No Secondary Convert

[tjp68]

I just tapped my first two brews of 2010. With these two, I abandoned the secondary fermenter. I left both on the yeast for a month, racked to a keg and left them untouched on the gas for three full weeks. Easily the best two brews I've done. I've convinced myself that racking to secondary after 7+ days (even if the fg was spot on) was having a negative impact on the flavor of my beer.

 

[thunder]

Ditto that!

 

[s3n8]

I only secondary if I am dry hopping or oaking, or putting the bugs to something. I am way past the wanting to mess with it for the sake of messing with it stage.

 

[MITtheNomad]

Being new to this, I have yet to use a secondary. (Only brewed two batches ever.) So I don't really need the a secondary is what I am hearing? The flavor from both has been delicious...but from the books that I have skimmed through always emphasize a secondary. Are they just trying to get extra sales...or should I invest in a secondary?

 

[tjp68]

Nomad, I think the books emphasize secondary to help the new brewer establish solid, repeatable brewing practices.

If I were brewing a high gravity beer or planning to enter a competition, I would still go ahead and rack to secondary at the appropriate time.

For me, the revelation was that no matter what, my beer is staying on the yeast cake for a minimum of 4 weeks, and if I'm brewing a session beer, or something intended for my own consumption, I'm going to skip the secondary all together and the risk of oxidization and contamination that comes with it.

The other new technique I learned about on this forum is cold crashing after primary. I cold crash right on the yeast and the beer clears up wonderfully. It's just another reason to skip the secondary.

I'm certainly not a master brewer and YMMV.