Before racking to secondary/bottling.

[medic20]

Alright, we've been in the primary for a week now, just took a FG (went from 1.050-1.010, also smells great) and it looks like I'm right where I want to be. I'm thinking about moving to secondary in a couple days if I have constant FG readings. I noticed a lot of sediment stuck to the sides of the bucket when I took the lid off for the first time, I'm guessing its from when the Krausen settled. I'm also guessing I should just leave this where it is and avoid touching it with anything until after I've gotten the beer out of the bucket and into the secondary or bottling bucket, whichever I decide to do. Any opinions here?

I just hadn't heard any mention of a sediment forming on the sides of the bucket above the beer. Thanks!

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

The ring is krausen residue. you are correct to leave that on the bucket.

 

[FattySparks]

Yeah, leave that stuff alone. It is very bitter and can contribute off flavors if you mix it back in.

 

[drunde77]

I am a noobie here, but mine did the same thing. I believe this is what is left from the foam created during fermentation. I could be wrong though.

 

[tre9er]

Krausen and possibly some hops that weren't stained out. Mine had it too

 

[unionrdr]

Uless you're racking onto fruit,oak or something I wouldn't bother with secondary. Let the beer get down to FG,then give it another 3-7 days to settle out more. When it's clear or nearly so,rack to the bottling bucket & bulk prime.

 

[RM-MN]

First, never move your beer to secondary until the ferment is completed and the yeast has started to settle. That big cake of yeast has a function to perform yet. Its presence causes some more chemical processes to occur that make better beer. Moving your beer too early slows or stops these processes.

Second, know why you are moving your beer to secondary. For clarity? Time in the primary will do that too. Adding dry hops? You can do that it primary too. So why do you want to move it?

 

[medic20]

Alright this isn't the first time I've been told not to go to secondary, but no one ever mentioned that its really just necessary for adding fruit or dry hopping. I was initially thinking that I'd do it for clarity, but if letting everything settle with get the same results then I'll just leave it in the primary for another week after the FG levels out (which I think it already has, but a reading today and one more tomorrow should tell for sure).

 

[RM-MN]

For most average beers, not too dark, I find the sweet spot for me is about 3 weeks in the fermenter. I like to start the ferment at the low end of the yeast's preferred range and after a week I let it warm up to room temperature and keep it there. The time it needs in the bottle to reach maturity and be good drinking seems to be about a week or so less than bottling it a week sooner so I have good beer just as quickly or maybe even more quickly.