I just took the RIS out of the primary and put it into another plastic fermentation bucket. My issue is headspace. I also noticed that there is 1 gallon of yeast/trub left behind so I was only able to transfer 4 gallons (is that a normal amount of yeast from a 1.100 OG?). Do I need to be worried about headspace?
RIS in secondary. Too much head space?
- Thread starter urg8rb8
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BlueHouseBrewhaus
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If you're going to age it a while in secondary, you don't want much headspace. Once it is done fermenting you won't have a protective blanket of CO2 when it goes to secondary. If you keg, or know someone who does, use the CO2 canister to flood the head space with CO2 to purge any air and you should be good. If not, you could add a couple ounces of sugar to kick off a little extra fermentation to produce some CO2. Either way, head space with air = not good. Head space with CO2 = good.
If you're going to secondary, you need to get it out of a bucket. A bucket has a very wide headspace, even if filled to the top. It needs to go into an appropriately sized carboy, or to be bottled, to reduce the oxidation issue.
First of all you do not want to do a secondary in a bucket. They almost always are too big and the lids are notorious for leaking. Unless it is filled to within 1/4 inch of the top it is too much headspace.
Maybe you can tell us why you had so much trub. The yeast will add maybe 1/4" across the bottom of the fermenter. How much did you hop it. There shouldn't have been much. I would only expect another 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. So a gallon seems like a whole lot. I bag my hops and usually only have a quart or so trub/yeast. I also start with a little over 5 gallons into the fermenter so that I end up with 5 gallons packaged.
You really need to get that into a 4 gallon fermenter. Or go ahead and bottle it and age in the bottles.
Maybe you can tell us why you had so much trub. The yeast will add maybe 1/4" across the bottom of the fermenter. How much did you hop it. There shouldn't have been much. I would only expect another 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. So a gallon seems like a whole lot. I bag my hops and usually only have a quart or so trub/yeast. I also start with a little over 5 gallons into the fermenter so that I end up with 5 gallons packaged.
You really need to get that into a 4 gallon fermenter. Or go ahead and bottle it and age in the bottles.
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Not great but if that is the best you can do.. Get it bottled as soon as you can. Of course this weekend is tomorrow??
If you can keg it I would do that. Pressurize with co2, enough to seat the lid, then you can age it for as long as needed. I would go at least a couple months.
I want to add bourbon and possibly more steeped roasted malt. I can do those things after two months right? Then when I'm ready to bottle I should transfer to a bottling bucket?
I wouldn't. I'd bottle right out of the keg, with c02, to protect the beer. If it's going to age well for a long time, oxidation is a huge risk.
If you keg it, just use a c02 tank and picnic tap (a racking cane jams into the tap just perfectly), and bottle when you want to bottle it.
How do I work in the priming sugar? Dump it into the keg?
Why are you considering adding steeped roasted malt? I'm pretty sure that raw grain carries a lot of Lactobacillus, which brings with it the possibility of infecting your batch. Unless that is what you are going for. Someone, please correct me if I am wrong.
ETA: unless you steeped them at a high enough temperature for a long enough time to kill the bugs. But I have no idea what that may be. The typical steep times and temps may be sufficient.
Of course I would do a very small mash then boil the wort down.
That would work too.
Ok, transfered it to a keg! And purged out the oxygen as best I can.
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