Secondary Fermentation

[Junior_Brewmaster]

My recipe says to add an extract (secondary 10.0 days). Does this mean add it to the secondary for 10 days or wait 10 days to add it?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Can you share the recipe?

 

[Junior_Brewmaster]

My recipe says to add an extract (secondary 10.0 days). Does this mean add it to the secondary for 10 days or wait 10 days to add it?

Absolutely,

Can you share the recipe?

Yes.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Hi Junior_Brewmaster, I was recently confused on this point, too, when making a chocolate stout, in which it add me add cacao nibs —2 weeks—in secondary. In that case it meant to add 2 weeks before kegging/bottling. I'd think that would mean the same here, too.

 

[IslandLizard]

If it's a (liquid) flavor extract, add it to your bottling bucket, or keg.
No need for a secondary, those are best to be avoided anyway.

 

[B.C.]

I would just add those 3 "secondary" ingredients to my primary fermenter just after after hitting final gravity (bonus points if you can do it without introducing/minimizing o2), then let it sit for 10 days, then bottle/keg. At this point in history, I'd only consider doing anything in a secondary fermenter if the beer was going to have a multi-month fermentation schedule and yeast autolysis was actually a concern.

-bc

 

[IslandLizard]

The 3 flavoring items from your recipe:

• 2.00 Items Vanilla Beans in Vodka (Secondary 10.0 days)
• 1.00 tsp Graham Cracker Extract (Secondary 10.0 days)
• 1.00 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Secondary 10.0 days)

Did you soak the Vanilla beans in vodka yet? I would soak them for a week, at least, while fermenting the batch.
Vanilla beans need to be cut in half lengthwise, pulp scraped out, then skin cut up into smaller pieces, before adding it all to a jar with 4-8 oz Vodka, Bourbon, or so. Shake that jar a few times a day while fermenting the batch.

When the active fermentation has finished, add the whole content of the jar, the pumpkin spice, and extract* to your (primary) fermenter, no need for a secondary. Let that integrate while your beer is conditioning, for another week, then package.

* The Graham Cracker Extract can be added directly to your bottling bucket or keg, if you so choose.

 

[Panderson1]

It's 2023 and people are still adding this crap to their instructions?

 

[IslandLizard]

It's 2023 and people are still adding this crap to their instructions?

Most (larger) companies now mention (in their brew instructions) secondaries to be optional.
Habits are hard to beat, especially bad ones.

The OP may have an old(er) recipe, let's not rule that out.

 

[Junior_Brewmaster]

Thanks for all the replies. I don’t plan on doing a secondary. I use a conical fermenter, so when I hit my final gravity, I will remove the yeast bottle on the bottom and add the spices. Thanks again.