How much water did you have to add when transferring from primary to secondary?

[redline]

So this morning I transferred my first batch of beer (Baron's Pale Ale kit) from my primary to secondary carboy. Everything went fairly well, but I ended up having to add about 5-6 litres of water once it was in the carboy.

The last few litres in the primary fermenter got swished around a bit and were very very murky (from the sediment at the bottom). I didn't want to add too much of the sediment to my secondary carboy, so I found myself quite short of 23 L and had to add what I thought was a lot.

What do you guys think? Is this going to water down my beer? Or do any harm? I just wasn't sure how much of that murky water to add, should I have just added it all and let it settle again over the next couple weeks?

 

[bruin_ale]

I'm not even going to get into the "no need for a secondary" thing, but look that up - lots of posts on it.

You were right not to rack the sediment (or trub as we call it), but you don't need to top up. If you were planning to let this sit a long time then headspace in the secondary is important to limit, but for a regular beer you can rack to secondary and not top up without much fear. Topping up is more of a wine thing since it's going to sit for a long period of time and oxidation becomes a big fear.

 

[ayoungrad]

It will water down your beer. Did you use sterile water? In the future, don't add any. But if you used sterile water you should still ahve good beer with this batch.

The goal, if you use secondary, is to siphon off above the trub (murky stuff) to help clarify the beer. But it will all still sediment out eventually.

 

[usfmikeb]

Unfortunately, it will water down your beer. Although we strive to create 5 gallon batches, they don't always end up being the full 5 gallons. You're always going to lose a certain amount from the yeast cake at the bottom, and you're right to stop racking after it starts drawing up trub. I tend to make 5.5 gallon batches, so that I still end up with 5 gallons after racking off the yeast cake.

You might find that the beer turns out okay, so don't toss it out. However, I wouldn't invite others to try it until you've tasted it first.

Don't be discouraged, it's your first batch, and there's a learning experience in every batch! We all make mistakes, especially when first learning how to be brewers.

 

[unionrdr]

I'd never add water when racking to secondary (which I don't do anyway). Imo would water down the brew. It sounds like you have the cooper's micro brew fermenter? I have that one. I was thinking when done with as much as will come out of the attached bottling wand,close the spigot & use an auto siphon to get the last. That way,it won't get stirred up trying to tilt it.

 

[redline]

It will water down your beer. Did you use sterile water? In the future, don't add any. But if you used sterile water you should still ahve good beer with this batch.

The goal, if you use secondary, is to siphon off above the trub (murky stuff) to help clarify the beer. But it will all still sediment out eventually.

I didn't use sterile water, as we have very clean tapwater where I live, but I did sanitize the jug I used for the water.

I'm not even going to get into the "no need for a secondary" thing, but look that up - lots of posts on it.

You were right not to rack the sediment (or trub as we call it), but you don't need to top up. If you were planning to let this sit a long time then headspace in the secondary is important to limit, but for a regular beer you can rack to secondary and not top up without much fear. Topping up is more of a wine thing since it's going to sit for a long period of time and oxidation becomes a big fear.

I have read a bunch on this topic. I decided to try it this way seeing as it's my first batch and go from there.

I had also read online (including the instructions) and my friend who's been brewing for years also recommended topping it up. It's going to be sitting for about 2 weeks.

 

[jetmac]

I didn't use sterile water, as we have very clean tapwater where I live, but I did sanitize the jug I used for the water.



I have read a bunch on this topic. I decided to try it this way seeing as it's my first batch and go from there.

I had also read online (including the instructions) and my friend who's been brewing for years also recommended topping it up. It's going to be sitting for about 2 weeks.

I think your friend misunderstood you. IMO I would think the water could contaminate your beer, and at the very least your beer is watered down.
I would suggest in the future you don't rack to a secondary. Most beer can sit on the yeast at least a month. Then you can crash it and add gelatin to clear it before bottling or kegging.

Also, in the future, post your friends recommendations here before you commit to them.

 

[wonderbread23]

Drink it ASAP. Tap water is full of oxygen that will oxidize your beer. Right now you have watery beer. Add a little time and you'll have watery cardboard flavored beer.

 

[redline]

I think your friend misunderstood you. IMO I would think the water could contaminate your beer, and at the very least your beer is watered down.
I would suggest in the future you don't rack to a secondary. Most beer can sit on the yeast at least a month. Then you can crash it and add gelatin to clear it before bottling or kegging.

Also, in the future, post your friends recommendations here before you commit to them.

The one other question I did have was with regards to leaving it in the primary for the whole time - After 6-7 days, the layer of bubbles were totally gone. Is that normal? Would it have been ok to leave it in the primary without that top layer to protect it?

Also what do you mean by crash it?

 

[bruin_ale]

you can top-up, but you should boil the water first to sterilize it and drive out the oxygen (as the temp of water goes up, the amount of dissolved oxygen it can hold goes down).

I'm not sure how badly water straight from the tap will oxidize your beer (never tried it), but my guess is that it's at least bad enough to negate the whole reason you were topping up (to avoid oxidation by elminating the headspace in your secondary fermentor).

 

[bruin_ale]

The one other question I did have was with regards to leaving it in the primary for the whole time - After 6-7 days, the layer of bubbles were totally gone. Is that normal? Would it have been ok to leave it in the primary without that top layer to protect it?

Also what do you mean by crash it?

Yes, the bubbles disappearing after a week is totally normal. Also, the bubbles aren't protecting it, the CO2 created by the fermentation has filled the headspace of the primary - that's what's protecting it. An airlock prevents oxygen from getting in. You can leave it like that for awhile, most of us leave it for 3-4 weeks without issues.

 

[redline]

Too bad I ****ed it up. I tasted it before I racked it and it was actually tasting pretty decent.

 

[jetmac]

The one other question I did have was with regards to leaving it in the primary for the whole time - After 6-7 days, the layer of bubbles were totally gone. Is that normal? Would it have been ok to leave it in the primary without that top layer to protect it?

Also what do you mean by crash it?

Yes the CO2 layer with your airlock in protects it from the bad guys (oxygen,bacteria,wild yeast...)
Research will tell you leaving it on the yeast for 10+ days lets the yeast clean up the byproducts you may not want in your beer.

Crashing it is placing your beer in your fridge for a couple days at or close to 0C / 32F.
It get the particles to solidify and drop to the bottom. Using gelatin helps the process.

 

[Revvy]

I've never topped off, and when I did secondary I never has much of a loss.

 

[C-Rider]

The day before I bottle I move the primary onto the kitchen counter so that what ever I disturb in the move has a chance to settle back down. This is usually about 18 hours before bottling.

 

[ayoungrad]

The day before I bottle I move the primary onto the kitchen counter so that what ever I disturb in the move has a chance to settle back down. This is usually about 18 hours before bottling.

I move my primary to the counter about 30-60 minutes before siphoning into the bottling bucket. Everything that does not settle in the primary bucket will settle in the bottle. No matter what you do, you will have sediment at the bottom of the bottle that needs to be dumped so I don't mind a little more from not waiting 18 hours.

 

[C-Rider]

I move my primary to the counter about 30-60 minutes before siphoning into the bottling bucket. Everything that does not settle in the primary bucket will settle in the bottle. No matter what you do, you will have sediment at the bottom of the bottle that needs to be dumped so I don't mind a little more from not waiting 18 hours.

I find it easy to just move it up (fermenting is done outside under the deck in a "muck bucket w/ice and water) and into the house just before dark and then bottle in the morning after breakfast. I know it's not needed, just a habit I got into.