Secondary Fermentation Question

I am 1 week into fermenting my first brew of Irish Read from morebeer/Northern Brewer.

I was planning on moving the brew out of the primary carboy and into a secondary. 2 questions.

1. Do i seal the secondary with a cork or does it need an airlock?

2. What temperature does the secondary need to be?

 

Most people forego a secondary these days. For homebrewers, it isn't really necessary.

However, to answer your questions -

1) I'd put an airlock on it.
2) Since it's probably still fermenting some, but the most active bit is over, I'd keep it within 5 degrees of what you had it in primary. You can raise it another 5 degrees for a third week, if you are keeping it the secondary FV that long. Keeping it a the same temperature as primary wouldn't hurt a thing, either. Depends on how long you are leaving it in secondary.

 

If it isn't necessary, after 2 weeks primary do I go straight to the keg?

 

That's what I'd do. 2 weeks primary then into the keg. This is assuming it's a medium to low gravity beer. You can purge the keg with CO2 then leave it in there for a while. It's the best secondary as far as I'm concerned

 

UnBrewsual, I concur with slym on #1. If fermentation wasn't done, the pressure build up with a cork might wind up being messy.
I'd wait three weeks prior to kegging or bottling. That seems to work well for most people. I've accidentally left them in the primary for 5 or 6 weeks with no ill effects. The three/three method - three weeks in the primary and three in the bottle (not sure about the second part for kegs, since I don't keg) is a good rule of thumb. Secondary is usually if you're adding fruit, etc.. Fermentation is considered to be done when the gravity readings are the same three readings in a row. By that I mean, three different days. Of course, YMMV and everybody's got a different opinion on what works for them. Cheers and keep us posted. Petey

 

This is exciting news, I got less than 2 weeks before I can try out my creation. MWHHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHA

 

It's going to be a little green after 2 weeks. I wouldn't get too exited yet.

 

I don't use a secondary too often anymore, as it's not really needed unless you're adding fruit, or oaking, that sort of thing. But you can if you like. use an airlock & a container the same size as the recipe volume. The less head space, the better. But I also don't rack the beer anywhere until it's at FG. Otherwise, it could stall out. Besides possible infections.

 

Every time I see a topic with the word "Secondary" in the title in the beginner's section of the forum, I feel a complusion to click it and without reading anything just type

NO!

luckily, others have already made the point against a secondary in 99% of cases

 

nothing wrong with secondary. As most of us brewers sanitize well. I sometimes secondary when kegging just to get more "stuff" out of suspension. Then I will cold crash. I also secondary most of my Belgians. They seem to taste better if I do.

On a side note.. I think air locks are a bit over rated, I use aluminum foil almost exclusively and never had any infections.

 

I stay away from a secondary due to the extra exposure to oxygen.

Also, the OP asked if they should cork the secondary or airlock it. Out of the two choices, one I would never do, so I answered the other.