Secondary in bottling bucket question

[rynscull79]

I'm brand new to posting on this board and I just racked my first home brew to my secondary. Everything seems to be going great at this time. I've been reading this forum the last couple weeks and I haven't heard this asked. If you're not supposed to rack into your 6 gallon bottling bucket due to the excess room for oxygen above the beer, what is the difference in leaving it in your 6 gallon primary fermentor for 3-4 weeks? I couldn't think what the difference would be so I thought i'd ask the pros. Thanks!

 

[Warped04]

Hi, and welcome to the forums! As to your question. The easy answer is, when yeast are fermenting they release CO2. That C02 will sit on your beer after your primary fermentation is complete protecting your beer.

 

[superjunior]

plenty of folks don't even rack to a secondary these days, its all good. like warped said there's a blanket of co2 over you beer keeping it nice and cozy

 

[beninan]

Headspace in the bottling bucket does not matter, if you are bottling that day. Most people secondary in a carboy, instead of a bucket, but a bucket can be used.

when in secondary, you would want as little headspace as possible (or so some people say, I personally have not had issues, but I don't want to start any arguments here).

A 6 gallon container (weather it be a bucket, carboy, brew kettle, etc) would be good if you were doing a 6 gallon batch. 5 gallons in a 6 gallon container is too much headspace due to the possibility of oxygenating the beer.

Now about letting it sit in the primary for 3+ weeks, that is perfectly fine. CO2 is heavier than O2, so when fermentation is happening, a blanket of CO2 is formed on top of the beer. Secondary fermentation is actually the wrong thing to call it, because fermentation usually does not happen in the secondary. With no fermentation, no CO2 is produced, leaving the beer in constant contact with the oxygen in the headspace.

 

[rynscull79]

So what if you remove the top from the primary for a peak? Does this release all the CO2 that protected the beer?

 

[Pohljm]

CO2 is heavier than air so it wont jump out of there, but it will migrate. just slid the lid to the side to allow you to draw a sample and move quickly

 

[Warped04]

Pohljm is right. But everytime you pop open the lid, there are other sanitation issues to be aware of, so keep your peaks limited