Question about primary and secondary

[StrongBad42]

I have seen a lot of people say that they just let their beer sit in primary for 3-4 weeks and then bottle or keg. I actually did it with my first batch that will be done bottle conditioning in about two weeks. My question is: does leaving in the primary for four weeks do the same thing as racking to secondary? It seems like the only reason to secondary is to clear it up. Sitting for four weeks should do the same thing right?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Yeah that's pretty much the theory behind it. Alot of people will only rack to secondary for fruit additions or some other adjunct added in secondary. It's really just a matter of personal preference whether to rack to secondary or not.

 

[GSul]

I feel you'll get some different flavors if keeping in primary for more than about a week (or even a couple days). Beer sitting dormant yeast is what would end up happening. When I rack to a secondary vessel to condition, there is a large quantity of yeast and other material left behing. The settling out of this stuff implies completeness in fermentation. I feel this extra material can end up impacting final flavor after time (up to 4 weeks).

Your best bet would be to wait it out and see. If it is pretty cleared up after 4 weeks, then you did your job well. If not so much, you still do have to option of a conditioning step. Homebrewing is all about trial-and-error

 

[Stones]

I have seen a lot of people say that they just let their beer sit in primary for 3-4 weeks and then bottle or keg. I actually did it with my first batch that will be done bottle conditioning in about two weeks. My question is: does leaving in the primary for four weeks do the same thing as racking to secondary? It seems like the only reason to secondary is to clear it up. Sitting for four weeks should do the same thing right?

Racking to secondary becomes much more important when brewers are lagering their beers for extended periods of time. When the beer sits on large yeast mass in the primary fermenter for extended periods of time you risk the chance of Autolysis imparting off flavors in the finished beer.

Most ales aren't at risk for Autolysis because they are bottled before it can become a problem.

 

[Captain Damage]

Remember that the law of gravity doesn't care whether your beer is in primary or secondary. There's nothing magical about the secondary fermenter that makes earth's gravity pull sediment out of your beer faster.

 

[unionrdr]

Racking to secondary becomes much more important when brewers are lagering their beers for extended periods of time. When the beer sits on large yeast mass in the primary fermenter for extended periods of time you risk the chance of Autolysis imparting off flavors in the finished beer.

Most ales aren't at risk for Autolysis because they are bottled before it can become a problem.

Not so at our level of brewing. It used to be poor yeast quality in the old days that caused autolysis in the 3-4 weeks time it takes to ferment & settle out. Now,with better quality yeasts & such,it doesn't really happen any more.
Commercial brewers have to be concerned with autolysis because they have 100's of barrels of beer weighing down on the yeast & trub.
So don't worry about this autolysis bs & leave it in primary if you want. I do it all the time & don't get dead yeast syndrome. For lagering I'd def move to secondary since it takes a lot of time to accomplish,like as much as 12 weeks. But for the average beer,7-8 weeks brew kettle to glass is average & normal.

 

[jethro55]

I racked a perfectly clear beer from primary yesterday just so I could avoid getting a bunch of floating/buoyant trub in the bottling bucket. I just let it sit in the carboy overnight and bottled today.

A fine mesh filter bag might have done the trick, too. The filter bag works great on my racked dry hop batches, not sure if it will filter the fine trub.

 

[unionrdr]

The best way to not get the trub in the bottling bucket is not to agitate the fermenter while racking. not to mention,leaving the beer in primary long enough to settle out clear or slightly misty. The trub & yeast will be compacted on the bottom by then. Making it easier to rack clear beer over to the bottling bucket.

 

[jethro55]

The best way to not get the trub in the bottling bucket is not to agitate the fermenter while racking. not to mention,leaving the beer in primary long enough to settle out clear or slightly misty. The trub & yeast will be compacted on the bottom by then. Making it easier to rack clear beer over to the bottling bucket.

I agree. That works when there is time to wait out those ornery floaters. Some brews do not drop. They form a permanent sponge. The best way is in the eye of the beerholder.

 

[unionrdr]

I agree. That works when there is time to wait out those ornery floaters. Some brews do not drop. They form a permanent sponge. The best way is in the eye of the beerholder.

Do I hear Metallica here? I guess I've been lucky so far in that the floaters left behind drop after the 3-4 weeks in primary. typically three weeks. Makes me think of Fat Bastard..."'e left a floater!"

 

[jethro55]

Do I hear Metallica here? I guess I've been lucky so far in that the floaters left behind drop after the 3-4 weeks in primary. typically three weeks. Makes me think of Fat Bastard..."'e left a floater!"

Some of these floaters have persisted past 3 weeks. I guess I could have waited. I just used a quicker way to da clean beer bottle.

 

[HomeBrewerB]

Hey I was kinda wondering the same question. Right now I have two 6.5 primary fermentors but I wanted to see the benefits of getting a 5gal carboy. Any input is greatly appreciated! I was also wondering why the secondary has to be in a smaller carboY and not a 6.5? Bucket

 

[jethro55]

Hey I was kinda wondering the same question. Right now I have two 6.5 primary fermentors but I wanted to see the benefits of getting a 5gal carboy. Any input is greatly appreciated! I was also wondering why the secondary has to be in a smaller carboY and not a 6.5? Bucket

The 5 gallon carboy just reduces head space in secondary. Largely paranoia wrt oxidation. If it is still outgassing at transfer, it will be fine in your bucket.

 

[HomeBrewerB]

So it totally fine to do the secondary in the bucket? The owner of my local hb shop was very admit for me to get a 5 gal carboy due to headspace. But I wasnt quite sure why?

 

[whiskeyjack]

If its an ale I wouldnt worry about it just keep it in the primary. If its a lager you can store it in a 5g carboy or my favorite a 5 gallon keg

 

[kh54s10]

I you are going to secondary I would get a 5 gallon vessel. When transferring you will lose the protective layer of co2 on the top of the beer. If the beer has enough off gassing in secondary to rebuild a layer of co2 you would be OK but if not.. Why risk it. I find it much easier just to leave in primary for 3-4 weeks and have seen no ill effects.

 

[HomeBrewerB]

Yeah I dont think I will be doing any lagering for a while and am getting second thoughts on getting a secondary. It seems like the clarification does the same routine as long as I am careful to leave out trub when racking to my bottling bucket and its just extra work and dealing with oxygenating
Thanks guys!

 

[jethro55]

Yeah I dont think I will be doing any lagering for a while and am getting second thoughts on getting a secondary. It seems like the clarification does the same routine as long as I am careful to leave out trub when racking to my bottling bucket and its just extra work and dealing with oxygenating
Thanks guys!

Yes. It just depends on your ability to transfer without globs.

 

[StrongBad42]

I'm currently fermenting 5 gallons in an 8 gallon bucket. It should still be ok after 3-4 weeks yeah? Now that all the O2 has been pushed out through the airlock, there's no worry about oxidation?

 

[Captain Damage]

The key is really to just leave your beer alone. Moving your fermenter around will jostle up the trub and kick yeast clinging to the sides into your beer. Opening it will introduce oxygen. A big advantage to the "long primary" method is that we aren't repeatedly opening or disturbing the fermenter. By 3 weeks at ale temperatures even high gravity ales are done. Take one FG reading prior to bottling and you have your number. We're scrapping the 3-consecutive-readings method - we don't need to know the day the gravity stabilized. This is especially significant if you're using buckets instead of carboys as the wide mouth of the bucket lets a huge amount of oxygen in every time you open it, not to mention the agitation caused by wrestling a stubborn lid off.

Unless you're purging your secondary with CO2, you are oxygenating your beer. This is why many of us now prefer to dryhop in primary. The exception is when racking on to fruit. The fruit has sugar which the yeast will ferment - in this case the secondary actually is a secondary [/i]fermenter[/i]. The oxygen introduced during racking will be consumed by the yeast prior to eating the fruit sugar, similar the way we deliberately aerate wort prior to pitching.

 

[StrongBad42]

Will it still be ok when I dry hop this batch in an 8 gallon bucket or would it be a better idea to move it to a 5 gallon bucket or carboy? What I mean is, when I open the bucket to dry hop, will it let in a lot of O2 and mess with the beer? There's a lot of space in the bucket.

 

[StrongBad42]

Anyone?

 

[billpaustin]

I'm a newb, so I know nothing

I think that every time you move it, you are subject to infection. So go straight from the stove to the carboy, do not go into the bucket, and never open the bucket's lid if you do.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

You should be fine I'd just drop the hops in and seal it back up.

 

[BansheeRider]

Will it still be ok when I dry hop this batch in an 8 gallon bucket or would it be a better idea to move it to a 5 gallon bucket or carboy? What I mean is, when I open the bucket to dry hop, will it let in a lot of O2 and mess with the beer? There's a lot of space in the bucket.

As long as you know how to siphon a beer and sanitize a carboy you will have very little to no risk of infection or oxidation. I like to dry hop in a secondary carboy. Just drop in your hops and rack your beer on top of them.