Adding flavourings to primary after a few weeks?

[lcrne]

Hello!

I've been lurking since December, first time posting as I can usually find an answer to any question that I may have within seconds on this gigantic pool of information - except for this one.

This will be my fifth batch, a 5.5 gallon batch of porter that's been sitting in the primary fermenter (bucket) for two weeks now. Though I haven't done it previously, I intend on letting it sit in the primary for 4-5 weeks and then bottling; usually I will do 2 weeks in primary followed by 2 in secondary. Normally when I rack to the secondary, this is where I will put any flavourings or spices in if that's my intention.

This batch I will be adding toasted coconut, however as i'm leaving it in the primary for the duration, i'm unsure of what approach I should take. I had the idea of opening the primary, skimming off the krausen, dumping the coconut in, and letting it sit for another 2 weeks to a month. Am I off base here? Also, after having sit for so long, when i'm ready to bottle should I add a fleck of dry yeast into each bottle or will there still be enough yeast in suspension to sufficiently carbonate?

For what it's worth, the primary temperature has remained stable at 72f since 4 days after pitching, and the location it sits in remains temperature stable. When I bottle, I wrap my racking cane in a paint strainer bag. I've used Wyeast 1098. I'm using shredded unsweetened organic coconut, 1.5 lbs worth, which I will toast until golden. I also have 3 other batches that recently started fermenting, and based on your input i'll determine whether or not they will also go the distance in the primary.

Thanks a billion to everyone who has ever contributed to this site, and for your ongoing advice and support.

 

[Colorowdy]

If it was me I would secondary the porter. Also use a grain bag or a couple of hops sack for the coconut. You can weigh them down with marbles.
I would let the other batches go in the primary unless you are planning on using fruit or something.

 

[lcrne]

Alright, secondary it is. Now am I ok to do a month in the primary to clean it up as much as possible, and then rack to the secondary with coconut for two further weeks before bottling?

And I have a surplus of used pinballs, can I use these (sanitized) in place of marbles?

Thanks!

 

[Colorowdy]

Yes and yes.

 

[lcrne]

Two of the three other batches are oatmeal stout that I will be adding vanilla bean to. Should I secondary these as well with the vanilla bean? Or am I good to toss it into the primary and let it go the distance?

 

[Colorowdy]

I have never used vanilla bean but everything I have seen says secondary. I would experiment secondary one and toss the bean in to the primary.

 

[lcrne]

I'll likely do that. I've made this stout before a few months back and it was unbelievable. I just read so much of everyone preaching to scrap the secondary and stick with a long primary for the associated benefits, and from the sound of it they're benefits that anyone would want. Really though, 4 weeks primary and 2 secondary followed by another month or more in the bottle - the time outside of bottles can only help more, correct? Or am I better off sticking to 4 weeks outside of bottle and a longer duration in?


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[Hello]

You can actually add vanilla beans to primary if you wish. It will not affect the flavor at all. I added vanilla bean to secondary once and primary once. Both results were great.

What you're talking about is bulk aging. It is never bad and can only result in an even better stout. Whether you age in the carboy or you age in the bottle, you're aging. I find it easy to bulk age because I have the space, I have the carboys, and once I bottle I get a bit more antsy about drinking.

Your recipe sounds like it is great. Care to share?

 

[JimRausch]

Alright, secondary it is. Now am I ok to do a month in the primary to clean it up as much as possible, and then rack to the secondary with coconut for two further weeks before bottling?

And I have a surplus of used pinballs, can I use these (sanitized) in place of marbles?

Thanks!

A surplus of used pinballs. Must be an interesting story there....

 

[Brewer_JB]

Just did a batch of light wheat that is bubbling away. I pulled a gallon and added raspberries and 1 tsp of extract, no plan on racking to a secondary....time will tell!

 

[lcrne]

Haha I have a bunch of pinball machines and I hold tournaments here, so each tournament I replace all of the balls after waxing their playfields. And I'll post up that vanilla oatmeal stout recipe once I get back to my computer, it was just an extract brew though nothing too fancy.

So I added the coconut to the primary fermenter (bucket) and weighed it down with the pinballs - good . Fast forward 3 days and I had just noticed a wet spot on the carpet near the fermenter, so I tasted it and it tasted delicious, like coconut porter. Apparently the plastic tap on the fermenter decided to fall apart leaving the seals ever so slightly leaking, enough that I noticed the wet spot. I lost about a gallon to the carpet, but while transferring to the other bucket dramatically, I had to dip my arm in to grab the bag of coconut blocking the now open hole in the fermenter; it was in the heat of it almost dumping everywhere. I star-san'd the ****e out of my arm before dipping it in, and sprayed everything down after. I didn't however have a chance in the moment to spray down the other bucket which I had sanitized and cleaned a few days earlier, it had been sitting out. I frantically dumped the beer into it. The beer had been in the fermenter for 3 weeks already and was around 6% abv. What are the odds that the remaining 4.5 gallons of beer won't be ruined/cardboardy/infected and rather still drinkable?

It tasted sooooo good too... At least from what I had squeezed from a towel.


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[lcrne]

Let it be known, this is what happens when you use pinballs in beer. That and it tastes like iron oxide.

The coconut really came out well, but unfortunately it's far overpowered by metal. To the drain it goes.


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