Do I have to use a Secondary?

During secondary fermentation, the yeast reduces or removes certain undesirable flavor components (diacetyl, acetylaldehyde, and some sulphur compounds), thereby maturing the beer into a more drinkable condition. During this latter phase of fermentation, the majority of the yeast in the beer also settles to the bottom of the fermenter, leaving the beer clear and bright. Thus, at the end of secondary fermentation, beer is generally ready to be carbonated and consumed.

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mmditter said:

Clarity is definitely different than quality, eh?

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El Pistolero said:

Actually, my guess would be that the vast majority of non home brewers would say that clarity and quality are the same thing.

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El Pistolero said:

Actually, my guess would be that the vast majority of non home brewers would say that clarity and quality are the same thing.

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SteveM said:

I use the slight chill haze in my beers to discourage others from drinking them: "Yeah, I know, they are just a little cloudy, huh? Maybe it is a bit of anquired taste - here's a nice MGD for ya, I will settle for this."

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orfy said:

WOW - ANOTHER blast from the past.

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msnewbee said:

when you transfer from primary to second, do you or dont you want to airait it? as you are transfering.

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msnewbee said:

when you transfer from primary to second, do you or dont you want to airait it? as you are transfering.

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grwhite said:

When doing a secondary fermentation do I add more yeast?

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The reactions that take place during the conditioning phase are primarily a function of the yeast. The vigorous primary stage is over, the majority of the wort sugars have been converted to alcohol, and a lot of the yeast cells are going dormant - but some are still active.

The Secondary Phase allows for the slow reduction of the remaining fermentables. The yeast have eaten most all of the easily fermentable sugars and now start to turn their attention elsewhere. The yeast start to work on the heavier sugars like maltotriose. Also, the yeast clean up some of the byproducts they produced during the fast-paced primary phase. But this stage has its dark side too.

Under some conditions, the yeast will also consume some of the compounds in the trub. The "fermentation" of these compounds can produce several off-flavors. In addition, the dormant yeast on the bottom of the fermentor begin excreting more amino and fatty acids. Leaving the post-primary beer on the trub and yeast cake for too long (more than about three weeks) will tend to result in soapy flavors becoming evident. Further, after very long times the yeast begin to die and break down - autolysis, which produces yeasty or rubbery/fatty/meaty flavors and aromas. For these reasons, it can be important to get the beer off of the trub and dormant yeast during the conditioning phase.

There has been a lot of controversy within the homebrewing community on the value of racking beers, particularly ales, to secondary fermentors. Many seasoned homebrewers have declared that there is no real taste benefit and that the dangers of contamination and the cost in additional time are not worth what little benefit there may be. While I will agree that for a new brewer's first, low gravity, pale beer that the risks probably outweigh the benefits; I have always argued that through careful transfer, secondary fermentation is beneficial to nearly all beer styles. But for now, I will advise new brewers to only use a single fermentor until they have gained some experience with racking and sanitation.

Leaving an ale beer in the primary fermentor for a total of 2-3 weeks (instead of just the one week most canned kits recommend), will provide time for the conditioning reactions and improve the beer. This extra time will also let more sediment settle out before bottling, resulting in a clearer beer and easier pouring. And, three weeks in the primary fermentor is usually not enough time for off-flavors to occur.

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El Pistolero said:

The above comes from a Ray Daniels article on secondary fermentation

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El Pistolero said:

The above comes from a Ray Daniels article on secondary fermentation.

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McKBrew said:

Nickhead,


As for secondary, realistically there isn't a time limit (You can go several months), but if you plan on carbonating you will reach a point where you might need to add more yeast.

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rx_mike said:

When you talk about leaving it in the primary for the duration is that a bucket with a lid and airlock? My primary doesn't have an airlock, just the lid that sits on top. Is this satisfactory or am I at risk of spoilage since there's no seal?

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El Pistolero said:

Q: I'm not really too concerned about the the clarity of my brews. Do I really have to use a secondary fermenter?

A: No, it's not absolutely essential to use a secondary...many home brewers make perfectly good beer without one. However, will your beer be better if you do use a secondary? ABSOLUTELY! Secondary fermentation is about clarity, but also about removing off flavors from your beer. To quote one of the masters:

During secondary fermentation, the yeast reduces or removes certain undesirable flavor components (diacetyl, acetylaldehyde, and some sulphur compounds), thereby maturing the beer into a more drinkable condition. During this latter phase of fermentation, the majority of the yeast in the beer also settles to the bottom of the fermenter, leaving the beer clear and bright. Thus, at the end of secondary fermentation, beer is generally ready to be carbonated and consumed.

The above comes from a Ray Daniels article on secondary fermentation.

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DanWadeOKC said:

If using a secondary, would it be considered triple fermented after the bottle conditioning is finished?

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Frosty86 said:

I am using the True Brew Amber Kit for my first Homebrew it has stopped bubbling after about 4 days so I'm right on track per the directions. So it says wait 3-4 days then rack it to a bottling bucket then bottle. Would I benifit from a Secondary fermentation?....Please let me know if I am Correct ........Secondary fermentation just means you rack the brew into a fresh fermentation bucket? This is also my first post.

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