skipping secondary on small batches

[christobrew]

I'm curious as to why my 1 gallon brew instructions don't mention a secondary. I've learned that a secondary is more about aging and "clearing" the beer. is this unnecessary with small batches, or are my instructions going easy on me?
the reason I want to know is, I was thinking about buying more 1 gallon jugs so I could have 5 one gallon batches at a time. is going right from the primary to bottling a bad concept? would your answer change if my options were: split up a 5 gallon batch into 5 jugs or use a 1 gallon recipe for each one?
I apologize in advance if anything is unclear....

 

[woodstone]

Unless making a lager or I can't get to bottling/kegging any time soon, I don't bother with a secondary.

There is much discussion on this...there is no real evidence that continued sitting on the sediments for an (reasonable) extended period causes off flavors, etc., and so why bother.

I keep my beer in the primary for up to five weeks...it settles out nice and clear.

I'll transfer directly to a bottling bucket or to a keg when ready...just take care not to suck up sediments!

 

[flars]

I think you have an updated recipe. It is no longer the rule to transfer to a secondary vessel after a certain number of days or when bubbles in the airlock are a certain number of seconds apart.
Clearing ocurrs in the primary just as well as in a secondary vessel. The extra time in the primary gives the yeast time to clean up after fermentation is finished.
Same thing for 5 and 10 gallon batches.
Secondaries are for other additions or long term aging. Long term is measured in months.

 

[christobrew]

thanks for the quick responses! looks like I'm skipping the secondary for my first batch.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[flars]

You will want to get the most beer out of your primary on bottling day. Who doesn't? Several days before bottling tilt your fermentor. Not so much that it will fall over with just a slight touch though. The sediment and yeast will slide downward decreasing the surface area to hold your siphon above.

To avoid siphoning trub I painted the tip of my siphon white so I can better see where it is in the dark brews.

 

[BigFloyd]

A one gallon batch would be super-easy to cold crash after fermentation is complete. Before you go to bottle, stick the primary in the fridge 4-7 days. It will help clear the beer and make the trub layer at the bottom more firm so that it's harder to suck up with the siphon.

 

[christobrew]

I don't have fridge space so I think I'll tilt my 5 gal & after a day or two, add frozen bottles to the water bath. for my 1 gal, I'll do the same if I can.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[woodstone]

You will want to get the most beer out of your primary on bottling day. Who doesn't? Several days before bottling tilt your fermentor. Not so much that it will fall over with just a slight touch though. The sediment and yeast will slide downward decreasing the surface area to hold your siphon above.

To avoid siphoning trub I painted the tip of my siphon white so I can better see where it is in the dark brews.

...I chock my primary with a block of wood from the get go...then (gasp), shake it a bit after fermentation appears to have ceased...sediments settle/slide mostly to one side, then when ready to rack, tilt to the other side so my wand is out of the gunk!