Too Soon to move to Secondary?

I brewed a somewhat heavy Porter/Stout on Friday.

OG was 1.072

the US-04 chewed through it and it was down to 1.020 on Sunday.

I'm planning on racking to my secondary for 2-3 weeks before bottling.

Since the primary fermentation is pretty much over, is it too early to rack?

It seems to have been settled out already.

I am just going to read the title of this thread. Nothing more.

Yes, it's too soon.

^^Really. What's the rush? What's the need?

Cubslover said:

I brewed a somewhat heavy Porter/Stout on Friday.

OG was 1.072

the US-04 chewed through it and it was down to 1.020 on Sunday.

I'm planning on racking to my secondary for 2-3 weeks before bottling.

Since the primary fermentation is pretty much over, is it too early to rack?

It seems to have been settled out already.

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You want the yeast to have time to clean up after themselves. Also, is there a really good reason to move to secondary at all (an example of a good reason would be that you don't have another container suitable for primary, and you need to make more beer).

Is there any reason not to let this beer sit right where it is for 2-3 weeks before bottling?

I'd leave it for 3-4 weeks and bottle unless you are going to be adding something while in secondary.

I take it the consensus is, at least of the posters so far (as of my reading this thread), that racking to secondary is not a needed step unless one is doing something special like dry hopping, or the fermenter is needed, or there is some kind of problem. Is this correct?

I'm sure this wakes up a discussion that comes up all the time: secondary or no secondary? I've been racking to secondary after a week or so, not because I'm rushed or anything, but because I want the beer off the trub. I understand that any cleaning up after themselves that the yeast will do, will be done by yeast that are still in suspension. Is this correct?

I'm not married to one approach or the other and, in fact, it would be easier for me to not rack to secondary, which I wouldn't mind. But is racking to secondary bad?

Just trying to get a good feel for what I have to do vs. what I like or want to do.

Racking to secondary basically does nothing for most all beers other than provide more opportunity for oxygenation and infection while increasing labor. If those things sound cool then do it otherwise save your energy. Now if you are putting the beer on fruit, pitching dregs if something funky, or bulk aging something like a RIS or barleywine for a year that's a different story.

Bensiff said:

Racking to secondary basically does nothing for most all beers other than provide more opportunity for oxygenation and infection while increasing labor. If those things sound cool then do it otherwise save your energy. Now if you are putting the beer on fruit, pitching dregs if something funky, or bulk aging something like a RIS or barleywine for a year that's a different story.

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No, those things sure don't sound cool to me. I guess it's been a habit thing. One thing that racking to secondary does help with is having less stuff to deal with at bottling time when racking to the bottling bucket.

It's certainly something to seriously consider...

Cubslover said:

I brewed a somewhat heavy Porter/Stout on Friday.

OG was 1.072

the US-04 chewed through it and it was down to 1.020 on Sunday.

Click to expand...

I have been reading through all of these posts and know people have been helping you but how do you know the gravity is down to 20? Are you popping the top and taking hydrometer readings after only 48 hours? Why? Do you not trust your yeast to do what they are supposed to do? Unlike a bunch of high school kids working at the local pizza joint, you don't need to watch over them. Don't even think about doing it for at least a week. If you are fermenting in a carboy you can see the action. If you are using buckets, and you must spy on them, then remove the airlock and peep through the grommet hole.

ASantiago said:

One thing that racking to secondary does help with is having less stuff to deal with at bottling time when racking to the bottling bucket.

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Yes, but you created more work for yourself by doing this unnecessary step.

No one sees any issue with dry-hopping into primary on an IPA (as opposed to dry-hopping a secondary)?

I have only done three batches, but I did an IPA and dryhopped in the primary and it turned out fine.

Its a good idea to dry hop when the beer is getting down to its FG, there is still enough activity at this point for the CO2 to scrub out oxygen. This means dry hopping in the primary.

ASantiago said:

No, those things sure don't sound cool to me. I guess it's been a habit thing. One thing that racking to secondary does help with is having less stuff to deal with at bottling time when racking to the bottling bucket.

It's certainly something to seriously consider...

Click to expand...

If you let the beer age on the yeast for a while you will get a cleaner beer as well the yeast and trub will compact nicely on the bottom. You have to be mindful not to suck it up when racking to the bottling bucket sure, but even if you do a secondary you still have to be careful not to suck up the sediment.

Bensiff said:

Its a good idea to dry hop when the beer is getting down to its FG, there is still enough activity at this point for the CO2 to scrub out oxygen. This means dry hopping in the primary.

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I've been under the impression that dry hopping while the fermentation is still active my blow away some of the aromatic components of the hops. Is this not correct?

ASantiago said:

I've been under the impression that dry hopping while the fermentation is still active my blow away some of the aromatic components of the hops. Is this not correct?

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This is what I've been led to believe also. I'm never in any hurry. I primary ferment for at least 17-21 days and then dry hop in primary for 7 more days and then bottle. I'm so anal, I drop the hop pellets through the grommet hole in the bucket. No issues this way.

Bensiff said:

Racking to secondary basically does nothing for most all beers other than provide more opportunity for oxygenation and infection while increasing labor. If those things sound cool then do it otherwise save your energy. Now if you are putting the beer on fruit, pitching dregs if something funky, or bulk aging something like a RIS or barleywine for a year that's a different story.

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None of these things should be an issue if you're careful with your process, and the effort it takes is minimal at best. I've been racking to Secondary for years, never had an infection, never had an oxidized beer.

As far as Dry Hopping is concerned, I feel your better off Cold Crashing your beer for a couple days, then Rack to a Secondary and Dry Hop in there.

Just try it both ways, and see what YOU think.

midfielder5 said:

Just try it both ways, and see what YOU think.

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Best answer yet

Yankeehillbrewer said:

None of these things should be an issue if you're careful with your process, and the effort it takes is minimal at best. I've been racking to Secondary for years, never had an infection, never had an oxidized beer.

As far as Dry Hopping is concerned, I feel your better off Cold Crashing your beer for a couple days, then Rack to a Secondary and Dry Hop in there.

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Thats why I said more opportunity, but like you I never had a problem when I used secondaries starting out, just the fact that potential exists. But, I'm still lazy and don't like spending time doing something that doesn't need to be done so I leave em on the primary until I get around to kegging.

You can pretty much do whatever for dry hopping. Most of the time I dry hop in the keg for no other reason than I usually end up with whole hops and its way easier dealing with whole hops in a keg than in a carboy. Not ideal, but it still turns out good.

ASantiago said:

I've been under the impression that dry hopping while the fermentation is still active my blow away some of the aromatic components of the hops. Is this not correct?

Click to expand...

That's why you do it right in the home stretch of primary fermentation. But, like others said, you can pretty much do it as you please. I have a half cornie right now that I'm thinking could use some dry hops so even though its been in the keg for a month I will probably dry hop it with a few ounces of centennial this weekend.