary fermentation for more than 6 months
Replies
1
Views
898
DBhomebrew
DBhomebrew
pacostagli
Simple Question - When to move into Secondary?
Replies
27
Views
3K
pacostagli
pacostagli
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top