Scared to move beer from primary to secondary should i be?

This is my third batch of beer and I want to try the primary to the secondary method with my Oktoberfest. I’m completely scared that I’m going to ruin it with air contamination though. Currently my beer is in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. (will have been in there one week on Saturday) Do I just put my racking cane in the primary and move it over to the secondary 5 gallon carboy like I was bottling? That seems too simple and way to much exposure to the open air.

Leave it where it is in primary. One week is too soon.

If it was harmful to your beer, it would NOT be recommended to do it....

If you want to rack, rather than leave it in primary for 3-4 weeks like many of us do, then you will be fine. but wait til it has been at least 10 days before racking...use your hydrometer to see when to rack.

It takes a lot of oxygen to acutally cause any harm to your beer in the normal course of racking, or even in truly F@*&ing it up. You will be fine...

Rack just like you are bottling. Let the end of the racking tube rest on the bottom of the carboy and avoid splashing as much as possible. RDWHAHB. It will off-gas during the transfer, and the CO2 will prevent oxidation.

EDIT: Dang, beat by Revvy again.

Got it, I’ll let it sit for another week in the primary at least and then move it to the secondary for another week after that before I bottle it. I didn’t really think moving it to the secondary was harmful, but more along the lines of I didn’t know how to do it correctly making it harmful. The books just make you paranoid about getting an infection, plus they seem to all preach the 1,2,3 rule which makes a noob feel like you need to have the beer bottled by week three.

I’m starting to learn there’s some basics that are the same for every brewer and then after that everyone has their own ideas and methods on how they handle their beer once it hits the primary.

Or just leave it in the primary for three weeks then bottle or keg.

i would NOT be scared of it.... there is precautions, but no reason to be scared. just make sure you sanitize everything, including your hands and don't go drooling into the beer.... no matter how good it looks ! but yeah alot of cats just leave it in the primary, and they have grreat results. oh yeah, also when you transfer.... don't syphon with ya mouth and avoid splashing. just make it nice and smooth. get someone there to help, 506 hands are always betta' than 2. especially when you go tilting the boy just to get that lil' extra. GOOD LUCK

My first batch sat in the primary for close to 3 weeks and then another 2 in the bottles and it tasted great. I was just looking to clear it up a little more and see if the taste was a little more pure by doing the secondary.

you'll get a lil' clearer, lil' less yeast sludge, and a lil' more satisfaction if you rack. i wouldn't say it make alllllll the difference in the world. but hey try it, thats the best way to see if you like it. i talked to Revvy, and he explained that he used to rack to a secondary and now he doesn't even bother. He finds everything is grand without the racking step. so........ -Peace Bro

As others have said, be careful with your sanitizing, including your hands. I put my carboys on a table in the cold garage overnight (cold crash) before racking. All the yeast settles out. Then put your secondary on the floor and rack. Don't let anything splash to keep O2 out. It is pretty easy. I stick a sanitized piece of tubing in the neck of the carboy to keep my racking cane up from the sludge and then carefully get the last bit holding the cane just above the sludge.

One litre left: Ed Wort's Bee Cave IPA recipe- A winner

Drinking: Organic chocolate stout

Drinking: Sweetwater 420 pale ale clone

Finished conditioning: A hopped rye ale. Some call it "Rye P A"

Fermenting: India Red Ale

Fermenting: Another version of Pale Ale

I hope it isn't a bad thing to rack to secondary. I've been doing it for over 10 years. i usually leave my beer in primary from 1-2 weeks. Rack to secondary and leave it there for 2-5, 6, 7 weeks... etc... then bottle. Been doing that for quite awhile and haven't had a really REALLY bad beer yet. I haven't poured one down the drain.... they've all ended up in a better place.

Knock on wood... no infection yet.

I've never had a problem in racking to a secondary. All but one of my batches have gone in. I know there is mixed feelings on this, but all of my beers have came out crystal clear that spent some time in the secondary. Just make sure things are sanitary as you did w/ the initial brewing and you should be god