kit beer in 2nd fermenter

[duggysbrew]

im still pretty new at this game, i've just been using standard brew kits in the can. but since reading alot of the theads on brewing from scratch (i still dont have all the termanology yet) i'm planning on getting into it, but i havn't seen much out here (im in australia) other than the can kits, i may not be looking in the right places.

what i wanted to know was i put a brew on yesterday and if it is better with the can kits to put it into a second fermenter after the primary fermentation has finished, will this help making it clearer, and if so should i put in finnings (clearing agent) in before or after putting into the second fermenter or at all? and should i add anything else when i'm putting it into the 2nd fermenter? the kit says nothing about 2nd fermenters.
thanx all

 

[D-brewmeister]

what i wanted to know was i put a brew on yesterday and if it is better with the can kits to put it into a second fermenter after the primary fermentation has finished, will this help making it clearer, and if so should i put in finnings (clearing agent) in before or after putting into the second fermenter or at all? and should i add anything else when i'm putting it into the 2nd fermenter? the kit says nothing about 2nd fermenters.
thanx all

Yeah, secondary fermentatiton is a good idea, it will clear up the beer, and improve its taste. I wouldn't worry about using finnings unless you want REALY clear beer, like if you are brewing a light lager or something. If you use finnings and are bottling, you might run into problems w/ carbonation, since the finnings precipitate most or all of the yeast out of the beer, and you need some in there to make the carbonation. I wouldn't add anything to your secondary fermenter, unless you want to dry hop your beer, which can really do some great things for the flavor of beers like pale ales and IPA's. Other than hops, I wouldn't mess with it. Also, lowering the temp of your secondary can help clear the beer as well, by forcing the yeast to settle down. Good luck, and glad to have you with us!

 

[duggysbrew]

thanx for that, but with the bottling i usualy add sugar to carbonate it (which again gives it more sediment in the bottle that i didn't want) will the bottles carbonate with out putting sugar in or is that what reacts with the yeast to carbonate it. or do you use yeast to carbonate the bottles.

i think theres alot more i need to read up on on home brewing. i'm going to have to buy a good book. i didn't think there was much more you could do other than using the can kits, but i'm obviouslly wrong

 

[bikebryan]

thanx for that, but with the bottling i usualy add sugar to carbonate it (which again gives it more sediment in the bottle that i didn't want) will the bottles carbonate with out putting sugar in or is that what reacts with the yeast to carbonate it. or do you use yeast to carbonate the bottles.

i think theres alot more i need to read up on on home brewing. i'm going to have to buy a good book. i didn't think there was much more you could do other than using the can kits, but i'm obviouslly wrong

To carbonate your bottles you must add food for the yeast to consume, be it some dry malt extract or corn sugar. Without that your beer will just sit in the bottle and stay flat. Once the additional fermentable sugar is consumed, the CO2 that is produced is forced to stay in the solution, producing the desired carbonation, and the yeast drops out to the bottom of the bottle. It's unavoidable.

If you want sediment free, clear beer you need to consider kegging.

 

[Janx]

Kegging or, if you really want bottles, you can keg, force carbonate and then use a counterpressure bottler. That's how commercial beers are bottled in essence. It's more work, but if you want clear, sediment-free bottles, that's your option.

And, yeah, there's a lot more to it than the kits if you want to take it further. A beginner book like Papazian or one of the others (there's a thread about beginner books) would be a good idea. Cheers!

 

[duggysbrew]

thanx guys for the info. i will be getting some books in the near future. just 2 last questions on the 2nd fermenter, how long should i keep it in the 2nd fermenter and when is the best time to change it from the 1st to the 2nd fermenter?

cheers

 

[loopmd]

Typically it is one week in the primary and 2 weeks in the secondary. That's what I've done for all of my batches and things turn out pretty well.

 

[ScionOfZion]

Although it's a harsh test of one's resolve, another few weeks of bottle conditioning wouldn't hurt either.

 

[duggysbrew]

thanx all for the advise