how long in secondary

[wedraper]

i started a pumpkin ale 2 weeks ago, and i kind of forgot about it. it sat in the primary for 2 weeks, and i just racked it into the secondary. how long should it sit in the secondary? my original plan was 1 week in primary and 2 weeks in secondary.

bill

 

[ScottT]

I'd still give it 2 weeks. If you're in a hurry, 1 week will get it done. No harm was done leaving it on the trub for 1 extra week.

 

[wedraper]

thanks for the advice. i will give it 2 weeks, and see where we are then. by the by, i tasted it tonight, and it tastes pretty good now. the clover has mellowed a lot!

bill

 

[Janx]

You really can't go too long in the secondary...well, you can, but most people's patience will never let them run that risk

It'll definitely keep getting better for at least a month in the secondary. Wait until it clears and then wait another week. 2 weeks minimum.

Cheers!

 

[Truble]

The first batch I ever made was from a starter level recipe, and it called for 2 weeks on the primary with no secondary. It came out great. I have since graduated to secondaries, more for the clarity and purity than anything. I actually thought my first no sec batch was better than my second 2 week sec batch. FWIW

 

[Toilet Rocker]

Not to hijack here, but my holiday ale has been in the secondary for two months, following 10 days in the primary. Would you guys recommend stirring up the bottom or maybe even adding a tablespoon or so of dry yeast? I know some yeast have to be in suspension, but I don't want to find that there are too few and I have a super-sweet ale. Thanks!

 

[Blaine]

I did the same thing once and noticed something strange. The extra time in the primary fermenter seemed to bring more clarity to my beer than anything I've done during secondary. Probley due to the sediment having a chance to settle and stay in the primary rather than being transfered into the bottles.

I'd be interested to hear how yours turns out !!!

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

So do you guys think that your beer would improve noticeably if you let it stay 4 weeks in the primary instead of 2 weeks? If so, what about 8 weeks? How long until you'd need to add more yeast to bottle condition? What else? What else interesting/important about secondaries can you tell me?

 

[homebrewer_99]

The answers to your questions really depend on your sanitation practices, style, FG, and patience.

I left a batch in a plastic primary for 34 days and it won a contest. Who would have thought that? Not I.

Part of the reason for using a secondary is to let the brew mellow and clear.

As long as the beer is in the FG range for the style and is clear enough for you and tastes good then it's time to bottle. If not, let it go for another week or so.

I've left lagers in a carboy for 3 months. I've left mead in a secondary for 6 months.

 

[El Pistolero]

So do you guys think that your beer would improve noticeably if you let it stay 4 weeks in the primary instead of 2 weeks? If so, what about 8 weeks? How long until you'd need to add more yeast to bottle condition? What else? What else interesting/important about secondaries can you tell me?

In general, you don't want to leave your beer in the primary for more than 3 or 4 weeks. At some point autolysis will begin to cause off flavors.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Oh jeeze, I went through all the trouble of composing my thoughts and asking those questions and I put primary instead of secondary. Even so, that was some good information on primaries. I've always gotten nervous after a week or so that I'd make my beer taste bad.

So anyway, any takers on the same questions except with secondaries?

 

[El Pistolero]

Oh jeeze, I went through all the trouble of composing my thoughts and asking those questions and I put primary instead of secondary. Even so, that was some good information on primaries. I've always gotten nervous after a week or so that I'd make my beer taste bad.
So anyway, any takers on the same questions except with secondaries?

Big beers are often left in secondary for months. Even then, there should still be plenty of yeast to carbonate when you bottle. Here's a good read onsecondary fermentation.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Thanks El P. That answered most of my questions. Anybody have any experience with long secondary times?

 

[Blaine]

I have never used a carboy and manage to get quite good clarity. My ever increasing urge for the perfect beer is leading me to suspect that that might be a urgent purchase early in the new year. I was wondering though, how long should I leave it racked in the carboy for? Is there ever a point that more yeast my be required for carbonation?