When should I rack to secondary

[Ericbene]

Do I need to wait for the airlock to quit bubbling before
I rack to a secondary ? It's been 8 days in primary.
Thanks

 

[homebrewer_99]

Welcome first time poster.

When your beer's gravity has reach the projected FG it's time to rack.

Eight days may or may not be long enough.

What was your Original Gravity reading? And what's the gravity now?

 

[Ericbene]

I have not taken a hydro reading with the airlock still bubbling
I figured it was not done fermenting.
I will take a reading and go from there.
Thanks

 

[homebrewer_99]

If you didn't take an OG then it's all guess work. Using your gages takes all the guess work out of your process.

Using the airlock as a gage as to whether or not the brew's done fermenting is NOT recommended.

Was it a kit? The recipe should give you an indicator of the OG/FG. If you used the right amount of water you should be close.

You need to post your recipe so the numbers can be placed into a database to get an answer. I don't have one, but someone will probably check in who does.

 

[Revvy]

The airlock is not a good indicator, but if it's bubbling then more than likely it's not time to move it. On the rare times I secondary I wait a minimum of 14 days before deciding. Or take 2 hydro readings 3 days apart beginning around day 12 if they are the same, then racking is ok.

But like many folks I don't secondary for my beers and leave them in primary for a month.

Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/secondary-not-john-palmer-jamil-zainasheff-weigh-176837/

 

[Bensiff]

Be patient and let the beer hit its FG and then be more patient and let the yeast work another week or two to clean up the byproducts of fermentation to get an even cleaner beer. By the time this is all done you will be ready to bottle or keg and you can skip the secondary all together.