Is there any rule of thumb for secondary timing?

[worlddivides]

I've done secondary for one beer and one cider so far, but I haven't really followed any real standard. For the cider, I left it in primary for 3 weeks before moving it to secondary. At the time I moved it to secondary, there was virtually zero airlock activity (something like one bubble every ten to fifteen minutes). With the beer, I moved it to secondary at the same timing as one would usually bottle the beer (just slightly over two weeks).

I have a beer in primary that is getting less and less airlock activity every day. I was wondering if there is any rule of thumb for when to move to secondary. I've heard of some people moving a beer to secondary after as short as 6 or 7 days. Mine has been in primary for 8-9 days and had an extremely violent fermentation and it looks like 95% or more of the fermentable sugars have already been dealt with.

 

[drainbamage]

A lot of homebrewers don't even bother with secondary anymore. Everything you want to do, you can accomplish in primary. Even clarifying can be done with enough time, or cold-crashing.

 

[worlddivides]

A lot of homebrewers don't even bother with secondary anymore. Everything you want to do, you can accomplish in primary. Even clarifying can be done with enough time, or cold-crashing.

I personally feel that it's better to put fruit or spices in secondary and to rack on top of them than to put them in during the boil (or during some part of the primary).

 

[drainbamage]

Why not in primary? Nothing will be harmed by letting primary fermentation wrap up, then adding spice or fruit to the same fermenter.

 

[Kee]

When I secondary (usually for high OG beers) I do it when the yeast is still active, since some oxygen will be introduced. But not so soon that the beer may not finish. In other words, when the beer is near FG, not following any specific time schedule.

 

[worlddivides]

Why not in primary? Nothing will be harmed by letting primary fermentation wrap up, then adding spice or fruit to the same fermenter.

Well, for one thing, there are almost two inches of trub on the bottom of the carboy and I would like to get the beer off of that. If I pour close to ten pounds of pureed cherries in there, it will mix with the trub.

 

[worlddivides]

When I secondary (usually for high OG beers) I do it when the yeast is still active, since some oxygen will be introduced. But not so soon that the beer may not finish. In other words, when the beer is near FG, not following any specific time schedule.

Previously all of my secondaries had been with spices (which don't include fermentables), so there was no problem waiting so long, but since this time I'm using fruit, I probably should transfer to secondary today or tomorrow (the beer is pretty close to its FG).