primary temp question

[CaptKaos]

So I brewed up a batch of Brewer's Best American Light seven days ago. I re-hydrated the yeast before pitching and the fermentation took off with a vengeance. My primary has been in a dark corner of my basement and the temp today is 72f on the carboy thermometer. Is this too high a temp? There still is a lot of activity inside the primary. White globs of stuff are rising and falling in the wort. Is this normal?

When should I rack this to a secondary? My OG was 1.041 and was exactly where the directions said it should be. I haven't taken another gravity measurement since it is looks like it is still going crazy inside.

This is my second batch of extract brew. The first one I did was an IPA that has been bottled but has at least another week to age before I can sample it. I am planning on only refrigerating one bottle to sample so I don't ruin the whole batch if it isn't ready.

Cheers!

 

[headbanger]

Everything sounds normal, I would not worry. 72 is probably a bit high depending on the yeast but should be OK if you're getting good ferm sign. I wouldn't secondary at all if I were you, just leave it in primary for about 4 weeks and you should have some darn good brew when it's done.

 

[BryceL]

Everything sounds normal, I would not worry. 72 is probably a bit high depending on the yeast but should be OK if you're getting good ferm sign. I wouldn't secondary at all if I were you, just leave it in primary for about 4 weeks and you should have some darn good brew when it's done.

+1 Your temp is a bit higher than I like to do mine (mid 60's) but 72 is okay. I also agree that you don't really need to mess with transferring to secondary, just leave it in primary longer. Once your fermentation has slowed down you can take a gravity reading to see if it's on track to hit your estimated FG.

 

[jerryalan]

Step 8 of the instructions indicate that 64 - 72 is the proper range for your yeast so you're spot on.

http://www.ldcarlson.com/public catalog/Brewers Best Recipes/1018.pdf
8. PITCH YEAST
Sprinkle the contents of the yeast sachet over top of the entire wort surface and stir well
with sanitized spoon or paddle. Firmly secure the lid onto the fermenter. Fill your airlock
halfway with water and gently twist the airlock into the grommeted lid. Move the fermenter
to a dark, warm, temperature-stable area (approx. 64º - 72ºF).

 

[CaptKaos]

The directions for this batch said to rack it to a secondary if I had one. I've heard this is the preferable method both for final clarity and cleaner taste. It just doesn't say when to do it.

Thanks for the quick replies. HBT is a wealth of info!!

 

[BryceL]

The directions for this batch said to rack it to a secondary if I had one. I've heard this is the preferable method both for final clarity and cleaner taste. It just doesn't say when to do it.

Thanks for the quick replies. HBT is a wealth of info!!

That is a big debate on this forum. Both have their arguments, but it seems the majority agree that secondary is unnecessary unless you are adding something like fruit, oak, or long term storage. If you do rack to secondary you need to be careful to minimize oxygenation of your beer which can be bad for the final product. You could experiment with just doing primary or secondary and see what you like better. If you do secondary, I would probably leave it on the yeast cake in primary for at least 2 weeks. Just check your gravity and make sure fermentation is done before transferring.

 

[CaptKaos]

OK so I re-read the directions and it said 5-7 days before racking to secondary. Thanks for the link Jerryalan! It says "when fermentation slows but before it finishes". It's been seven days without really showing any signs of "slowing".

I think I'm going to let it go one more day then rack to my secondary tomorrow.

My auto siphon is hooked up to a long hose so that I will minimize oxygenation and make sure the beer fills from the bottom of the carboy without splashing.

Again, thanks for all the responses!

 

[Moonraker]

That is a big debate on this forum. Both have their arguments, but it seems the majority agree that secondary is unnecessary unless you are adding something like fruit, oak, or long term storage. If you do rack to secondary you need to be careful to minimize oxygenation of your beer which can be bad for the final product. You could experiment with just doing primary or secondary and see what you like better. If you do secondary, I would probably leave it on the yeast cake in primary for at least 2 weeks. Just check your gravity and make sure fermentation is done before transferring.

Speaking purely as a newbie, my feeling is that I paid for the bloody secondary so I'm sure as hell going to use the damn thing.

 

[deantheking101]

Instead of using your other bucket as a secondary brew another beer and put it in it.

 

[CaptKaos]

Instead of using your other bucket as a secondary brew another beer and put it in it.

I don't have any brew buckets. I need to get another 6.5 gallon bucket. The one I have was given to me and is completely scratched up on the inside and really isn't food grade anymore.

I have 2 six gallon carboys. My plan is to rack it to a secondary and let it sit for two weeks before bottling.

In a week I will make another batch for my primary. I'm sitting on 10 gallons of beer that isn't ready to drink yet!

I can't wait to try my first batch. Its a Maestro Series India Pale Ale. I'm worried about it because the directions in the kit go against everything I have read on HBT and in the Papazian brewing bible.

 

[badhabit]

The wort in your primary for 5 to 7 days is not done fermenting. It will continue to ferment for several weeks depending on style, recipe, and conditions. If active fermentation has stopped you can move to secondary, that is a hydrometer reading shows no change over a couple days. You can leave in a primary for a couple more weeks or can move to secondary for a couple weeks when that does happen. As noted lots of debate goes on about using a secondary, you can read lots about it on this site. I like the secondary and will continue to use it until I have the ability to cold crash.

 

[CaptKaos]

I like the secondary and will continue to use it until I have the ability to cold crash.

I like everything I have heard about using a secondary as well. Sanitizing is what is important.

Uh....What does cold crash mean?

I can't find it in my glossary.

 

[BryceL]

I like everything I have heard about using a secondary as well. Sanitizing is what is important.

Uh....What does cold crash mean?

I can't find it in my glossary.

This is when you put your fermenter in the fridge for a day or so before racking which settles the yeast and clears up the beer.