Secondary fermentation

[capntschmiteo]

I brewed a clone of dogfish head 60 min IPA. How long should it sit in the secondary fermentor before racking it into the korny keg?

 

[Upthewazzu]

As long as you want or not at all.

 

[BigFloyd]

I vote not at all. If you haven't already racked it to the secondary, why bother?

 

[capntschmiteo]

Isn't it supposed to clear /reduce sediment in the beer?

 

[BigFloyd]

Isn't it supposed to clear /reduce sediment in the beer?

That will happen just as well in the primary and without the increased risk of oxidation that comes with needlessly moving a beer to a secondary (if not adding fruit or long-term aging).

 

[Bordy]

I have a question about secondary fermentation.

All of my fermentation vessels are at least 6 gallons, I was worried about when transferring to the secondary about the headspace and oxygen contamination. Would adding maybe a little corn sugar before transferring help create a little CO2 to purge the oxygen? Or is there anything you can do like this without a Co2 tank?

 

[BigFloyd]

I have a question about secondary fermentation.

All of my fermentation vessels are at least 6 gallons, I was worried about when transferring to the secondary about the headspace and oxygen contamination. Would adding maybe a little corn sugar before transferring help create a little CO2 to purge the oxygen? Or is there anything you can do like this without a Co2 tank?

I recognize a potential problem with that approach. How long does it take for the yeast to start eating that added sugar and produce enough CO2 to push the air out of that volume of headspace? During that period, how much oxygen from the air in that headspace is going to be absorbed into the beer?

You ought to question why it is that you'd want/need to move the beer off the yeast cake and into another vessel in the first place. If there's not a legitimate reason to do it, don't.

 

[Bordy]

I was making a Chocolate Milk Stout and the recipe calls to transfer to a secondary and add cacao nibs. Personally I have always dry hopped in my primary and I know this is a similar process, but I'm still somewhat new and have been trying different things, including secondary fermentation. I know there is a lot of debate when it comes to secondary fermentation, but I am still in my try it and figure it out stage of the learning curve.

 

[norsk]

It's cool to use a secondary when adding cacao or fruit, or even just for the heck of it. Makes it much easier to wash the yeast... That being said, I rarely use a secondary these days, but used them a lot in the beginning. Just keep everything clean and sanitary, and try not to introduce much air into the beer. Have a fun times. Sounds like a tasty beer...

 

[capntschmiteo]

Bordy,

I was just like you, following the recipe and my recipe called to dry hop in a secondary fermentor. So, I was second guessing the movement from primary to secondary. I cleaned the heck out of my secondary fermentor, so I really hope that I did not ruin my beer. I might just transfer my beer into my kegging system.

 

[GASoline71]

I have a question about secondary fermentation.

All of my fermentation vessels are at least 6 gallons, I was worried about when transferring to the secondary about the headspace and oxygen contamination. Would adding maybe a little corn sugar before transferring help create a little CO2 to purge the oxygen? Or is there anything you can do like this without a Co2 tank?

No need to make it more difficult. You can leave it in the primary, and then cold crash it for a couple of days to settle out the remaining yeasties and stuff before racking to the keg. Just hold your auto-siphon, or whatever you use, away from the bottom of the fermenter as you rack the beer to the keg. That way all the junk stays in the fermenter, and the clear beer goes into the keg.

EZPZ.

Gary

 

[pjj2ba]

If you've already got the beer in secondary, leave it there until it clears, and then keg it. Usually there is enough dissolved CO2 in a beer in primary such that the act of transfering it releases enough of it to give you the CO2 blanket when you are done with the transfer.

I like to get my beer out of primary quickly (into a keg) as I don't like the flavors that beers pick up with extended time on the yeast cake. The favors aren't bad, many like them, but I prefers my beers to not have them. I am brewing for myself and my taste buds.