How long in secondary?

[liztic]

I've read, re-read, and read again what seems like a thousand different opinions on secondary fermentation. I've come to understand that basically the point is a clearer beer. I'm using "Brew Canada Canadian Red". I followed the directions of 5 days in primary, then transfer to secondary. It says to keep in secondary for 7-10 days. I have no intention on bottling, i will be kegging my beer. Being a red beer, I'm now wondering if the secondary for 7-10 is realistic as the clean golden colour is obviously unattainable. I transfered to secondary 2 days ago, and was considering kegging in another 2-3.

Long story short, if i were to keg tomorrow am I harming the end result?

This is my first batch ever, so not of anything really!

 

[Nurmey]

If you keg tomorrow you would have green, cloudy kegged beer. Secondary is for clearing but it is also for aging your beer so it tastes better. I don't always use a secondary but I let my beer sit for at least 4 weeks before containerizing. This allows it enough conditioning time that it taste great by the time it is carbonated.

 

[IceFisherChris]

I honestly do not understand the "secondary." Is there really a difference between 4 weeks in a bucket, and 2 week bucket/2 week carboy ????

Are stores telling us to do a secondary just so they can sell us a carboy??????

 

[Nurmey]

For most beers secondary is not needed. It's fine to do it and lots of folks feel more comfortable using a secondary. Four weeks in a primary or 2 & 2 using a secondary both work very well. Either way, 4 weeks is going to give you clear and aged beer.

 

[Nubiwan]

I just returned from a brew shop and I asked about this secondary business. He suggested that the minimum time you can expose teh fermented beer to oxygen, then the better. That to bottle or keg your beer, once it is finished in the primary, is the way to go. I asked about leaving it in the primary longer, and he then suggested you also want to get it off the "yeast cake" as soon as it is ready in order to stop the yeast flavours infiltrating the beer.

SO he basically said I should be bottling in 7-10 days.

Don't shoot me, I am only the piano player. This is what I was told for the following brew kit.

 

[RM-MN]

Considering that many of us leave our beers on the yeast cake for 3 to 4 weeks without yeast flavors infiltrating our beers and some leave them even longer (I've left one for 9 weeks) I don't see a rush to get the beer off the yeast. This idea comes from commercial brewing where huge vats of beer are fermenting and the large yeast cake compressed in the conical section beneath begins to heat up and causes the off flavors. You'll never have that problem with a 5 gallon batch. Leaving your beer longer in the fermenter allows more yeast to settle out, off flavors to dissipate, and the beer to begin maturing.

 

[4of7]

I honestly do not understand the "secondary." Is there really a difference between 4 weeks in a bucket, and 2 week bucket/2 week carboy ????

Are stores telling us to do a secondary just so they can sell us a carboy??????

Cheaper to start with carboys , unless you fear breaking them, which is .very expensive doctor bill..I would just leave it in the primary

 

[kh54s10]

There is a ton of misinformation in this thread already. It is not necessary to use a secondary. That is a carry-over from commercial brewing where the settled yeast is sitting under a lot of pressure of the huge amount of beer on it.

Most will allow the beer to fully finish before a transfer if they do. That means 5-7 days to fully ferment then a couple more to allow the yeast to do any cleaning up of off flavors that might have been created in fermentation.

Leaving the beer on the yeast will not cause any off flavors (autolysis) unless it is many, many months.

There is also no need to go to a month in primary, or primary and secondary. As soon as you have final gravity and a couple days to clear you can package. This could be as little as a week or longer if the beer has not cleared. Cold crashing will help clear the beer, or using finings.

I always go at least 14 days to be sure it is done and then check for clarity. If it is not clear, I wait. I usually wait anyway through procrastination.

Your brew shop guy is ?? Many beers rely on the yeast for flavor. Besides there are still billions of yeast cells in your finished beer unless you filter them out.

High alcohol or heavy dark beers are another story. They benefit from aging. That can be done in bulk or it can be done after packaging. I did a Russian Imperial Stout that was oaked. I did that one in primary for about 2 months. After bottling it took 6 months for the flavors to mellow and meld. The beer was best at about a year old and was still great when I drank the last one at almost 2 years.

So the answer to how long in secondary is usually 0.

 

[Jag75]

You read all kinds of different opinions. I use a fast ferment with a collection ball. Dump the trub on day 7 and then I leave it for another 14 days then bottle or keg. I've never done one sooner then 21 days and if I have it may have been shy by maybe a few days. A few have taken 23 , 25 days . I just depends on your ways and what works for you. The one who taught me gave me some advice and it was #1 sanatation, #2 yeast and fermentation temps and #3 patience. People been doing primary and secondaries for years . My opinion if it ain't broke dont fix it. I've never tried bottling or kegging in 10 days . And I really dont think it hurts to leave your beer on a yeast cake for 3 weeks . There are people in here that have been brewing for a long time but I'm not one of them . I get pieces here n there and I use what works for me .

 

[S-Met]

Posted Yesterday at 11:54 AM...
Why resurerect an 8 year old thread? There are countless newer threads with an equal volume of misinformation.

SO he basically said I should be bottling in 7-10 days

You should be bottling when your beer is finished. Only way to tell is with a hydrometer (or refractometer). Many say you require 3 successive days of stable measurements to be certain. Though I usually use 1 measurement if it hits my expected/target F.G. Then I'll add finings and cold-crash giving it a few more days to clear.

 

[Nubiwan]

I intend to search this cold crash business, as I assume it infers clearing beer with cooler temps. Lots of cooler temps around here.

Apologies to all, as I appear to be one providing misinformation on this thread, but I was rather relaying what a brew shop employer told me, and also suggested I was just the messenger.

 

[Nubiwan]

Posted Yesterday at 11:54 AM...
Why resurerect an 8 year old thread? There are countless newer threads with an equal volume of misinformation.


You should be bottling when your beer is finished. Only way to tell is with a hydrometer (or refractometer). Many say you require 3 successive days of stable measurements to be certain. Though I usually use 1 measurement if it hits my expected/target F.G. Then I'll add finings and cold-crash giving it a few more days to clear.

Yes, he did say to check my readings and wait till it was the same for a few days. Checking every 2 days after a week. The stuff about the yeast cake was apparently incorrect, so I am glad it has been addressed in this thread.

 

[4of7]

I honestly do not understand the "secondary." Is there really a difference between 4 weeks in a bucket, and 2 week bucket/2 week carboy ????

Are stores telling us to do a secondary just so they can sell us a carboy??????

I will say my homebrew stores are great people .They

Posted Yesterday at 11:54 AM...
Why resurerect an 8 year old thread? There are countless newer threads with an equal volume of misinformation.


You should be bottling when your beer is finished. Only way to tell is with a hydrometer (or refractometer). Many say you require 3 successive days of stable measurements to be certain. Though I usually use 1 measurement if it hits my expected/target F.G. Then I'll add finings and cold-crash giving it a few more days to clear.

Sorry I never have taken readings.. OG or FG...I just read the carboys...I am not a Beer Troll

 

[4of7]

I intend to search this cold crash business, as I assume it infers clearing beer with cooler temps. Lots of cooler temps around here.

Apologies to all, as I appear to be one providing misinformation on this thread, but I was rather relaying what a brew shop employer told me, and also suggested I was just the messenger.

Don't worry about the miss info...I will be getting the roasting

 

[RM-MN]

I intend to search this cold crash business, as I assume it infers clearing beer with cooler temps. Lots of cooler temps around here.

Apologies to all, as I appear to be one providing misinformation on this thread, but I was rather relaying what a brew shop employer told me, and also suggested I was just the messenger.

Cold crashing does indeed speed up the clearing of the beer. Time in the fermenter will do the same thing and you don't have to go through the chilling the beer, waiting, then warming it back up for bottle carbonation and conditioning. Time in the bottles helps too. When you add sugar for carbonation you start a mini-fermentation inside the bottle and that needs some time to settle out again too. Then you put some in the refrigerator and you get a hazy beer anyway. That's chill haze and an extra couple days in the refrigerator lets that settle out too. If you are able to get the beer near freezing without freezing it, the chill haze will settle out there.