Newb questions about secondary

[Tubbster85]

Is a week after primary fermentation too soon to place beer into a secondary fermenter? The instructions (which I lost after I cleaned the kitchen up after boiling!) say to ferment for a week, rack to a secondary and age one week then bottle or keg. Its a brown ale kit. Just wondering if this sounds right? I have to go back to the lhbs to buy bottles, so I can ask then also. But I stumbled across this forum, registered and figured I'd ask. Thanks!

 

[dbreienrk1]

Secondary is optional for most beers. Search the forum. This topic is discussed ad nauseum...

 

[Yooper]

It's probably not too soon, if you're doing a "secondary". I put it in quotations because it's not really a secondary, as fermentation should be finished before you move it via siphon to this new vessel. In a brewery, it's called a "bright tank"- a clearing vessel.

The thing is, moving the beer doesn't really do anything special to help it clear or anything. The only reason to move it would be so you could start a new batch in the fermenter, or if you were adding something like oak or fruit in the secondary. If you're not doing either one of those things, many of us would suggest to leave it right where it is. In two weeks, check the specific gravity (like the instructions say) over at least a three day span. If it's the same, the beer can be bottled.

 

[amandabab]

Is a week after primary fermentation too soon to place beer into a secondary fermenter? The instructions (which I lost after I cleaned the kitchen up after boiling!) say to ferment for a week, rack to a secondary and age one week then bottle or keg.

should be fine, just check it before you bottle.

 

[gcdowd]

Honestly, I would just leave it in the primary for a few more weeks. It'll do just fine and less of a risk of infection. Transferring increases risk if infection, albeit minimally. But no problem just leaving a brown ale in primary.

 

[Tubbster85]

The owner of the lhbs that I bought the kit from suggested that I transfer to a secondary. He said it would be fine to leave in the primary for two weeks, but I figured this is something that I would like to get into, why not? Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[Yooper]

The owner of the lhbs that I bought the kit from suggested that I transfer to a secondary. He said it would be fine to leave in the primary for two weeks, but I figured this is something that I would like to get into, why not? Thanks for all the help everyone!

It's definitely personal preference and no harm will come to the beer if you decide to rack to a clearing vessel.

 

[stikks]

I rack all my beers off of primary after 7-10 days,The main reason is to free up a
carboy,as I brew every Saturday.I agree with most on this board,it doesn`t really
matter if you do or not as far as quality of your beer goes as long as you are sanitary
when you transfer.I do believe the beer will clear better if you secondary,For me the
main reason to transfer is strictly for logistics.

cheers

 

[Joos]

I rack all my beers off of primary after 7-10 days,The main reason is to free up a
carboy,as I brew every Saturday.I agree with most on this board,it doesn`t really
matter if you do or not as far as quality of your beer goes as long as you are sanitary
when you transfer.I do believe the beer will clear better if you secondary,For me the
main reason to transfer is strictly for logistics.

cheers

What do you rack into to free up a carboy? Are you bottling/kegging after 2 weeks?

 

[amandabab]

What do you rack into to free up a carboy? Are you bottling/kegging after 2 weeks?

probably like me, has more 5 gallon carboys than 6 and 6.5 gallon primary carboys

 

[lgilmore]

as yooper stated, it is a matter of personal preference. I've done it both ways and I like the use of a secondary because I'm simply not that good at racking beer. Using a secondary allows me an opportunity fill my bottling bucket with more beer and less trub as well as oak chips and such. Also it is easier to cold crash in the secondaries I use (5 gal cubes) as they fit the mini fridge really well. So for me, a secondary gives me a better chance to have my bottles come out the way I want.

 

[stikks]

probably like me, has more 5 gallon carboys than 6 and 6.5 gallon primary carboys

That is exactly the reason.I racked an APA yesterday from a 6.5 gal.
a 5 gal so I can use my 6.5 gal for todays American Honey Wheat.I
usually have 2 to 3 brews on all the time and tend to run out of primaries.
It also allows me more time to schedule my bottling days and gives
the beer more time to clear and condition.-time to fire up the mash water-

 

[brockettbrews]

That is actually how i do it. I just did an amber ale that way and it came out perfect