Couple questions I couldn't find...

[kevcasey]

Hey so my first beer is 10 days into Primary right now and I'm about to rack to into a Carboy for secondary, but had a few questions.

1. If I sanitize my carboy tomorrow night (Wednesday) would it be ok to rack on Thursday or should you sanitize immediately before racking?

2. I did get a few bubbles the first couple days in my air lock, but not a lot after about day 3 (which I've read is ok). I have also opened the container a few times to check on it (a tiny bit just to get a smell/visual of what was going on)... Is this ok?

3. The foam on the top of the wort (sorry I forget what this is called) is basically on just around the edges of the container now, should I have racked it earlier when it was thicker?

4. Lastly, when I rack into the carboy and place the tube into the carboy should I put anything around the neck to block additional oxygen getting in?

Most recent Hydrometer reading is about 1.010-1.020 (past 2 days)

Thanks in advance for any links or advice!! Happy brewing!

 

[marubozo]

1. You should sanitize as close as possible to the intended use. Many sanitizers only work when wet, so if they dry overnight it's nearly worthless.

2. It's ok, but not recommended. Every time you open it you're risking a very slim chance of something getting in. It's nothing to get worried over, but in the future just let the beer go. It's doing fine and there's no need to peek in and see what's happening.

3. No. The karusen rises a few inches during active fermentation and then begins to settle back down once that stage of fermentation is done. It will leave a line on your bucket and that's normal. You should actually be waiting until there's no foam at all showing on your beer, so you are doing the right thing.

4. No need to worry about outside oxygen at this point. The beer is going to be transferred in a matter of minutes so there's little time for the tiny bit of oxygen that will make it into the opening do anything.

 

[alcibiades]

1. depends what sanitizer you're using. just sanitize again right before racking, just to maker sure. it couldnt hurt.

2. opening the container is fine. There is a blanket of c02 on the beer in the fermenter that will prevent oxidation even if you open the top.

3. the "foam" is called krausen. you usually rack after the krausen has died down, so no worries there.

4. no.

good luck and have fun!

 

[Smokeater233]

1. If I sanitize my carboy tomorrow night (Wednesday) would it be ok to rack on Thursday or should you sanitize immediately before racking?

It's best to do it just before - the longer the period of time after sanitizing, the greater the chance to allow bacteria into the carboy. I like to sanitize while the wort is boiling and then throw a ziplock bag over the top of the carboy until I'm ready to use it.

2. I did get a few bubbles the first couple days in my air lock, but not a lot after about day 3 (which I've read is ok). I have also opened the container a few times to check on it (a tiny bit just to get a smell/visual of what was going on)... Is this ok?

Don't use the air lock as a visual aid - it's not necessarily an accurate measure of fermentation - even after fermentation concludes you can get some gas blow-off that isn't related to an ongoing fermentation process. It's ok to open the bucket to see what's going on - just remember that the more you do that the more opportunity there is for contamination. You could do all of your fermenting in the carboy so you can watch the process take place and avoid racking to secondary altogether.

3. The foam on the top of the wort (sorry I forget what this is called) is basically on just around the edges of the container now, should I have racked it earlier when it was thicker?

What you are looking at is called krausen (or what was krausen). When the krausen is there you do NOT want to rack - that's active fermentation. You want to wait until it falls and take a hydrometer reading at that point (and usually a hydrometer reading on subsequent days to make sure all is steady) before racking, bottling, etc.

4. Lastly, when I rack into the carboy and place the tube into the carboy should I put anything around the neck to block additional oxygen getting in?

That's not necessary, but you do want to avoid the introduction of oxygen as much as possible, i.e. do whatever you can to ensure that you don't agitate the beer as you are racking or bottling.

RDWHAHB - sounds like all is working great!

 

[mikeysab]

You're forgetting one important thing. Since this is your first beer, you have to, at some point, panic, pull your hair, and run around either in circles, or back and forth screaming "Holy ****e, what do I do now". Some other acceptable terms are "I'm so fooked", "I can't believe I did that", and "I'm never brewing beer again". Other than that, RDWHAHB..... or in your case, a craft brew.

 

[kevcasey]

wow I REALLY appreciate the quick responses! So I guess it's ok to if my sanitizer is still in the carboy when I rack? I just obviously don't want puddles of sanitizer. I'm using Starsan by the way...

haha thanks Mikeysab... I've been doing my research and understand how much you have to wait and stay cool.

 

[JLem]

why are you racking to secondary? Unless there is a reason - like dry hopping or adding fruit or freeing up the primary for another beer - leave it where it is for another 7-10 days and then bottle/keg

also, you'll need more precision with your hydrometer reading. 1.010 - 1.020 is a big range

 

[Airborneguy]

also, you'll need more precision with your hydrometer reading. 1.010 - 1.020 is a big range

Man... the very last poster beats me to it! Either your wrote it wrong, or you are way off on reading your hydrometer, but the difference between 1.010 and 1.020 is finished beer and bottle grenades!

 

[kevcasey]

Sorry it was 1.010 the past few days. As for the secondary I guess that's another question I have. If I just leave the beer in the primary then won't all the sediment collect at the bottom of the Fermentor and transfer into the bottles when I am ready to bottle??

Or can you rack out from the top and into the bottles?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

 

[UrbanBrew]

Sorry it was 1.010 the past few days. As for the secondary I guess that's another question I have. If I just leave the beer in the primary then won't all the sediment collect at the bottom of the Fermentor and transfer into the bottles when I am ready to bottle??

Or can you rack out from the top and into the bottles?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

Yes it will settle in the bottom. Move your vessel up to the place your going to rack from the night before so it can settle back down before your rack/bottle. Put your racking cane about 2/3rd down into the fermenter to start and work it down as needed once you start bottling. Your last few my have a little sediment but oh well that's HB.
Good luck,

 

[alcibiades]

Yes it will settle in the bottom. Move your vessel up to the place your going to rack from the night before so it can settle back down before your rack/bottle. Put your racking cane about 2/3rd down into the fermenter to start and work it down as needed once you start bottling. Your last few my have a little sediment but oh well that's HB.
Good luck,

usually people rack into a bottling bucket so they can mix priming sugar into the beer...

 

[mikeysab]

Dam, I was gonna comment on the 1.010 - 1.020 range thing, but I forgot......too much cider. That is a big range, and you'll want to be more specific than that. Not just for ABV purposes, but for bottle bomb purposes. And also to figure out exactly what in the hell is going on in your fermentor.

Racking, or bottling, or whatever reason you're transferring depends on what kind of method you're using. If you're using a racking cane, then see previous post. If youre using a spigot, the you basically only need to attack your tubing and open the valve. Of course, using a secondary has already been covered, so if you ARE using a secondary, then it should be to Dry Hop, add fruit of flavoring of some sort, Clear a beer, or just free up a primary. If none of these applies, then leave your beer where it is. You'll get different schools of thought on this one, but I go with 4 weeks primary, bottle for XXXXX amount of weeks (this is a whole 'nother discussion), then chill and enjoy. Unless it's a high ABV beer, carbing and conditioning can be accomplished in 3 to 4 or 5 weeks.

clearing can occur in primary. You might want to look into whirfloc, which will help you achieve clear beers. But if you're naturally carbing, then you have to expect some yeast at the bottom of the bottles. Go buy a 6er of Hoegarden, chill it and test how to pour the beer OFF of the sediment, although, the sediment doesn't hurt at all. Once you start enjoying your own homebrewed beer, a little sediment will be the least of your worries. Enjoy

 

[Teaman]

attack your tubing.

 

[FatherJack]

Instead of racking for dry hopping, is it possible to just add the hops to the primary and when it comes time to bottle mix your brew with your priming sugar in a bottling bucket (take the beer right out of the primary, leave behind all the junk)?

 

[Smokeater233]

Some people rack, others don't. In both cases I think most people cover the racking cane with a cheesecloth or other filter to avoid sucking up all the gunk...

BTW, great name for homebrewing "Geppu" - love it!

 

[FatherJack]

Smokeater--thanks! I really didn't feel like buying a carboy here for so much money and I wanted to experiment with dry hopping. I'll have to try covering the racking cane like that.

My name came from my bucket's sound on my first brew. It was quite a charming noise.

 

[Smokeater233]

I really didn't feel like buying a carboy here for so much money

A bit off topic but I've gotten all my equipment and supplies from the US. US Postal Service is a fortune sending to Japan, but I've rather inexpensively transported more than 100 pounds of brewing paraphernalia using Expat Express (www.expatexpress.com). Might be a worthwhile option to consider if you want to buy from the US and you don't have an APO/FPO address...

 

[kevcasey]

after adding the yeast should you stir up the wort? Or just let it sit on top and then cover it up?