Pre-Second Brew Questions

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defdans

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Hi All,

First, i want to give sincere thanks for previous advice. My first batch of Nut Brown Ale is conditioning right now. Should be ready in a couple weeks. I tasted it before bottling and it tasted very good.

so i'm moving on to my second batch, a vanilla bourbon porter recipe i got from my LHBS. My first batch i fermented in my bottling bucket.

this batch obviously requires that i transfer to a secondary for the bourbon and vanilla. so my first question is: Can I primary in my carboy, then transfer to my bottling bucket for secondary and bottling? Or should I primary in bucket, transfer to carboy, then transfer back to the bucket for bottling? I am trying to keep it simple, but i dont want to be so simple/easy at the expense of good beer. Also, how the hell do you clean a glass carboy? Just let it soak with some B-brite for several hours?

Second, the extract recipe i am using calls for 3 steeping bags, 1 large and 2 small. am i correct in assuming that the 2 small ones are for the 2 different sets of hops to be added? I don't have the recipe in front of me, but it calls for one at 60 minutes and the other at something like 15 minutes. My Nut brown used hop pellets and i just chucked them in the boil, so i just want to make sure i'm understanding. Also, 60 minutes means I put them in at the beginning of the boil, and 15 minutes means I put them in with 15 minutes left in the boil, right?

I also got a floating thermometer from my LHBS and when i asked if it was safe to just leave it in there and the guy said he wouldn't do that. so why is it a floating thermometer if i have to hold it in there every time i want to check the temperature? Was the LHBS guy wrong? is there a better option i should get that I can just leave in there? Or am i really only supposed to care about the temperature when cooling the wort (at which time it's ok to leave it in there?). Here's the one i have:

http://www.southernbrewingwinemaking.com/thermometer-floating

Thanks!
 
I would primary in the bucket, secondary in the carboy and go back to the bucket for bottling.

Everything you said looked good as far as the hops. I throw them right in, but use a sack if you want.

As far as the thermometer, I don't know. Probably no need to leave it in, especially in a bucket because you can't see it.
 
I've never used one myself, but I believe the primary concern with the floating thermometers is that they have been known to break, resulting in a ruined batch. For that reason, I'd heed the advice of LHBS guy.

Edit: Also, I'll 2nd what freisste said regarding bucket/carboy usage. Since your secondary isn't really a secondary (no new fermentables have been added, therefore no new CO2 being produced), you want to minimize headspace to reduce chances of infection and oxidation, and that's where the carboy shines.
 
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