When to move to secondary?

How do you tell when the best time is to rack from primary to secondary and is it really necessary? This is for an IPA.

 

you don't need to secondary. it can help clear up your beer is the main benefit. you can transfer to the secondary either at an arbitrary set time, like ten days, or when you see activity slowing/stopping in the primary or when gravity readings stabilize.

edit: btw i am not any kind of expert on this. lets see what others say.

 

Might want to do it if dry hopping, but I have started adding dry hops to the primary.

 

Never. Dryhop in the primary, or in the keg if you're set up for it.

Edit: Not "never"...if you're doing a fruit/spice beer, it can make sense. You can clear or dryhop your beer just fine in the primary though, and hops are volatile when it comes to 02, so may as well avoid introducing more of it when transferring.

 

I kind of thought it may be an unnecessary step. Not really worried about clarity. Just gonna let it go in the primary for another week, then bottle.

 

Some books say that secondary can effect the quality of your beer not just the clarity. I've done beers in secondary that don't come out as clear as some I've done with just primary. If you're dry hopping or adding something extra for flavor it makes sense to secondary. If not, plenty of homebrewers just do primary. Best way to know if your beer is finished is to check gravity reading. If you're gravity is not where it should be then check it every 3 days and see if it stays steady. Good luck

 

If you are going to secondary, do not move the beer until it reaches terminal gravity. You do not want to move it until it is done fermenting. Checking the gravity 2-3 days apart and getting the same reading is the only way to know it is done.

That said, I wouldn't secondary. Dry hop in the primary.

 

How many people actually do this? I always use a secondary (for several reasons), and I generally rack at 2 weeks. I occasionally take a gravity reading the day before, but it is usually at the same time as I am transferring it. I don't remember an occasion when I have thought "Oh sh1t, I shouldn't have done it".

I am coming on 300 brews and I don't think I have ever taken 2 readings before racking.

 

It seems there are a lot of strong opinions on this topic. All you need to do is follow this forum for a year or so and you'll hear both sides, often argued sincerely and arduously.

I don't want to argue with anyone, but I like to use a secondary fermenter. I do this because, after the primary fermentation is done, I like to get the beer off the trub and let it finish and clear. At the same time, I like to move the beer out of the cool fermentation chamber into a warmer area (like inside the house) to give the yeast plenty of opportunity to "finish" and get the FG down as close to 1.010 as it is going to get. This helps overcome the occasional "stuck fermentation" and subsequent over-carbonation of the bottled beer.

I know there are a bunch of guys here who know a whole lot more than I do, but this combination is what I've found works for me.

 

I always use a secondary, rack to it when I'm within 3-4 points of target FG. That's usually about two weeks, but it's been as long as six weeks.

There's people making great beer using both methods, so do whatever feels right for you.