Just started - a couple of questions

[Cheekaay]

Hi folks. Just started home brewing and I have a couple of quick questions -

1. What are are the advantages of single stage fermentation as opposed to two stage? Wouldn`t it just be easier to go from the fermenter to the bottles?

2. What is the best sanitizer for bottles, carboys etc?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ravhawk2000]

Hey. People have two views on.fermentation. one group says it doesnt really make alot of difference and just ferment in one container for two weeks or however long it takes. Others say it helps to rack it .over. racking it does help clean out the trub and make it clearer and less sentiment. I do both depending on the beer. As far as cleaner/ sanitizer, i use easy clean with everything. It says no rinse, but i do anyway. Starsan or b brite and one step also work well, iostar is another option.

 

[bkorver]

1) Depends on who you ask. There is nothing wrong with leaving your beer in primary for 3 or 4 weeks and racking into your bottling bucket or even going straight into bottles depending on how you choose to prime. The only time I have ever used a secondary was to rack it on to a fruit bed or to dry hop.

2) Depends on who you ask. I have had really good luck with star San. I have a friend that uses iodine. We both make good beer...

 

[Golddiggie]

Hi folks. Just started home brewing and I have a couple of quick questions -

1. What are are the advantages of single stage fermentation as opposed to two stage? Wouldn't it just be easier to go from the fermenter to the bottles?

I don't rack to another vessel without a damned good reason. Such as needing to get off of the yeast before adding an element, or getting off of one flavor addition before adding another. This means that for the vast majority of my brews, I don't rack. I will rack while mead is in process, but that typically stays in a vessel (especially once fermentation is completed) for months before getting racked to another.

When I was bottling, I would rack to the bottling bucket, from carboy, and then bottle. IMO, the fermenters that are fitted with the spigots are tricky at best. For one thing, you don't want to pull up the yeast cake into your bottles. You want as much clear brew into the bottles (with the priming sugar mixed in) as possible. With adding the sugar to the primary, you'll also need to stir/mix it in, which can kick up far more yeast than you'll want.

Of course, this is irrelevant once you start kegging your brew. I transfer my finished beer into my kegs (I brew to get 6 gallons of finished beer, so that I can fill two 3 gallon kegs) with a CO2 push. Makes it far easier, since I don't need to lift over six gallons of brew, plus the stainless fermenter, into a higher level to transfer. I can also get it to transfer into the kegs via the liquid post, which makes it even easier/better.

2. What is the best sanitizer for bottles, carboys etc?

StarSan... It's a no rinse sanitizer that you can mix up a few gallons of (or 5 gallons), cover the bucket and keep it on hand for some time. Many of us also have a spray bottle of the stuff to sanitize small items on the quick. IMO using a sanitizer that you have to rinse off is neigh on useless. Also, you need to CLEAN your items before sanitizing them. Anything that touches the brew/wort post boil needs to be sanitized.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't secondary unless I'm racking onto fruit,oak chips,or the like. And all my fermenters have spigots on them. In the time it takes the beer to reach Fg,clean up,& settle out,the trub is pretty compacted on the bottom. The beer is clear or only slightly misty. I don't get trub in the bottling bucket. It doesn't just run out freely. I have to blast it loose with water.
So basically,if it gets the right amount of time in primary,spigots are fine & the trub stays in place.

 

[Brak23]

I love StarSan, makes my life easier. But I haven't used any other kinds.

 

[Golddiggie]

unionrdr, I think he was planning on bottling directly from the primary, or at least that how I read the OP. If you want to have all your vessels fitted with spigots, that's fine. Just be sure to have them far enough from the bottom so that you don't get any sediment into your bottling bucket. Most people tweak the inside part of the spigot so that they get the most from the bucket. Not something you want to do when on the yeast. Also, depending on the yeast strain you use, your cake could be rather lose in the fermenter. Mine is always packed nice and tight, but I'm also using highly/very highly flocculating strains.

Personally, I'm fermenting in sanke kegs, so I don't have any spigots in them. I've been using the orange carboy caps to help with the CO2 transfer/push, but I'm installing gas ball lock posts in them now, and planning on using the Sanke Fermenter Kits (slightly modified) so that I can continue to use a CO2 push to go from fermenter to serving keg. I'll use the kits at least with my beer, if not the mead too.

 

[unionrdr]

unionrdr, I think he was planning on bottling directly from the primary, or at least that how I read the OP. If you want to have all your vessels fitted with spigots, that's fine. Just be sure to have them far enough from the bottom so that you don't get any sediment into your bottling bucket. Most people tweak the inside part of the spigot so that they get the most from the bucket. Not something you want to do when on the yeast. Also, depending on the yeast strain you use, your cake could be rather lose in the fermenter. Mine is always packed nice and tight, but I'm also using highly/very highly flocculating strains.

Personally, I'm fermenting in sanke kegs, so I don't have any spigots in them. I've been using the orange carboy caps to help with the CO2 transfer/push, but I'm installing gas ball lock posts in them now, and planning on using the Sanke Fermenter Kits (slightly modified) so that I can continue to use a CO2 push to go from fermenter to serving keg. I'll use the kits at least with my beer, if not the mead too.

I bottled directly from the primary the 1st couple of brews myself. But the cooper's micro brew FV was made for that insomuch as how it was designed. The bottling wand fits the spout on the spigot. you put carb drops in the bottles,fill,& cap. But now,I put that wand in place without the pin valve. I atatch my 3/8" racking tube to that & curl around the bottom of the bucket.
So I know what his intentions are. The spigots on my fermenters were put there by the manufacturers,&/or designed that way. The one I put in my bottling bucket is a hair lower. But I still don't get the tiny bit of grainy stuff out of it either. & I can tip all three & not get sediment with care. But I use a highly flocculent yeast too. So yeast cake is tight.