Question about adding to secondary

[ant8344]

I suppose this is more on the scientific side, but when adding fruits/certain spices/etc, why does everyone add them to the secondary as opposed to the primary? Also, why do some add it during the bottling stage as opposed to the secondary?


Thanks.

 

[Parker36]

There are two reasons why it is better to add to secondary vs. primary
1) During primary fermentation, the biological processes are much more active leading to large krausen (think head) levels which could life up any fruits/hops/spices and clog up an airlock or blow off hose
2) Along the same line, because fermentation in primary is so much more vigorous, more CO2 is being let off. This can also "blow off" a lot of the hop/spice/fruit aroma that is so desirable.

As far as adding before bottling, the only time I ever really hear about that is for using flavor extracts. They tend to be a little more volatile and will fade with time, so it is sometimes best to use them as late in the process and as close to drinking as possible.

Hope this help,s welcome to the board.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Along those same lines of adding at packaging, you can also 'spice to taste' by taking a small amount (known amount) of the spice extract and adding this to a measured volume of beer and judging the flavor and add more if needed. Then you can extrapolate to the full volume you will be packaging and add the calculated amount of spice that way, so you know what you will be in for.

 

[ant8344]

Thanks guys, that helps.