2nd fermentation

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been brewing for a year now. beers been great but would like to clean it up a bit.when should you transfer beer to second fermenter.also is there enough active yeast (since alot goes to bottom ) for a good prime when bottleing?

 

I've never liked the term "secondary fermentation" as fermentation continues until either the yeast is no longer able to do it's thing (rare) or all the fermentable sugars have been consumed (more common). Better to say you are ready to transfer it to a secondary fermenter - the second vessel - to clarify the brew and allow any unfinished fermentation to complete.

As for whether or not the yeast will be available for bottling, the answer is yes. Some will go dormant and settle out, but enough will remain in solution to carbonate your bottles.

 

I like the term bright tank. Many people don't bother. The leave the beer on the yeast cake for a month and sometimes longer.

 

an oldie but a goodie!

 

i usually go for 3 weeks in primary, then either keg it or rack it, depending on type

 

Searching on this topic will answer your question. The bottom line is that it's more and more common to see people not bother with secondary fermentation. Most people would tend to agree it's not really necessary these days.

 

Is there a maximum time limit in the secondary? Will the yeast continue to fall out until there is not enough left to carbonate the bottles?

 

I think you're talking months before you'd get to that point. How long are you guys leaving the beer in primary, and how long were you planning on leaving in secondary? For the most part it's generally only considered "worth it" to bother with a secondary if you're dry hopping, adding fruit, or have some other reason to get it off the yeast cake. Otherwise, just 3 or so weeks in primary combined with a little cold-crashing if you can manage is plenty to get your beer clear.

 

We have a coffee stout in process now. Was in primary for 9 days, racked to secondary onto coffee beans last night. The plan is to let it age on coffee beans for at least 4wks.

We also have a recipe for an RIS that we were thinking would site in the secondary for 6-12 months. Is it better to bottle earlier and let the rest of the aging happen in the bottle?

 

wiescins, how did this turn out?

I haven't tried to age a brew on coffee beans although I have used whole roasted coffee beans at flameout with considerable taste so I'm very interested in your results

 

Turned our really well, a ton of coffee flavor/aroma without a bitter bite, which was the plan.

Went with a relatively plain grain bill (chocolate and debittered black for color, flaked barley and golden naked oats for mouthfeel), no roasted barley, to allow the flavor/aroma of the beans to come through.

Final spec's are 7.2% ABV (was targeting 8, but didn't do a long enough pre-boil and ended up with 5.25gal batch), 53 SRM (its pretty darn dark), and 50 IBU.

We make a chocolate coffee oatmeal stout as well that we use cold press coffee instead of beans. For the beans we ended up bottling after 11 days in secondary on beans (1lb whole beans). For the cold press we are about a month in secondary with cold press coffee (2 cups of really strong coffee) and cocoa powder solution. The aroma from the beans is much stronger than from the cold press, but there is more going in beer with the cold press as well.

 

Man! I guess you guys like your coffee flavored beer It sounds very tasty! My SWMBO doesn't like heavy or dark beers but when I made my coffee stout she drank a portion of the entire batch! Can't blame her, coffee stouts are tasty. I like your grain bill. What do you mean golden "naked" oats?

 

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/golden-naked-oats-simpson-s.html

 

Well I'll be.... dem oats is naked!