Size of secondary with fruit puree

[kpheasey]

I'm making an apricot wheat and it's time to rack to a secondary. However, I have no available carboys, so I need to buy another one. The primary fermentation was in a 6 gallon glass carboy and it required a blow off tube because there was a huge cap on it.

My question is what size secondary should I be using since I'll be 4.5 gallons on 3lbs of apricot puree? I originally though a 5 gallon carboy would work, but if it begins fermenting again a 6 gallon would be needed.

 

[biodarwin]

If its not that much more expensive why not just get the 6 Gallon so you can also use it as another primary?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'd go with the 6. Oxygen in the headspace will not be an issue since you are adding additional fermentables to the brew and more CO2 will be produced.

 

[kpheasey]

I brew 5 gallon batches. So I'd prefer to have an additional 5 gallon carboy for dry hopping. Would it affect the beer if I waited a few more days for my IPA to finish primary and move that to a new 5 gallon carboy for dry hopping and just put the wheat beer in there?

Essentially, is it ok to wait a few more days before racking to secondary. If not, can I just add more yeast?

 

[kpheasey]

My LHBS is out of both size carboys anyways.... Just gotta wait 5 days for my IIPA to finish dry hopping so I can move the IPA to the 5 gallon and then the wheat to the 6 gallon.

 

[biodarwin]

I brew 5 gallon batches. So I'd prefer to have an additional 5 gallon carboy for dry hopping. Would it affect the beer if I waited a few more days for my IPA to finish primary and move that to a new 5 gallon carboy for dry hopping and just put the wheat beer in there?

Essentially, is it ok to wait a few more days before racking to secondary. If not, can I just add more yeast?

A few days or weeks is really not an issue. I just had a flat tire clone which stayed in for 4 weeks as I was close to kegging and didn't want to bottle it. Best beer I have brewed yet.

 

[helibrewer]

The fruit will not ferment vigorously, just make sure you have enough for the volume of beer plus the volume of puree.

 

[kpheasey]

The fruit will not ferment vigorously, just make sure you have enough for the volume of beer plus the volume of puree.

I racked onto the puree about 36 hours ago and there is only a 1/2" of krausen. I'm just going to stick to brewing two beers at a time, since I only have two taps and don't want to piss off the SO with even more brewing equipment in the apartment.