no secondary

[invisible76]

I just got through bottling my first two batches. Two guys I work with got me involved with them brewing on homebrew day.

My question is regarding the secondary. These guys didn't do a secondary, went from the primary to a second carboy to remove the goop, then right to bottles. What can i expect? They recommended bottle conditioning 2-3 weeks...should I wait longer?

 

[c.n.budz]

The second carboy is the secondary. Secondaries are used to let the beer clear, not for additional fermentation. They are also optional. I use them sometimes but not always and my beers turn out just fine. if you don't want to use a secondary, just leave the beer in the primary for about 3 weeks and you'll be all set.

How long did you leave your beers in primary? Reaching your target final gravity is the most important thing.

 

[Kai]

Lots of us here skip the secondary with no ill effects, but we up the time in primary to compensate for it. Like it or not, most standard-strength (4.5-5.5 abv) beers take at least four to six weeks from brew day to be good, and a month or two to be great. You can cut a couple of weeks off if you keg.

So, feel free to skip the secondary if you want - judge for yourself if your beers suffer (mine certainly didn't). My schedule is 2-3 weeks primary in a carboy followed by either 1-2 weeks in a keg or 2-3 weeks in bottles. Generally, weaker beers and wheat beers are ready sooner, stronger beers and any belgians seem to take a lot longer.

 

[tranceamerica]

probably your brew friends transfered the beer from the primary to the secondary to mix in the priming sugar. It probably only sat in the secondary for a few minutes before they started bottling. In this case, we don't call it a secondary, but a bottling bucket (or bottling carboy in this case?)

FWIW I don't usually use a secondary, and I use a carboy at bottling time to mix the sugar, and also to not siphon up so much yeast & trub (goop as you call it =)

 

[Awfers]

I siphon my ales straight to the bottling bucket from my primary fermenter.

For lagers (or speciality brews what are particulary turbulent) I use a secondary fermentation.

As Revvy will no doubt tell you, bottle and let sit for 3 weeks minimum at 70°F.

(I personally like to taste the progress of my beers after 1 week in the bottle, having one beer every 2 to 3 days, taking notes on the progress of the beer)

RDWAHAHB

 

[ursus]

Question related to thread: OK to skip secondary when using a bucket as primary?

 

[c.n.budz]

Question related to thread: OK to skip secondary when using a bucket as primary?

Yes, just leave it in the bucket longer.

Welcome to the forum

 

[ursus]

Thanks, a lot of good info on this site, I like it!

 

[invisible76]

so without a true secondary, how long would you guess to leave it bottled before digging in?

It was in primary for ~3 weeks

 

[findthefish]

so without a true secondary, how long would you guess to leave it bottled before digging in?

It was in primary for ~3 weeks

2-3 weeks.

 

[newbrewr4fun]

if you dont use a secondary how do you ensure that all of the krausen or sludge will stay out of your bottling bucket?

 

[Spunkmeyer]

Siphon carefully and conservatively... don't try to get every last drop. Tilt the bucket slightly towards the end to get more liquid and less of the trub.... just don't overdo it.

 

[Kai]

if you dont use a secondary how do you ensure that all of the krausen or sludge will stay out of your bottling bucket?

Yeah, as Spunkmeyer said, it's all a matter of good syphon technique. Watch the end of the syphon (if you're using a carboy) and be careful not to pull anything up. It's better to sacrifice a couple of pints of beer than to deal with a quarter-inch of sludge in every bottle.

 

[Cugel]

2-3 weeks.

Just make sure the temperature is at least 70 degrees. If you condition the beer at a cooler temp, it will take longer. Also if you have high gravity beers with lots of alcohol they may not carbonate well no matter how much time you give 'em.