Question

[cheeseboy51]

So I'm making a pale ale and on the recipe it says after seven days or when fermentation slows transfer to secondary fermentation....I was told you wait till the bubble stop coming up in the airlock. What do you do?

 

[brettg20]

Don't pay attention to the bubbles, they are not a 100% accurate measure of fermentation. Wait 2 weeks before you do anything. What was your OG / recipe?

 

[flars]

Fermentation is complete when you have stable hydrometer readings over a period of three to five days.

There is no need to secondary unless you have some additions. Leaving the beer in the primary gives the yeast time to cleanup and for sediments to settle for a clear beer.

 

[skitter]

Are you supposed to Dry Hop? That would make sense if transferring to the secondary at that point. Unless you adding hops or fruit Secondary is not necessarily needed.

 

[BigFloyd]

Are you supposed to Dry Hop? That would make sense if transferring to the secondary at that point. Unless you adding hops or fruit Secondary is not necessarily needed.

This^^^^^^ or if you are doing a beer that you're going to age or lager for months. Also, dry hopping in the primary is fine unless you are going to be harvesting the yeast from that batch.

Those recipe instructions are based on outdated brew knowledge and should be disregarded. It's a common practice to do that in a commercial setting using large conical fermenters where the large volume of beer pressing down on the yeast can cause autolysis problems. That doesn't apply to a homebrewer leaving 5 gallons of beer in the primary "on the yeast" for a few weeks.

 

[jonmohno]

You can transfer it, but you dont have to. but when you go to rack from primary after 2-3 weeks to your bottle bucket keep the yeast and sediment out because it can clear just as well as it can from secondary, that is if it clears as sometimes it always doesnt clear completley.