secondary fermentation question

[crammer]

After eight days (I had no activity for final three days) I racked my beer from the primary to the secondary. The secondary has been sitting for two days with no activity and now, on day three in secondary, I have decent amount activity. Possibly an infection or did I jump the gun to rack the brew?

 

[Brewsmith]

It could be you jumpped the gun, or it could just be CO2 coming out of solution. Next time just leave it alone for 2 full weeks. You shouldn't expect to see anything going on in the secondary, and you really don't need it at all unless you are dry hopping or adding more fermentables such as fruit.

 

[annasdadhockey]

Use your hydrometer, Use your hydrometer,Use your hydrometer!!!

 

[red96jeep]

Use your hydrometer, Use your hydrometer,Use your hydrometer!!!

agreed, many times it looks like it has stoped but it's still doing its thing. i like to think of fermenting beer as a ninja, just when it looks all safe BAM you get hit in the face with sharp piece of metal. (ok maybe not but u get the point)

 

[Nurmey]

I think they are trying to tell you to use your hydrometer, however, brewsmith is correct too. Leaving your beer for AT LEAST two weeks in the primary is good. Leaving it four weeks in the primary is even better.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Read this:

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/

 

[corvax13]

Sounds like you roused up some yeasties and they went to war again.

FFREEEDDDOOOMMMM!!!!!

 

[crammer]

I still have activity -- I going to chalk this one up as a wash.

 

[Nurmey]

You have activity because it probably wasn't finished when you racked it. You roused the yeast when you racked it, it took a couple days for the yeast to reproduce enough to get going again, and now it's finishing up.

You need to stop being so impatient. The yeast is going on its own calendar not yours.

 

[BrewOnBoard]

Read this:

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/

NICE! Thanks for that!

BoB

 

[greenleer]

You need to stop being so impatient. The yeast is going on its own calendar not yours.

One of the greatest things I did to help myself make better beer was to put my primary fermentor in a place where I couldn't see it. Out of sight, out of mind type thing. I always had an overwhelming feeling like I should be "doing something" with it if I could see and hear the airlock bubbling (or not bubbling). I'd open and look at it, rack it to another vessel, rouse the yeast, poke, prod, etc.

Set it and forget it. Your beer will thank you.

 

[RudeLead]

I've stopped using a secondary altogether as I feel that the extra air exposure tends to make my beer oxidize easier in the glass. I even dry hop in my primary after 2-3 weeks. I just tie a weight to the hop bag (I don't put it inside the bag), so that my hops are in the center of the beer. That way, yeast won't settle on top of the hops. Although, usually, all the yeast has dropped out before that anyway.

 

[stoutaholic]

You have activity because it probably wasn't finished when you racked it. You roused the yeast when you racked it, it took a couple days for the yeast to reproduce enough to get going again, and now it's finishing up.

You need to stop being so impatient. The yeast is going on its own calendar not yours.

This definitely sounds like the best explanation for what happened, and it also brings up an interesting point about primary-only vs. secondary fermentations, as discussed by Boerderij_Kabouter.

The point here is that it appears that only yeast IN SUSPENSION, are significantly contributing to fermentation/conditioning. Crammer's fermentation had presumably stopped because the yeast had prematurely flocculated. When they were roused, they started doing some work again, because significant fermentables remained in the beer. This leads me to think that if you have the capability, there is no harm in immediately racking your beer off the cake or flushing the yeast cake (if you have a conical) once primary fermentation has finished. Secondary conditioning will still proceed because it is the yeast that remain in suspension that are slowly cleaning up the fermentation by-products. The yeast in suspension, not the yeast in the yeast cake, are the ones responsible for conditioning, and so the yeast cake is completely dispensable.

At least, that is my hypothesis. Let me know if anyone has sources that weigh against this idea.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

The other reason to rack to secondary before the final gravity is reached is the yeast will "scrub" the beer of oxygen thereby significantly reducing the risk of oxidation. If you use a bright tank after the beer is fully attenuated, you should be much more careful about oxidation.