Bubbles during racking

[Reedwalker]

I was racking from primary to secondary ( I know I know its an unecessary risk), and inside the siphon tube I noticed a large amount of bubbles.

The long and short of it I dry hopped it right in the primary. Hindsight I should have used a muslin bag. It has been in the primary for 28 days. It is not yet to FG. So I decided to take it off the trub and get the hops out of it. I used an auto-siphon to rack.

Is bubbling normal?

Was this just trapped CO2?

Did I oxidize my beer?

 

[SporkD2]

You want to make sure the tubing has a tight seal around the racking cane. I've seen this before too and never noticed a problem. RELAX

 

[VTBrewer]

Bubbles in your racking cane isn't really going to oxygenate your brew.

+1 to a tight seal. I use 3/8 tubing (I think) and it fits so tight I just wash and sanitize it as is and replace once a year or so. When I try to pull the tubing off I tend to snap the cane in the auto siphon. If you're using 1/2 inch which probably slips on nicely, use a clamp.

 

[Revvy]

First if you hadn't reached final gravity you never should have racked it. It's bubbling because it is fermenting...as to getting air in your siphon tube, there was a Basic Brewing podcast awhile back where one of the biggies in brewing, John Palmer or CHris Colby (of BYO magazine) comented as an aside that it really take a lot of oxygen to actually oxydize your beer, tantamount to pumping an entire red bottle of oxygen into your bottling bucket.

So relax, all will be well.....

In the future if you choose to secondary (many of us skip it and leave our beer in primary for 3-4 weeks to let the yeast clean up our beer) wait til fermentation is complete, either wait 14 days, or take hydro readings on the 7th and 10th day and if you have reached fg...then rack.

 

[momodig]

I'm new to this... just set up my first brew yesterday... curious... What does the term rack mean?

"I was racking from primary to secondary ( I know I know its an unecessary risk)"

Why is it a risk?

I should not do this?

My primary doesn't have fermentation lock (instructions that brew store gave me told me to use a plastic cover, with an elastic -- guy who owns this store has been brewing for 30 years)... When primary is ready, I have to move it to secondary... carboy... should I have just did my measurments and ingrediants in the plastic, then move it right to the carboy?

Thanks

 

[momodig]

I just looked at my brew now... I don't see no bubbles? Should I? Is something wrong? I smell yeast and there's a thick brown foam ontop.

 

[Edcculus]

The early homebrewing literature instructed use of a secondary tank once fermentation was completed. Its idea is based around a clearing or "bright tank" used in commercial breweries. The theory is to get the beer off of the huge yeast pile, hot/cold break and hop particles (trub). Most homebrewers have found a secondary vessel is unnecessary unless aging for extended periods of time. Some even see a secondary as a "risk" since the more you transfer, the more chances you have to pick up an infection.

Most of us have gone to the 3-4 week primary. There are also some benefits from this extended contact with the yeast. Most kit instructions and older HBS owners will still instruct a 1 week primary followed by immediate racking. There are some advanced cider making techniques where this helps to stop fermentation. Its really not necessary brewing beer on a homebrewing level.

 

[Reedwalker]

Thanks for the help all.

I know I just need to RDWHAHB.

momodig I just looked at my brew now... I don't see no bubbles? Should I? Is something wrong? I smell yeast and there's a thick brown foam ontop.


That sounds like your doin just fine Momodig! A textbook case of fermentation and Krausen. Racking is just another way of saying transferring from one vessel to another. Read www.howtobrew.com. At the bottom there is a glossary of terms. Don't stop at the glossary though.

Just listen to these kind folks and Relax Don't Worry Have A Micro Brew and when your beer is carbed up make it a home brew.

 

[VTBrewer]

I just looked at my brew now... I don't see no bubbles? Should I? Is something wrong? I smell yeast and there's a thick brown foam ontop.

That is called krausen, and is a sign that your beer is fermenting fine.

You might want to look into getting a lid for that bucket with an airlock. As previous poster said there's not often a need to use the secondary. I do only when lagering, dry hopping, using fruit.

 

[daveotero]

I was racking from primary to secondary ( I know I know its an unecessary risk), and inside the siphon tube I noticed a large amount of bubbles.

The long and short of it I dry hopped it right in the primary. Hindsight I should have used a muslin bag. It has been in the primary for 28 days. It is not yet to FG. So I decided to take it off the trub and get the hops out of it. I used an auto-siphon to rack.

Is bubbling normal?

Was this just trapped CO2?

Did I oxidize my beer?

This happened to me my first time racking. Is most likely residual CO2 from the fermentation process and was quite a pain in the ass for me. Eventually it would build up enough in my tube to kill the suction and stop the siphon. I had to start the siphon 3 times and ended up just leaving almost a gallon of my first batch in the primary (it sucked anyway).

Anyhow, I asked for advice here soon after and learned the trick. As soon as your siphon is flowing give your drain tube a pinch an inch or so back from the racking cane. This will build some negative pressure on the tube side and allow the fluid on the cane side to catch up. If you start getting bubbles collecting around the cane elbow again, another quick pinch will send them down the tube.

I picked up an small hose clamp from my LHBS that I placed on the tube behind the racking cane for pretty much the same reason. It restricts the flow just enough to keep it solid and seams to prevent air pockets from forming. Don't over tighten. Just enough to cause a small bottle neck.

 

[IXVolt]

I had a slight air leak in the tubing I used the first time I racked with an auto siphon. Here's a pic of what mine looked like.

My oatmeal stout still turned out great.

 

[momodig]

Well I'm going to use the secondary for my first batch... and perhaps get a lid when I do another batch... though I like the idea of the carboy to watch and observe my brew.... as of now it's in the white pale and I cannot see much. Aswell as the taste of beer, I'd like to watch the process.

But it seems you folk say it's unsafe to transfer to a secondary (carboy) after this batch I will get lid and just use a primary I guess...

Could I not fore future brews, mix everything, then transfer right to glass carboy?

Thanks

** Not sure if I can get a lid for this pale it's different then the pales in the standard kits... it's taler... not as wide. Because it's probably bad to poor the contents into a new pale with a lid?

As I said, as the brewing shop store told me to do was use the elastic and plastic sheet to cover the pale (that is what came with the kit)...

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

I have to use a SS clamp on my connection between my cane and tubing or I get bubbles. I leave it loose for racking from the cooled wort to the primary, and tighten it down tight on secondary or keg transfers.
You might be able to use food grade silicone to get a better fit with an auto-syphon, or other equipment.