Question on my setup

[Jeffdwisc]

Hi,

So I read all the forum posts about secondary and no secondary and it got me thinking. It seems that the consensus here right now is that for most beers a secondary is not needed and can actually be harmful in the sense that there is a larger chance for infection/oxidation when transferring the beer back and forth between containers.

I am in the first week of my first homebrew and I am debating in my mind how to finish it off. I could use any help offered.

Right now I have one bucket with a spigot (where the wort is fermenting) and a glass carboy.

My questions are, if I decide to forgo the secondary how do I go about bottling? Should I siphon from the top or use the spigot? If I was to use the spigot, should I worry about contamination? I sanitized it during brewing, but by the time I bottle I am sure it wont be clean.

Also, if I was to bottle from the primary, how do you prime the beer without mixing the trub all into the beer? Would I need to prime in the bottle? Thanks for the help for a first timer!

 

[eastoak]

I have a fermentor I bottle out of, a Speidel plastic tank, I just pour the priming solution in the top and gently stir. Before bottling I open the spigot full blast into a cup for a bit and that blasts the trub out. Works for me.

 

[kasky99]

Hi,

So I read all the forum posts about secondary and no secondary and it got me thinking. It seems that the consensus here right now is that for most beers a secondary is not needed and can actually be harmful in the sense that there is a larger chance for infection/oxidation when transferring the beer back and forth between containers.

I am in the first week of my first homebrew and I am debating in my mind how to finish it off. I could use any help offered.

Right now I have one bucket with a spigot (where the wort is fermenting) and a glass carboy.

My questions are, if I decide to forgo the secondary how do I go about bottling? Should I siphon from the top or use the spigot? If I was to use the spigot, should I worry about contamination? I sanitized it during brewing, but by the time I bottle I am sure it wont be clean.

Also, if I was to bottle from the primary, how do you prime the beer without mixing the trub all into the beer? Would I need to prime in the bottle? Thanks for the help for a first timer!

If you do not secondary your trub and yeast cake will be in a nice little compact pile on the bottom of the fermenter. I would not use the spigot to rack. I would siphen off of the top into another bucket then boil your bottling sugar and mix it into there. THEN I would use the spigot to bottle out of. 100% the easiest way of doing it in my opinion.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

this is the prefered method compliments of revvy.

 

[Runyanka]

It is much easier to have a dedicated bottling bucket. Cheap and will last a lifetime.

 

[helibrewer]

If you rack correctly and sanitize well there is no harm at all to using your secondary, there just isn't usually a requirement to use it.

Until you get a second bucket, go ahead and rack into your secondary, put an airlock on it and let it rest for a week. When you're ready, use your bucket for bottling.

Using a secondary is no big deal, the main point is that you understand it is an option left up to you, just don't consider it a requirement.

 

[Pie_Man]

It is much easier to have a dedicated bottling bucket. Cheap and will last a lifetime.

+1 - Way less hassle to have a couple fermenters and a dedicated bottling bucket.