I understand that there is much debate on weather secondary fermentation is necessary, but I have always done it (four batches of 5 gallons now) and it seems to work for me. My question is, is it better to rack it into a carboy or fermentation bucket(I was just given one for free)? Thanks for the help!
Secondary fermenting in a bucket
- Thread starter robdom3
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
flars
Well-Known Member
Glass will be better because you will lose most of the CO2 that is in solution making oxidation a greater risk. Minimal to no headspace to reduce the amount of surface in contact with air.
while flars is 100% correct that glass is better, I don't think the difference is worth worrying about. If you secondary in a bucket it will work just fine as long as you're careful about splashing and such.
Or you could avoid the issue by just leaving it in primary 
I know you said it's worked so far, but why not just give leaving it in primary a try on your next couple before deciding what works best for you? Seems really early on in this hobby to be deciding something like that.
I personally would never secondary in a bucket unless I had absolutely minimal headspace (like practically touching the airlock/gasket) and I was going to do an actual secondary fermentation, meaning adding some more fermentables in. This will ensure to reduce the chances of oxidation.
I personally would never secondary in a bucket unless I had absolutely minimal headspace (like practically touching the airlock/gasket) and I was going to do an actual secondary fermentation, meaning adding some more fermentables in. This will ensure to reduce the chances of oxidation.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
How does co2 escape from glass but not plastic? Im lost on this one
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
It doesn't.
But the bucket has a very very wide headspace, and it is a bad idea to use it for a secondary. It's ok in primary, because there is some residual c02 in the fermenter even for a short while after fermentation ends, but once the beer is racked the content in the new vessel (carboy or bucket) is room air which is 21% oxygen. A narrow headspace like a carboy (assuming the carboy isn't only half full) is more protective due to the limited contact with that air. A wide headspace in a bucket means that the entire surface of the beer is in contact with oxygen. That's why it's not a good idea to use a bucket as a secondary.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Gotcha.I would think if using sanitary practice it would be highly unlikely for infection after fermintaton from carboy to bucket.But I see the point
It's less about infection and more about oxidation.
In the wine forum people are at great pains to stress the importance of filling secondary vessels right to the neck, topping up with must, wine or water as needed.
Treat these vessels like a big beer/wine bottle. Brewers and brewing instructions over the years don't seem to stress this important point. You don't half fill your beer bottles. You fill them to the neck. Same with wine. There is a reason for this.
A secondary vessel (if you feel the need to use one) should be filled to the neck.
Correctly Filled secondary vessels (Secondary fermentors is a misnomer unless you are adding something that will be fermented)
Treat these vessels like a big beer/wine bottle. Brewers and brewing instructions over the years don't seem to stress this important point. You don't half fill your beer bottles. You fill them to the neck. Same with wine. There is a reason for this.
A secondary vessel (if you feel the need to use one) should be filled to the neck.
Correctly Filled secondary vessels (Secondary fermentors is a misnomer unless you are adding something that will be fermented)
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
I haven't used a secondary in ages.Brains always tickin,I see a project.Drill a small hole in bucket lid.use a dedicated valve off manifold with a tube going in the airlock hole,purge bucket a few times and install airlock and rubber stopper in hole.Oxygen free secondary.Seems simple enough
Well, the whole ideal gas law and the rest of the laws of physics, like Boyle's Law, come into play.
Oxygen comes through plastic airlocks just fine, and silicone bungs, and even the water or vodka in the airlock. So even if you reduce headspace to an absolute minimum in carboy, 1.5 inches across, there will still be micro-oxidation.
But a bucket with 12-16 inches of headspace? no way.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Then that's the end of that idea
Then that's the end of that idea
well, you'll reduce your chance of oxidation that way. Just not eliminate it. And for the effort involved you'd be better off just leaving it in primary.
Well, you should really be racking to a bottling bucket when you're bottling anyways. Even with the use of a secondary, you will still have some yeast sediment that will be easily siphoned out into the last few bottles. In fact, your beer will likely improve some by leaving it a little longer on the yeast cake. And the whole idea that the beer clears faster in a secondary is not only pretty much debunked, but is also pretty illogical.
Similar threads
