Secondary question

[PhoenixCoyote]

Hi Everybody,
I have a bucket for a primary, never used a secondary. Made 4 batches in December, just tried them all last week. All are very harsh and bitter, not very clear either. Some suggest the yeast was the problem. All batches were "Brewers Best" kits, nottingham dried yeast, crushed grain, canned malt, sprayed dry malt.
I know a secondary will help. Will a carboy be better than a bucket? Does the temp need to be the same as the primary was? And do i need an airlock on the secondary?
I have a batch fermenting now, if this one taste the same as the others, then i might be doing something wrong. I will try a regular recipe next from the HBS.
Thank You for reading, i appreciate everyone who has taken the time to reply with advice and comments to my other posts also. You guys rock!

 

[brewhead]

one man's harsh and bitter is another's heaven. hop heads run rampant in our club so your brew may fit in.

for most ales - sitting on a yeast cake for even a month will not cause problems.

i do not use an air lock on the secondary - i use a carboy cap. there's not a whole lot of fermentation going on in the secondary as it's mostly used for clarification.

could you list the types of beer the 4 batches are? they sound like extract with grains - in which case improper handling of grains could cause tannins which can cause harshness and bittnerness...but it's hard to say with no recipes and no techniques used.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Could be you squeezed the water out of your grain bag and got tannins in your brew...

 

[PhoenixCoyote]

one man's harsh and bitter is another's heaven. hop heads run rampant in our club so your brew may fit in.

for most ales - sitting on a yeast cake for even a month will not cause problems.

i do not use an air lock on the secondary - i use a carboy cap. there's not a whole lot of fermentation going on in the secondary as it's mostly used for clarification.

could you list the types of beer the 4 batches are? they sound like extract with grains - in which case improper handling of grains could cause tannins which can cause harshness and bittnerness...but it's hard to say with no recipes and no techniques used.

Hello Brewhead,
The 4 batches were German Oktoberfest, German Amber, Red Ale and American Light. All had grain for steeping. Directions say to place grain filled bag in kettle, heat to 160 F (2 gallon) then steep for 20 minutes. Lift bag out, i did not squeeze the bag. Bring to boil, stir in malt syrup and dry malt, stir until boiling, add bittering hops, boil for 55 minutes, add finishing hops last 5 minutes.

On all batches, primary for one week then to bottles. Thanks.

 

[Crash501]

the best thing I can suggest... that has helped me in my short brewing career is a diary. I made some beer that tasted wonderful, and I had exactly how long i boiled and cooled everything, exact amounts used on all ingredients etc. I mean everything, including how many hours in ferment (not sure you wanna go that far) but I'm able to recreate the same beer almost, every time. Its all about consistency and temp control i've found. The same could be, you could be like well I dont like this brew, and alter it. when you find the way that works for you its recorded. Also try making half batches, that way if you dont like it, you dont have 5 gallons of beer you hate lol. Thats just my two cents and i'm a total newbie, but hey it works for me, mabey it will work for you

 

[Crash501]

also if my garmmers isnt the best its because I tapped my fresh batch of hard cider tonight and i'm about ducking frunk.

 

[PhoenixCoyote]

also if my garmmers isnt the best its because I tapped my fresh batch of hard cider tonight and i'm about ducking frunk.

Thanks for the advice. I want to make a hard cider myself, and a fruit beer. I will get a recipe and hopefully start one on payday. Thanks again.