How long in secondary?

[ajr2820]

I transferred into secondary after 1 week in primary. Brewers Best English Brown Ale 1.049 OG and 1.008 FG upon transfer. I need to develop some patience before kegging. So in order to do so will ask the forum for input. How long should I leave it in secondary? And what is your reasoning? Looking forward to the responses. Thanks.

 

[Golddiggie]

[originally posted in response to your posting in the other thread]

No secondary, long primary. Try it with your next batch... I go 4-8 weeks in primary then bottle/keg it up... I have an English IPA in primary now that I'll be dry hopping at week 4 or 5 for a week before kegging it. Two weeks at serving temp and PSI and it's ready to pour.

Before you bottle/keg/anything with a batch, taste the hydrometer sample. If it doesn't taste right, leave it where it is. Since you already racked to secondary, I would give it 2-4 weeks there before tasting it and deciding.

A good many of us here have stopped using the 'secondary' for 95%+ of our batches. I will AGE a batch in another vessel WHEN it makes sense to move it. Typically that's to get it off of one flavor element before adding another one in the batch. Especially when I want to stop the addition of the previous element. Otherwise, it stays in primary. This is even true with dry hopping (I dry hop with whole hops)...

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

[originally posted in response to your posting in the other thread]

No secondary, long primary. Try it with your next batch... I go 4-8 weeks in primary then bottle/keg it up... I have an English IPA in primary now that I'll be dry hopping at week 4 or 5 for a week before kegging it. Two weeks at serving temp and PSI and it's ready to pour.

Before you bottle/keg/anything with a batch, taste the hydrometer sample. If it doesn't taste right, leave it where it is. Since you already racked to secondary, I would give it 2-4 weeks there before tasting it and deciding.

A good many of us here have stopped using the 'secondary' for 95%+ of our batches. I will AGE a batch in another vessel WHEN it makes sense to move it. Typically that's to get it off of one flavor element before adding another one in the batch. Especially when I want to stop the addition of the previous element. Otherwise, it stays in primary. This is even true with dry hopping (I dry hop with whole hops)...

^ this. I do use a secondary for dry hopping, but that's just a matter of preference. A long primary is all you need for most ales.

 

[johnnyspade]

In the secondary until it's done. Your hydrometer will dictate that, but probably no need to open it for a few weeks. I know you've already done it, but no need to secondary a brown ale, unless you've added some things on transfer.

 

[Squirrels]

My best brews (without dry-hopping, or some other late addition) I only use a primary. I had a nice cream ale come out recently that sat on the yeast cake for 6 weeks. It is delicious. I love it (and so does SWMBO).

If you've moved to the secondary, use your hydrometer or age as the style dictates.

 

[Mpavlik22]

There's a lot of controversy on using a secondary. I believe John Palmer now says a secondary is no longer needed and may not provide any additional benefits. Seems like most people use secondary's only for dry hopping or adding fruit / Sugars.

I personally secondary everything. If you have every used a secondary you will notice there is always a yeast cake after about a week. Yes you could leave it in the primary for 4-8 weeks, but i like to get my beer off all that trub and dead yeast with in 7-10 Days.

It seems to me the disruption of liquid when racking to the secondary helps the yeast flocculate out much better.

 

[SteveM]

Three week of primary, then into bottles, unless I'm doing something unusual in my process (like a fruit beer or something).

 

[wildwest450]

I transferred into secondary after 1 week in primary. Brewers Best English Brown Ale 1.049 OG and 1.008 FG upon transfer. I need to develop some patience before emptying the primary after one week .

_

 

[Golddiggie]

Mpavlik22, 99.95% chance the yeast in the bottom of the primary are not dead, just dormant/sleeping... Unless you add something to actually KILL the yeast that is...

I've dry hopped in primary, and will be doing so again shortly.

Since I'm not adding fruit, or sugars that benefit from getting off the yeast cake, I do most of my additions in primary. I will age in another vessel, as I already mentioned, WHEN it makes sense. But, IMO, it makes no sense to do it for ALL batches.

As Mpavlik22 mentioned, there's still a good amount of controversy over if/when to rack to another vessel... Although the big brains of brewing are siding (more and more) to it not being necessary, or even a good thing. 10-20 years ago, when home brewing was still in it's infancy, it seemed to make sense. But those are the dark ages of home brewing... We've passed through the renaissance age, and are approaching the next epoch in home brewing...