Conditioning - 5g glass carboy

[Kenbeer30]

Friends,
I heard / read that there is some benefit in using a secondary fermenter to clear the beer. Also read that if you drop the temperature over 10 - 14 days during the secondary conditioning that it will help clear the beer.
Thoughts?
Cheers,
Ken

 

[WorryWort]

I personally do not use a secondary, as it's an extra step and is unnecessary (unnecessary doesn't mean bad, but trust me, it isn't necessary!) It can help clear the beer though, but so can patience in primary and a steady hand when racking.

If you drop the temperature it certainly will help, but I prefer to do it immediately, as opposed to over 10-14 days. Also, I do it with the primary. I let the beer ferment out and then I put the carboy into the fridge. That is often referred to as a cold-crash. I drop the temperature down to 32-35F and leave it for a few days before I keg or bottle. No science to it really. It just drops the yeast out faster and makes everything clearer.