Time In Secondary?

[Andy_P]

I have done about 5 brews so far and something I am still trying to understand is how long to leave a beer in the secondary? I see some people do a week and some up to 6 weeks. What determines this amount of time, the style of beer? Ingredients?
Thanks.

 

[McGarnigle]

The higher the gravity of the beer, the longer people tend to leave it. It also depends on whether you're racking it onto something (oak chips, fruit). You might not want the beer sitting on oak chips for months. Too much oak.

Personally, I rarely do a secondary at all.

 

[CrypticIntent]

If there is a check box for "All of the above" that's what determines time in secondary.

Clarity, dry hopping, mellowing flavor, adding fruits, style of beer, personal preferences, it all goes into it.

 

[helibrewer]

I have done about 5 brews so far and something I am still trying to understand is how long to leave a beer in the secondary? I see some people do a week and some up to 6 weeks. What determines this amount of time, the style of beer? Ingredients?
Thanks.

There are few reasons to secondary, especially if don't have a way to move the beer with inert gas. Let your fermentation complete, then give it an additional 2-3 days for the yeast to cleanup. If you are fermenting in a carboy you can easily see the beer as it clarifies, once that is complete, package, there is no reason to wait any longer or to move the beer into another vessel.

Secondary for:
Oak aging
Fruit additions
Aging big beers like old ales or barleywine

 

[Andy_P]

I just brewed a holiday ale on Saturday, it's looking to come out about 13.2% or so. I was thinking 2 weeks in the secondary, should I let it sit a little longer then?

 

[helibrewer]

I just brewed a holiday ale on Saturday, it's looking to come out about 13.2% or so. I was thinking 2 weeks in the secondary, should I let it sit a little longer then?

I wouldn't, it can age just as well in the bottle and it is safer than moving the beer around

 

[Andy_P]

Excellent, thanks for all the help guys.

 

[C-Rider]

Yea, no real reason to use secondary unless you are adding something like fruit or you need the primary vessel. For most of the beers "we" make just let it sit in the primary for 3-4 weeks and it's done. Maybe an additional 4-5 days cold crashing. I let a pale ale sit in primary for like 2 months and it came out as clear as any I cold crashed.