Opinion Needed: To Secondary, or not to secondary... That is the question.

[t0astm0nkey]

Hello everyone,
I'm new to the forum, have been lurking for a while but finally have a question that I need an opinion on.

On Saturday, I began the brewing of NB's Kama Citra Extract kit.
All went well, boil was much easier with my new burner. (Menard's Special :hs: )
Timed everything perfectly, finished hop stand, transferred to 6.5 gal big mouth bubbler, aerated (arms got tired), pitched dry yeast (no starter), popped the air lock on and moved it to my fermentation room (guest bedroom)
I didn't check it until the next morning, things were moving along, a bubble every few seconds through the airlock.
Then Monday, the airlock is going nuts, there are visible currents running through the carboy from all of the activity, it was pretty neat.
Today (Thursday) no more bubbles.

Now, I'm aware that it is not net finished fermenting, but I'm at a crossroads.-
1. Do I wait a few more days then keg it, dry hopping in the keg with a muslin bag removing it after 3 days, at which time it would be ready to drink.
2. Do I transfer to a secondary, dry hopping it for a few days, then proceed to keg.
3. Other options not explored.

I only planned on a primary, then dry hopping in the keg, but the bulk of the fermentation occurred so quickly, I've become concerned.

Also - without a spigot, how do you recommend taking a gravity reading if I DON'T plan to do a secondary?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Hello everyone,
I'm new to the forum, have been lurking for a while but finally have a question that I need an opinion on.

On Saturday, I began the brewing of NB's Kama Citra Extract kit.
All went well, boil was much easier with my new burner. (Menard's Special :hs: )
Timed everything perfectly, finished hop stand, transferred to 6.5 gal big mouth bubbler, aerated (arms got tired), pitched dry yeast (no starter), popped the air lock on and moved it to my fermentation room (guest bedroom)
I didn't check it until the next morning, things were moving along, a bubble every few seconds through the airlock.
Then Monday, the airlock is going nuts, there are visible currents running through the carboy from all of the activity, it was pretty neat.
Today (Thursday) no more bubbles.

Now, I'm aware that it is not net finished fermenting, but I'm at a crossroads.-
1. Do I wait a few more days then keg it, dry hopping in the keg with a muslin bag removing it after 3 days, at which time it would be ready to drink.
2. Do I transfer to a secondary, dry hopping it for a few days, then proceed to keg.
3. Other options not explored.

I only planned on a primary, then dry hopping in the keg, but the bulk of the fermentation occurred so quickly, I've become concerned.

Also - without a spigot, how do you recommend taking a gravity reading if I DON'T plan to do a secondary?

Once fermentation is done, dry hop in the primary, give it 5 days, and THEN keg it.

Use a clean/sanitized turkey baster to pull your sample. Then buy yourself a wine thief.

 

[aprichman]

I would give it 10 days at ale temperature, dry hop for 3 days, cold crash for 2 days, transfer to keg and give additional dry hop for 2-3 days while the beer is carbonating. Make sure to give the keg 9-10 purges after transferring. I would probably purge every 12 hours if you plan on dry hopping in the keg the hops always have oxygen in them.

 

[Amadeo38]

Once fermentation is done, dry hop in the primary, give it 5 days, and THEN keg it.

Use a clean/sanitized turkey baster to pull your sample. Then buy yourself a wine thief.

I second this thought. No sense in risking oxidation or infection with a secondary. Definitely get a wine thief and a nice measuring vessel for your hydrometer to float in the collected wort/beer! Also, just give it a few days to sit even if you think nothing is happening. There's nothing worse than tasting a "green" beer and getting discouraged that it's not quite right when it just needs some time to even out.

 

[okbecker]

I agree..... No need for secondary...dry hop in primary...or dry hop right on keg using bag...as long as kegged beer is gone in 1-4 weeks it works great!

 

[jmitchell3]

For the love of everything holy, dont secondary unless youre spicing or nuts. Or maybe not even then.

Edit: i usually dry hop in the primary after a bulk of fermentation is done. I will also dry hop in the keg. Secondary is just one more opportunity for bugs or o2 to make your little fermenter of joy into a steaming, party killing sour-puss.

 

[unionrdr]

On average, it's likely not done fermenting out yet. Since it just started fermenting Sunday, & finished initial fermentation Tuesday, I'd give it another week, then take an FG sample to test. Wait until the third day, then test again to see if the numbers match. If they do, then give it another 3-7 days to settle out clear or slightly misty, if it isn't already at that point.

 

[Moose_MI]

Patience patience patience. . Sounds like you had a healthy fermentation..congrats! Now all we have to do is not screw it up by messing with it. . I would not touch it for at least 7 days....and only good things will happen if you let it sit 14. When you do open it add your dry hops and take a gravity reading. Based on the active fermentation you had I'd say the gravity reading is a formality for this batch but a good practice none the less. 3-5 days later keg that bee-otch and hit it with 30psi for 48hrs. Then purge and drop to 10-12psi

It will be green for a couple weeks so try not to empty the keg in 4 days...you'll never know how good it could have been

I'm assuming your fermenting at ambient temp in that guest bedroom. If the ambient is above 62ish I would suggest getting a tub and using a water bath in the future...maybe drop a ice pack in 1 or 2 times a day for first 3 days of active fermentation ....just sumthin to think about...

Cheers!

 

[joshesmusica]

Once fermentation is done, dry hop in the primary, give it 5 days, and THEN keg it.



Use a clean/sanitized turkey baster to pull your sample. Then buy yourself a wine thief.

Plus 1. Do what this guy says.

 

[t0astm0nkey]

Thanks for the opinions. I thought I would follow up with the plan and other details/questions that were asked for:

1) I'm going to wait another 2-3 days then dry hop for 3-4 days in the primary
2) I have a wine thief and plan to just take the FG after the dry hopping
3) The ambient temp is around 67F in the room it is fermenting in, I haven't been taking the liquid temps during fermentation though - I might set it up for future batches. (this shouldn't be as much of a problem in the future as I'm going to be building a kegerator this weekend that will double as a temperature controlled environment for fermentation.

 

[Moose_MI]

Thanks for the opinions. I thought I would follow up with the plan and other details/questions that were asked for:

1) I'm going to wait another 2-3 days then dry hop for 3-4 days in the primary
2) I have a wine thief and plan to just take the FG after the dry hopping
3) The ambient temp is around 67F in the room it is fermenting in, I haven't been taking the liquid temps during fermentation though - I might set it up for future batches. (this shouldn't be as much of a problem in the future as I'm going to be building a kegerator this weekend that will double as a temperature controlled environment for fermentation.

You forgot the step where you drink your beer and marvel at what you created....feel free to call me over for this step so that I may lend some assistance.

Not exactly sure how you will manage a kegerator also serving as ferm chamber given the kegerator will be a lot colder than what you want for fermentation but I'm sure you'll figure something out. At ambient of 67 the water bath and a ice pack would be a piece of cake if the other thing doesn't work out

Brew on!

 

[t0astm0nkey]

Not exactly sure how you will manage a kegerator also serving as ferm chamber given the kegerator will be a lot colder than what you want for fermentation but I'm sure you'll figure something out.

I'll be putting in a 150W lightbulb for heating the kegerator. I only have 1 keg, so once I start a new brew, I'll bottle the remainder of the keg and use the kegerator for temperature control for fermentation.

 

[Moose_MI]

I'll be putting in a 150W lightbulb for heating the kegerator. I only have 1 keg, so once I start a new brew, I'll bottle the remainder of the keg and use the kegerator for temperature control for fermentation.

Cool! A Keger-ferma-nator ... I love it!

 

[JB-J]

It sounds like everyone is leaning towards no secondary. I just want to add that you should trust them. I recently

 

[JB-J]

Whoops! Stopped using secondaries with great results. I should have stopped using them a while ago . My beer is coming out clean and I will only go to secondary now if I have age the beer.

 

[CatalinaWineMixer]

So...I always use a secondary. I never had an infection nor oxidation. I realize this is a personal preference and certainly not using a secondary is NOT going to produce a lesser beer. But here is the why and how for me.

I love hop bombs. I found using a secondary allows me to agitate the secondary vigorously which improves extraction of my dry hops. Doing so in a primary stirs up trub.

So I will add 1-2 oz dry hop to primary as fermentation is slowing and leave it for 2-3 days. No agitation.

I rack to CO2 purged secondary and add 5-6 oz hops in muslin bag. I swirl the secondary as much as I can for the next 3 days. Then let it settle for a day and rack to keg.

I find I get more hop love with this method. Is it necessary? No. It works for me. But don't believe that the use of a secondary in anything other than big beers is wrong or will result in infection or oxidation. If you have poor sanitation practice, you can get an infection when you rack to primary or rack to kegs or rack to bottles. Adding one more transfer, especially when you are already at your final gravity and with alcohol on board will not spell infection.

My advice...try it both ways and see what you like best.

Have fun with it.

 

[Homercidal]

It's fine either way. If you decide to secondary I do recommend purging with CO2 before filling the secondary.

In any case, be sanitary and avoid oxygenation by being gentle with the racking so as to not introduce air into the beer.

I generally do not use a secondary, unless you count a keg as a secondary. I prefer to dry hop in a bucket in primary when I'm not dry hopping in the keg. The bucket allows for easy cleanup, and it's easy to rack from. I haven't had any issues dry hopping in a carboy either, though.

Bottom line is: Either way is fine, what makes or breaks the beer is in how you do either of them.

 

[KeninMN]

The best answer is to do whatever works best for you. I personally secondary most of my beers. Why? Usually because I want to use the yeast cake for my next beer and I don't want to wait for the current brew to finish completely.

I also secondary all of the beers I dry hop. Since I bottle all of my beer I've found that I can significantly reduce bottle sediment by using a secondary.

One final reason is that I've found that two weeks minimum in primary followed by two weeks minimum in secondary has eliminated all of my over carbonation issues. I do measure gravity, and I don't bottle until I've had several consistent measurements in a row, but some of the beer I bottled prior to a month of total bulk conditioning have ended up over carbonated 3 -4 months after bottling. I brew often enough and have enough different beers in stock that I don't have any reason to rush my beers. (Which for me is a huge advantage of bottling over kegging.) I've also produced better IPAs when I dry hop for the last seven days of secondary, versus rushing the beer and dry hopping in primary for 3 - 5 days. I can't say why exactly, but that has been my personal, purely anecdotal experience. YMMV...

 

[kombat]

No secondary. If you're kegging, I wouldn't even bother with the gravity samples, as there's no risk of bottle bombs. Just give it 10 days in primary, dry hop for 5 more, and keg it. Any additional CO2 produced by the yeast (if they're not totally finished) will simply save you some CO2 from your tank.