Primary vs Secondary Fermenting

[Dawgbrew]

My first batch of beer, I used only a Primary Fermenter. In the brew store that I go to, all their recipes use 2nd Fermenting. Can I continue to make good beer without using a 2nd Fermenter or is the quality that much better with it? Thanks

 

[Atl300zx]

Many people on here dont use secondaries. Some beers will benefits from getting them off the yeast cake (think lighter, less "flavorful" styles). I wouldnt leave it on the cake more than 3-4 weeks tho.

 

[Dawgbrew]

So when the recipes say, ferment for 5-7 days then add to secondary for 2 weeks, you just leave it in the primary for those 2 weeks right?

 

[RitsiGators]

You will be fine without a secondary for pretty much any beer. If you really want to secondary you could also just transfer the beer to your stock pot or bottling bucket, clean out your primary, and then rack back into your primary (now your secondary).

 

[Dawgbrew]

Ristsigators,

if you do use your bottling bucket and it says 2 weeks in secondary, do you leave it in there for a week and put it back in the primary for the 2nd week, so that when it's time to bottle you'll have the bottling bucket available? Thanks

 

[Weizenwerks]

Seems like a lot of extra hassle. Keep it simple. Fermenter to priming vessel to bottle/keg.

 

[RitsiGators]

Basically you are just putting it into your bottling bucket long enough for you to clean your primary and then you can follow the instructions on how long to secondary it.

Basically secondary fermentation's purpose is to get the beer off the trub and yeast cake or to add fruit and other adjuncts that require more room.

I have only done secondary fermentation twice though, and I would recommend only using primary fermentation. Unless you have the sanitation down really well the risk of infection and oxidation outweigh any risks from leaving your beer in primary.

Just brew your beer, put it into the primary, leave it for 2-4 weeks, take a hydrometer reading to make sure it is ready and bottle!

 

[edmanster]

I use secondary for my really light beers that I want crystal clear and for my really big beers that I don't have a keg to use for a long period of time. I also use my secondaries for cider, mead and grape wine.. Beer doesn't really need a secondary and many people don't use them!

 

[Atl300zx]

Ristsigators,

if you do use your bottling bucket and it says 2 weeks in secondary, do you leave it in there for a week and put it back in the primary for the 2nd week, so that when it's time to bottle you'll have the bottling bucket available? Thanks

No, just as was discussed above, just put it in the bottling bucket long enough to clean and sanitize your primary. The valve at the bottom of the bottling bucket is hard to sanitize properly so that is why people don't leave it in the bottling bucket for any period of time.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

I really think that a secondary can help clear a beer that has a lower floc yeast like a kolsch yeast or something. That being said, I would leave a beer in primary for 2-3 weeks before I even thought about transfering.

 

[jtkratzer]

Many people on here dont use secondaries. Some beers will benefits from getting them off the yeast cake (think lighter, less "flavorful" styles). I wouldnt leave it on the cake more than 3-4 weeks tho.

You can go for several months and be just fine. I got wrapped up with work, kid, life, etc and one of my best beers to date was in the primary for 8 weeks.

So when the recipes say, ferment for 5-7 days then add to secondary for 2 weeks, you just leave it in the primary for those 2 weeks right?

I leave almost every beer I make other than wheat/hefeweizen styles in the primary for at least 4 weeks.

Wheats are out as soon as they're done fermenting and into the bottles so I can drink them as fresh as possible.

The only 2 beers I have used a secondary or clearing vessel for have been a Christmas beer that had fruit/yeast scum floating on the top and sediment on the bottom and there was no way I was going to get non-chunky beer if I went directly to the bottling bucket and the other was an IPA I dry hopped, but you can dry hop in the primary as well.

Every Brewer's Best Kit I've seen recommends racking to a secondary...probably to get you to buy a secondary and to open up your primary so you can buy another one of their kits and brew again.

Buy more buckets and brew more often to get your pipeline going. Try to let your beer sit for a while and see what you like.

Read/skim this thread:
To Secondary or Not? John Palmer and Jamil Zainasheff Weigh In

 

[Dawgbrew]

^^^^

 

[Hopheader]

"THE" thread on this topic as indicated above.

Typically, beers shouldn't "clear better" just by going into a secondary. Think about it, you're disturbing the sediment and resuspending it when you rack no matter how careful you are. It will just settle 'again', not any 'better.' COLD TEMPERATURES will help to speed up the settling/clarification process. As an aside: if you have the ability to cool the beer a few degrees (or down to near freezing if you can--I said NEAR!) it'll clear nicely. IF that's the style of beer you want.

Taking it off 'that junk' can do more harm than good. Things like Acetaldehyde and Diacetyl, for instance, can be imparted from leaving the yeast bed before "it is finished".

Read the great thread indicated above. And sign up on it for updates when posted.

And also keep in mind: any racking or sampling or testing of your beer is just another way to get bad stuff into your beer.

J

 

[Exiledsilver]

My husband and I started brewing together on our first wedding anniversary as a way to bond a little over something we both enjoy, well as his excuse to brew lol. He's brewed one batch of white house honey ale with just a primary fermentation and it was just fine. I've brewed a batch of west coast radical red ipa also just primary fermentation and it is aging wonderfully in the bottle, beautiful clarity and taste. We also brewed a batch of deadringer ipa which is by unanimous decision being secondary fermented as we felt it would improve it's taste since the trub was extremely thick. We've come to the conclusion that as long as your sanitation is down pat and you're comfortable with secondary fermentation it will help improve your brews taste. I'm beginning to experiment with yeast starting because I tend to enjoy more complex brews with higher gravity. He's of the we'll see opinion. He's already bowed to me as the better Brewer but I concede he's learned more about how he likes his brew.