First, Second then pressure barrel.

[Koala-Bear-IPA]

This site is incredible! Really bloody awesome..

So, I have a brew down at the minute. It has only been down for 4 days. I am wondering if anyone can see any issues with me transferring (when it has finished it's primary) to a secondary for a week or so (maybe longer) to let it settle.
Then after it's finished in the secondary, transfer to a pressure barrel with priming sugar and store in the fridge. For a time, then drinking from barrel?

Does this sound to complex or can anyone see issues with this?

Thanks very much!!

 

[IslandLizard]

"Down" as in 'krausen has fallen?'

There's absolutely no need or even one benefit to a secondary (for most "regular" beers).
Leave the beer in the primary, and leave it closed until ready for packaging.

Typically, after the wild act of fermentation, beer needs a conditioning phase for a week (or 2, or more) at room temps (or slightly above) to clean up some byproducts. It can do that fine where it is, in the primary. Most yeast and other stuff that's suspended will settle out during that time. A cold crash at near freezing temps for a day (or 2, or longer) with or without a fining agent can add additional clarity.
Then rack carefully into your serving keg or bottling bucket, without transferring any yeast and trub off the bottom, and without introducing any oxygen (air) into the beer.

What you call 'barrel,' is that your serving keg?

 

[Koala-Bear-IPA]

Fantastic, thanks for responding so quickly! Amazing!!

Krausen is going strong, bubbling every second. A lively one.. hahaha..

So, I made a hybrid (kind of) this time; A can of Pilsner malt extract, a Kg of milled Toffee Malt for the mash and added Cascade hops. I have some citra hops to add for aroma which I was going to add to the second fermentation. But it sounds like I need to just put this into the first fermentation towards the end of its cycle instead, before transferring to the barrel. Which is a pressure barrel by the way and it will be placed in my beer fridge and drank from there.

? How much sugar do I need to add to the pressure barrel when transferring? 23ltr of beer.

? If I was going to add a fining agent when would this be done, before or after aroma hopping and how long before transferring to pressure barrel?

Sorry, lots of questions!!

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

 

[rood_dragon]

Not necessarily true about no benefit of removing from primary after High Krasuen. you have the benefit of removing it from the bulk of dead yeast. The components left from the the primary can leave undesirable flavor notes. It also aids in Clearifing

 

[IslandLizard]

Not necessarily true about no benefit of removing from primary after High Krasuen. you have the benefit of removing it from the bulk of dead yeast. The components left from the the primary can leave undesirable flavor notes. It also aids in Clearifing

Sorry, this is not accurate.
In typical homebrew sized environments secondaries are truly not needed for regular beers. The potential risks of oxidation, infection, stalled fermentations, etc. (especially in novice hands) are much larger than the very small chance of picking up flavors from some dead yeast. Yeast autolysis isn't going to happen in weeks. We don't have 15-60' of beer sitting on top of a 1-4' yeast cake. In (very small) batches for yeast autolysis to occur it takes several months (2-3 months, or longer), unless the beer is very high gravity (e.g., West Vleteren XII, DFH 120, Utopia, Brew Dogs'), and even then, feeding and doping it for 6-8 weeks is still A-OK.

It has been proven many times that beer in a secondary clears no faster than in a primary with a 0.5-1" yeast/trub layer on the bottom.

 

[IslandLizard]

Fantastic, thanks for responding so quickly! Amazing!!

Krausen is going strong, bubbling every second. A lively one.. hahaha..

So, I made a hybrid (kind of) this time; A can of Pilsner malt extract, a Kg of milled Toffee Malt for the mash and added Cascade hops. I have some citra hops to add for aroma which I was going to add to the second fermentation. But it sounds like I need to just put this into the first fermentation towards the end of its cycle instead, before transferring to the barrel. Which is a pressure barrel by the way and it will be placed in my beer fridge and drank from there.

? How much sugar do I need to add to the pressure barrel when transferring? 23ltr of beer.

? If I was going to add a fining agent when would this be done, before or after aroma hopping and how long before transferring to pressure barrel?

Sorry, lots of questions!!

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Alright, it's still going strong, nowhere to being finished yet.
Fermentation temperature control is essential, keep that in mind, faster is usually not better. Restraint in fermentation speed gives better beer in the end. 65-68°F/18-20°C is best for most ale yeasts, especially in the beginning of the fermentation.

Add your Citra "dry hop" 3-5 days before you're kegging, a few days to a week after your fermentation stops. If you're fermenting in a bucket, try not to lift the lid. I always recommend adding the hop pellets through the airlock hole in the lid. Then swirl up a bit after a few hours and again 24 hours later. That way the CO2 rich headspace inside the bucket remains mostly undisturbed, which is good.

Use a carbonation table to match to the style you want to carbonate at. The highest temp your beer has been at plays a role in how much carbonation is in your beer already. 5 oz of dextrose or 4.5 oz of regular sugar is typical for 2.5 volumes.

Add fining agent after the dry hop. Cold crashing at near freezing temps for a few days helps in clarifying the beer quicker.

If your "pressure barrel" isn't a regular Sanke or Corny keg, can you post a picture it? I'm curious.
I guess you're in Australia New Zealand (Koalas, doh!)?

 

[rood_dragon]

Like many things in life many opinions out there. There are lots of well known home brew folks that would debate both sides of the primary and or no secondary. Most of the home brew classic giants still follow the primary and secondary method. That's the beauty of the hobby diversity.

 

[Koala-Bear-IPA]

Super, awesome advice!

I have the beer in a bucket on a heat pad and it's sitting steady at 20*c. Reason being is that it's winter here in New Zealand and the only place I can put my beer is in the garage and it gets cold at night, wanted to make the temperature consistent as well as reasonably high as I heard you get a fruitier beer from a slightys higher temperature. I love my big strong hop tastes as well as my Porters and Stouts.

I'll follow all of your advice as it makes perfect sense as well as how you have described, very easy to follow.

I have attached the photo from the site which I brought it from as I'm still waiting for it to arrive.

I have used one of these before and had some success.

Thanks again!

 

[Koala-Bear-IPA]

Like many things in life many opinions out there. There are lots of well known home brew folks that would debate both sides of the primary and or no secondary. Most of the home brew classic giants still follow the primary and secondary method. That's the beauty of the hobby diversity.

Hey, thanks for your help!
I think both make sense to me, I can understand the clarification you would get from second .

I think however, I'm going to see if it works with doing it from the first stage. I may try and do a second fermentation when I do a darker beer.

Thanks again for your help!

Cheers.