"Secondary" fermentation and its purpose/devices?

[joegocal]

So my first batch has reached and held for 3 days at something resembling a final gravity(well it did around Christmas, I was just to busy to worry too much about it,) yay! but I have read that a lot of people leave it there for about another week so it can clear up instead of racking it. Since I was busy, and also didn't feel like sanitizing all my siphoning stuff I chose to do that.

I am given to understand that the reason to leave it in longer is to let the yeast "clean up" and also to let the sediment settle out. Well the beer tastes right, making me think the yeast are done. and I can see no sediment, though it does appear a tad cloudy. So what am I actually waiting for and what can I expect to see when the beer is ready for bottling?

 

[jackers252]

Leave it in the primary for one month. While you are waiting, research here on homebrewtalk.com, there is plenty of good info on primary only fermentation.

 

[NorthRiverS]

Joe,

If it has reached it's final gravity for that long, go ahead and bottle it. It will continue to settle and clear while carbonating. No worries......

NRS

 

[D0ug]

If it's cloudy there is still yeast in it. If you leave it in the primary until it clears, you will have less sediment in your bottles once they've carbed up.

At least, that's been my experience.

 

[osagedr]

You can rack it to a secondary; there will still be plenty of yeast to "clean up" (whatever that means) your beer and your primary will be free to start a new batch. If you don't need the primary you can leave your beer in it without risk for a very long time. Some homebrewers believe there is a benefit to doing so.

 

[joegocal]

Ythere will still be plenty of yeast to "clean up" (whatever that means)

It seemed the easiest way to say "the sediment will settle and the yeast will consume some of the byproducts from primary fermentation. resulting in an all around better beer.

John Palmer uses it in "How to Brew" 1st edition.

http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-3.html

 

[osagedr]

It seemed the easiest way to say "the sediment will settle and the yeast will consume some of the byproducts from primary fermentation. resulting in an all around better beer.

John Palmer uses it in "How to Brew" 1st edition.

http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-3.html

Right; that should happen in a primary or secondary.