Hi All. First Post... Asking a basic question primary tank transfer. Thanks in advance

[Jestr]

I am pretty new to home brewing but it has quickly become a passion. I feel like I have been getting the concepts down pretty good. I have brewed 10 extract kits so far and they have all tasted pretty good (most new brewers say that right) except for an IPA I messed up. My trouble has been when I transfer from primary to secondary, I dont have enough to fill the 5 gallon carboy to the base of the neck to limit O2 unless I pump up the initial fermentation tank to 5.5 gallons and I elevate the extract a little with some dry malt. The gravity comes out pretty good. I am saving up some money to do all grain but I would like to master my basic techniques anyway. The problem I have been encountering is the carbonation. Is it the extra volume I am dealing with? I went from 5 ounces to 5.5 priming sugar with my last couple batches, I will know soon if thats helpful, hoping not to have bottle explosions. Is it acceptable to add a bit of base malt to the boil like I have been>? Should I add anything else? Fermentation seems great very active, I usually use Wyeast... If dry I might add an extra packet.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[TheHopfather]

5.5oz priming sugar for a 5 gal batch? It's been a while since I bottled but that seems high. What volume of CO2 are you trying to get?

Personally I would just skip the secondary altogether and bottle whatever volume you get out of the primary. There isn't really any reason to transfer a standard ale to a secondary at all.

 

[Rob2010SS]

My first batch was an extract IPA kit and I used the full 5oz of priming sugar. Came out fine. For future batches, there are calculators that can help you determine how much priming sugar to use. https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

I would do as @TheHopfather stated - skip secondary. The only time most people would suggest using secondary is for extended aging or adding fruit or oak or anything like that. (By extended aging, I mean 2+ months). If you eliminate the secondary, you won't need to worry about the headspace in the carboy anymore either.

There's nothing wrong with adding base malt to the boil like you have been, other than you're changing the beer when you do that. If you're ok with that and want to continue doing it, nothing wrong with that I suppose. I would just question if it's necessary.

And you don't need to add multiple packs of dry yeast. If you have an OG of 1.060 or less, 1 pack of dry yeast will do just fine.

 

[MaxStout]

Skip the secondary. It's not needed, except in cases where you will be aging the beer a long time (several months). And, racking to secondary introduces oxygen and a chance of infection, so why add that risk if it's not necessary?

Use a priming calculator, like the one Rob linked above. Be sure to enter the volume of beer you will be bottling, NOT what's in the fermenter. You'll leave some trub behind, so subtract that out. Not sure what style of bottles you use, but most 12 oz. long necks and 22 oz. bombers can safely handle up to about 3.0 volumes of CO2.

 

[Jestr]

Thank you all for the great advise. I will try the secondary skip that sounds perfect. Ill cross my fingers on my bottles not having an issue. they are 12oz long necks.

Thanks again!