Fermenting chocolate stout

[Sgalvez]

Hi guys,

I currently have a chocolate milk stout fermenting and plan on transferring to secondary in 15 days. Any suggestions on if this is enough time in primary? Also, how much longer will you suggest to leave in secondary?

Thanks

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

What's the OG and ballpark FG?

 

[Sgalvez]

OG is 5.4

 

[Sgalvez]

Ballpark anywhere 7-7.5

 

[SeraW]

Your units don't make sense. If the OG of 5.4 is in degrees Plato, that's far too low. Plus, Specific Gravity (SG) readings, whether Original (OG) or Final (FG), should decrease from OG to FG, not increase. Most people here use a gravity reading in the form of 1.0xx, (for example, a milk stout OG could be anywhere from 1.060 to 1.090 or higher, and the FG could be 1.015 to 1.025. You'd have to give us your recipe or calculations to be sure).

(Also incoming is whether Secondary is even necessary. I know a lot of people don't secondary anymore, regardless of what kits or old advice say. I won't personally touch that one, other than to say that if I had an average gravity Milk Stout, I'd just leave it in primary for 4 weeks and bottle it when FG readings come back stable over the course of 3-5 days).

 

[Wiscohio_brewer]

The only beer that I secondary are english ales for some reason. I guess I just like them being really clear. Other than that, I don't usually bother. 3-4 weeks fermentation should be enough time.

 

[Biscuits]

Don't secondary...IMO it's a waste of time and added risk. Let the stout sit for 3-4 weeks and then bottle/keg...if you bottle, they should be good by the time it is conditioned, if you keg...it will get better as you drink it

 

[BarrelAgedForrest]

From everyone's thoughts I seem to be seeing on here, many say to forget secondary. Do you plan on adding adjuncts? Just as a reference from how I'm doing my Robust Porter brew right now, it started at 1.084 OG, I plan on racking to secondary at 14 days. There I will add cocoa beans. After a bit of that 2 gallons will be bottled. 1 gallon will be put in a 1 gal carboy for oak and Bourbon. 1 gal will be put in another 1 gal carboy for my SO to make her vanilla lavender batch she wants to try. So for this route I see secondary playing a role. If your going straight to bottle leave it on primary for 3 weeks then bottle and condition.