POLL : Do you typically do a secondary fermentation?

[Craig C]

When you brew your most common, favorite beers do you do a secondary fermentation or just use primary?

 

[sfrisby]

When you brew your most common, favorite beers do you do a secondary fermentation or just use primary?

If it's getting bottled/kegged within 30 days, no sir.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Using a secondary went out of style years ago.

 

[schematix]

Secondary is my glass.

^^^10 days and 9 hours ago this was still grain. Cloudiness due to dry hopping in primary, not yeast.

 

[Craig C]

I'm liking the responses so far. Racking to a secondary is a major PITA.

 

[z-bob]

I don't get to vote. Sometimes I do a secondary and sometimes I don't. I used to just do a single fermentor, but lately I've been starting most of my beers in a bucket so I can top-crop the yeast, and to get the beer off most of the sediment. It also makes fining with gelatin easier. I move it to a carboy after about a week.

I don't use a bottling bucket, does that count?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Only lagers get a secondary.

 

[AkTom]

Only if I’m making my coconut ipa.

 

[shoengine]

Can't vote as neither are appropriate. I do transfer to an interim vessel for conditioning if the beer calls for it.

 

[beermanpete]

I don't secondary ales but I do for lagers.

 

[RM-MN]

I quit brewing fruit beers years ago so I never use a secondary any more.

 

[germaniumkuiper]

I am not too long in this, so I never do a secondary fermentation.

 

[ESBrewer]

The choices in the poll are kind of strict or even fundamental (I am not surprised because it seems to be such an opinionated topic) But it is no good for you to restrict your thinking and limit your choices to one method only. The situations are variable.

 

[thehaze]

I am with schematix here: secondary is my glass everyt ime. I have never did a secondary, as I never thought it would help. I made plenty of beers with adjuncts like vanilla, cooca beans, coffee, lots of dry hopping, etc. and never thought to myself, that a secondary would help.

 

[myndflyte]

Unless I'm adding something that isn't hops (oak, fruit, etc), it's all in the primary.

 

[cubalz]

Secondary? Not since early the early 90's

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

You need a third choice: I selectively do secondary fermentation. All my big beers spend time in a secondary (my 12% stout is in a keg as a secondary and will be for months....then it'll get racked to a serving keg).

 

[r4dyce]

I'd say no secondary with few exceptions

 

[Craig C]

43 replies and 88% say no secondary. I know the poll was a bit simple and their are many variables which might cause someone to use a secondary when they normally do not, but at least it tells me that a primary will suffice for most brews.

 

[FVillatoro]

Unless you are racking over fruit/other ingredients or bottling, it's just another chance to oxidize and or infect your beer.
And another vessel to clean.

 

[Hopsimus]

I only do a secondary if I'm planning on some extended aging. Mostly for big beers like Belgian Quads, or imperial stouts, and for lagers.

 

[MaxStout]

Did it for a big RIS I aged for 5 months, but that's the only reason I'll use a secondary for beer. I've used them for a few wines, to get it off the lees.

I get why many brew stores recommend using a secondary all the time. 1. Tell new brewers they need to use a secondary. 2. Sell them another carboy. 3. Profit.

 

[pshankstar]

There are only in a few cases where I use a secondary.

• When I am adding fruit, so I will rack off the yeast cake and rack onto the fruit.
• Aging big beers, like an American Barleywine on some oak chips.
• When I am adding any other strange ingredients.

Otherwise, its just the one vessel and into the keg.

 

[homebrewer_99]

In many cases, kegs are a secondary...

 

[mr_stout]

I quit brewing fruit beers years ago so I never use a secondary any more.

I agree. Only use a secondary if you are fermenting something that needs to be removed after a week or so, like fruit or some sort of spice.

 

[mr_stout]

I cannot do a secondary ferment because all my buckets and carboys are filled with beer.

 

[PADave]

I have never have done a secondary.

 

[dmtaylor]

I didn't secondary in past, but now I do. I've been bottling all my beer for the past 19 years and probably always will. For years I said "I don't mind a little haze in my beer". I've recently changed that tune. I want my beers as bright as the sun. I started doing secondaries again about a year ago and I'm happier with my results.

 

[PrrCabin]

This is a really great read!
Tx to everyone who stepped up to the plate and replied to the OP

I always do a secondary but now I don't so anymore

Cabin

 

[John Eberly]

Almost always rack into carboys for a secondary fermentation. My primary fermenter is a 40 gallon cone and it is too big to cold crash in the fridge.

I like to get the beer off the lees when I do large batches as I think it clears and ages better, I often have kegs around for a year or longer.

Even “quick and dirty” beers like a hefe are less muddy with a secondary imho.

As far as this process being “ out of fashion”, how many arcane methods are you guys using just to make “authentic” beers from long ago? I know that bright, non- sour beer might seem quaint with all of the latest fads but that was the goal when I started brewing way back in 1995. So I will keep using this antique approach.