Just try leaving it in the primary 3 weeks or so. It will be clear. You can also warm the fermenter up a few degrees 70 Max for the last couple days. This will allow the yeast to clean up after itself.
Revvy, you have been and always will be my hero.....
I just bottled my Pliny clone after 14 days in the primary and 14 days dry-hopping in the same primary. The 1/2 beer I had left over was absolutely amazing. I can't wait for the batch to carb up. I am officially in now, no more secondary transfers for my beer, period.
hate to bring this dead horse back up, but I was wondering how the no secondary stands for big beers aka RIS's, Barley Wines etc. When directions for kits call for aging of 4 months, is NOT racking to secondary also "ok"? Great thread though.
hate to bring this dead horse back up, but I was wondering how the no secondary stands for big beers aka RIS's, Barley Wines etc. When directions for kits call for aging of 4 months, is NOT racking to secondary also "ok"? Great thread though.
but with all the extra trub and yeast cake at the bottom of the primary, any suggestions when siphoning to be sure I don't draw gunk into my bottling bucket? I want my beer to be as sparkling as Revvy's!
Have been reading this and related threads for some time now, and have finally drunk Revvy's Kool Aid - or maybe it was Sweet Stout. I'm going to retire my secondary for awhile, switching approach to primary for 4 weeks or so and then bottle. So here's my question - I know that the same stuff that settles out in the primary will settle out in that extra time in the primary, but with all the extra trub and yeast cake at the bottom of the primary, any suggestions when siphoning to be sure I don't draw gunk into my bottling bucket? I want my beer to be as sparkling as Revvy's!
so now the question is let it finish in the plastic bucket primary fermenter or rack (risk contamination/airation) to a secondary glass carboy for further clearing?
I'll carefully stir the wort so I don't scrape the yeast on the bottom with the stirrer. Sound good?
to ensure my priming sugar has mixed well with the wort
Why not just tie a microfiber hops bag to the end of the siphon? That will certainly prevent any yeast cake from entering a bottle or keg.
To avoid fighting, both approaches work.
My own experience:
I use a primary only, but it's glass. Since I do wine as well as beer, I only have 6 gallon carboys. I don't own a 5 gallon carboy anymore(last one broke). I just brew the beer in the 6 gallon carboy as a primary for 3-4 weeks, then keg and/or bottle. Makes clean tasting beer!
Lot's of headspace without CO2 production equals exposure to O2. During active fermenting, a lot of CO2 is given off, and it protects the beer. Keeping the beer in primary the whole time under airlock does that for you. The O2 gets pushed out, while the CO2 blankets the beer. When a secondary is used, typically it's moved while still fermenting(1 week) so that there is still some CO2 production, and into 5 gallon containers so there is less headspace = less O2.
In winemaking, when we go to secondary, which is AFTER almost all fermentation is complete, we "top up" within a couple of inches of the neck(when using carboys). As we sometimes leave the wine in a long time and rack multiple times over several months, we try to minimize O2 exposure as much as possible. Like with beer, O2 is great to get the yeast started, but not good when the yeast are done.
Extra racking can cause more O2 to get into beer. This is one of the several reasons many people have chosen to stay in primary only. It's easier, there is less O2 exposure, there is less cleaning/sterilizing, and it produces good beer. We used to think you needed to do 2-stage to get quality beer. As one who has brewed off and on since the 70's, I've seen many myths get broken and I think this is one. I think perhaps the yeast wasn't as clean back then, and we also didn't leave the beer in long enough (at least I didn't).
But both techniques can produce award winning beer, if one is careful and uses common sense. With single stage, you should leave it in long enough to clear, and rack more carefully off the sediment. With two stage, you need to pay attention to the increased opportunity for O2 exposure due to the extra racking. Good beer is good beer, no matter how you get there.
RDWHAHB,
Rich
Somebody please correct me if i'm wrong, but i seem to remember reading that using something to strain the beer at that point in the process could possibly lead to oxidation. Something to consider.
To go back a few post...
Why would you decide to use a secondary when adding Oak vs say, dry hopping? What about crushed mint? Would the addition of either of these require a secondary carboy when the beer would only be in the secondary for 7-10 more days before kegging?
I usually skip the secondary, but wonder if I shouldn't in these cases. The mint and the oak are going in different beers.
thanks!
There has been a lot of controversy within the homebrewing community on the value of racking beers, particularly ales, to secondary fermentors. Many seasoned homebrewers have declared that there is no real taste benefit and that the dangers of contamination and the cost in additional time are not worth what little benefit there may be. While I will agree that for a new brewer's first, low gravity, pale beer that the risks probably outweigh the benefits; I have always argued that through careful transfer, secondary fermentation is beneficial to nearly all beer styles. But for now, I will advise new brewers to only use a single fermentor until they have gained some experience with racking and sanitation.
Leaving an ale beer in the primary fermentor for a total of 2-3 weeks (instead of just the one week most canned kits recommend), will provide time for the conditioning reactions and improve the beer. This extra time will also let more sediment settle out before bottling, resulting in a clearer beer and easier pouring. And, three weeks in the primary fermentor is usually not enough time for off-flavors to occur.
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