Racking to secondary

[Razorback_Jack]

Hello group! I'm so glad this resource is here for newbies like me. I've had an ale in primary for 5 days and fermentation has slowed down. I'm leaving town until Monday and just wondering if I should rack to secondary now or wait and let it sit on the yeast for another 5 days. Traveling in July too and I want to bottle before we go so it's drinkable when I come back. So if I rack now it can be in secondary for three weeks before bottling. If I wait until next week, it will only be in secondary two weeks. If I rack now, do I risk slowing down the fermentation? Or would it be better to go ahead and get into secondary?

Thanks in advance for the good advice!

Jackson

 

[LLBeanJ]

Leave it be and bottle it straight from primary when you get back. Secondary? Do people still do that?

 

[j1n]

how long you going to be gone for?

i would say just leave it cause doing a secondary is unnecessary.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

I'm putting in secondary to clarify, and add some oak

 

[mrgrimm101]

5 days is too soon IMO. I let my brews sit in primary for 2-3 weeks and then rack to bottling bucket and bottle..no need for secondary. What style of beer is it? Why do you want to use a secondary at all?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'm putting in secondary to clarify, and add some oak

I honestly wouldn't bother with it for that. It won't clear any more in another vessel and why not just add the oak to primary once ferm settles down?

 

[mrgrimm101]

I honestly wouldn't bother with it for that. It won't clear any more in another vessel and why not just add the oak to primary once ferm settles down?

Agreed it wouldn't clarify any more than leaving it an extra week in primary.

I've read that oak chips can get lost in the settled trub/yeast in primary and they don't have as much of an effect. I could be wrong though..

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've read that oak chips can get lost in the settled trub/yeast in primary and they don't have as much of an effect. I could be wrong though..

Could be, but since they float, I don't think so. It's been a long time since I actually added oak to beer. My SOP these days is to soak the oak in spirits (vodka, bourbon, tequila, whatever) for a few weeks then strain and add the oaked liquor to the finished beer at packaging.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

Thanks for all the advice. Sounds like leaving it in primary for a bit longer will clarify it enough for me. I'll just wait till I get back next week and oak it, then bottle after a couple weeks.