A Long term New Brewer

[PBRS1844]

Hello HBT
My name is Jordan and i have been brewing for about... 2.5 years now give or take. I have done a few different types of beer from Double IPAS to stouts and a few red and brown ales. I have just used this account to read a few posts and recipes but i felt it was time to make a post. I have a Lakefront Brewery Fixed gear extract kit from Northern Brewery in my basement right now that i just put into my secondary fermentor after 10 days in primary. I didnt think there were any problems with it. However, unlike my other brews, i had very little settlement on the bottom and my wort is very cloudy. Im not concerned much so since i followed every step to a "T" but i was wondering if i could add something to clear it up for the end result. If not o well ha.
Cheers and thank you all for reading!

 

[ricshayne]

you could cold crash and fine with gelatin

 

[flars]

Give it time, you have a lot of yeast and hop material in suspension yet. It is also possible fermentation may not have been finished yet with only ten days in the primary. I will almost always leave my beers in the primary until they clear, which is three to four weeks. Unless it is a wheat beer, which should remain slightly cloudy.

When I check for final gravity, it is about day fourteen that I can confirm fermentation is complete. I'm in no rush to find out when fermentation is complete since I let the beer clear in the primary anyway. I don't use a secondary, anymore, even if it is in the instructions.

What was your specific gravity before racking to the secondary vessel?

 

[BrewerBrad82]

+1 to more time in the fermenter. You always want to make sure that you give the beer plenty of time on the yeast to both complete fermentation and also to let the yeast clean up any off flavors. Once you are absolutely certain that full attenuation has been achieved, leave it for another week. If you have the ability/fridge space, pop that carboy in there - the cold temperatures will greatly accelerate the yeast flocculation rate. Gelatin also works like a charm.

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome to the forum (or being active on the forum).

 

[unionrdr]

I agree to let it sit till it clears up. If you have a hydrometer, use it to determine when it's done fermenting.

 

[PBRS1844]

Well thank you everyone I think from now on I'm ganna primary for longer. I've had this issue with a few brews that then cleared up in my secondary. The recipe says 1-2 weeks so I pick it in the middle some where. But like I said I think I'm going to let it go a lot longer from now on

 

[unionrdr]

I do a 1st FG test on mine at 10 days, maybe 14. I've had beers fermented with S-04 finish & start settling out clear in 10 days flat. Others, maybe 2 weeks to 3 1/2 weeks. Like bbq, it's done when it's done...

 

[beergolf]

Yeast do not punch a time clock. They are done when they are done. The instructions that come with most kits are not very good, so do not go on time. When the beer is ready it is ready.

Actually many here do not bother with a secondary. You can just leave it in the primary until the yeast drops out of suspension and the beer clears. Actually there is an interesting tidbit in the book "Yeast" that says if you transfer it actually can take longer to clear. Think about it.

“The second theory, that beer clears faster after transferring, also is illogical. Unless flocculation somehow increases after transfer, the time it takes for the beer to clear should increase, not decrease. Transferring”“remixes the particles that were slowly drifting down through the beer. If anything, this slows the process of clearing the beer.”

Excerpt From: White & Jamil Zainasheff. “Yeast.” Brewers Publications, 2010. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

I very rarely do a secondary except for long term aging of sours and brett brews. My beers end up very clear.

 

[PBRS1844]

Hmm to be honest I was reading about only using a primary fermenter and I just thought it was for certain beers but it seems to be a trend that I wouldn't mind trying.

 

[unionrdr]

It does simplify things when you're not bulk-aging, oaking or adding fruit or the like. Plus less loss from racking or chance of oxidizing.

 

[PBRS1844]

Well to my relief it started to clear up yesterday!!! Also quick question! I have a 5 gallon carboy and a 5 gallon bucket for fermentation. If I switch to all grain should I get the 6.5 gallon fermenter or are the other 5 gallon ones going to be good

 

[unionrdr]

You'll need the 6.5 gallon, as head space is needed for expanding krausen foam & Co2.

 

[ncbrewer]

Assuming 5 gallon batches - I switched to a 7.9 gallon bucket. It has room for the lively ferments (lots of kraeusen) and I don't use a blow-off tube. I don't make really big beers.

 

[unionrdr]

I replaced the infected, non-sealed BB Ale Pail with the Midwest shorty 7.9G myself. Sealed lid & decent space for krausen & Co2. I can even do a 6G batch in it, but I'd definitely use a blow-off.