brewdoctor said:
I ferment in the primary until the bubbles commence to about 2 a minute (about 3 to 4 days). Then I leave it in the secondary for 1 week. I read this guideline in a homebrew book. I have always done my secondary fermentation this way.
Perhaps I should go by the sg. more than just t he bubbles. I would love some critique on my process.
My theory is that if the beer completely ferments in the primary there would no active to create the protective co2 blanket in the secondary. Furthermore, if all the active ceases in the primary, would there be anything left for bottle conditioning?
Critique: its not terrible, but you're just guessing when the beer is done.
7 days in primary, minimum. you need 3 days of consistent hydrometer readings, which you should start taking when the airlock ceases to bubble.
as far as the protective CO2 blanket...as long as you're not rough housing the secondary, a little headspace is nothing to worry about. I'm assuming you're brewing 5 gallons, and then going to a glass carboy that's 5gallons, so that you've got very little headspace to begin with.
when that's the case, the minute amount of CO2 that simply falls out of the beer will provide that CO2 blanket, even if you don't see the airlock bubbling.
that's how I do mine, and I also have to tote the carboy down to the basement for crash cooling, and my beer doesn't have any oxidation type flavors/staleness.
really, the act of racking beer, and bottling, is more likely to oxidize than when the beer is still and at rest.
and for bottle conditioning...there's guys on here that do 4 month secondaries, then prime & bottle like normal, and they get carbonation.
so 2-4 weeks in secondary still leaves plenty of yeast in suspension to carbonate when bottling. You must add a priming sugar or dry malt extract to give them food to carbonate with.
:rockin: