SUPERB! - I'm a convert!

[YeastGardener]

Thanks to this forum I have now modified my brewing practice to single vessel fermentation - and I can honestly say that my first NEW brew is far 'cleaner' (in a shorter time.) - clean tasting within 3 weeks!

Previously, I used to go (too early) into a secondary vessel, and then (too early) to barrel up. I used to wait 8 weeks before the bitterness was gone. My previous idea of 'continually' transferring (to get rid of old yeast), must have been 'noob worries' - for far too many years!

THANKS homebrewtalk.com! - I'm a convert - let the original yeast do their work!

Congrats' to all of you - for sharing your knowledge.

Hope this helps all other 'noobs'!

YeastGardener.

(PS, yes I know that many of you need a secondary vessel etc.; it's the PRINCIPLE of not being TOO QUICK that I'm commenting on.)

 

[eschatz]

Great job. It only gets better!

 

[fretsforlife]

I too am leaning this way. Im just starting to taste beers that I've let sit in primary for weeks before straight to bottle. Huge difference!

 

[w1nk5]

If you are going to use a single fermentation is it better to use a pail or a carboy? I have both, they came with a kit I got but the carboy is only 5gal. I'm worried I won't leave enough head room for the fermentation. I do have the pail which is larger, but I would really like to see the fermentation take place in the carboy.

Any advice?

 

[sempf]

The way it was explained to me - the pail is for primary, where you need headroom, The carboy is for secondary, where you want to limit the surface area of the beer as much as possible (with the neck of the bottle).

OP is right though. I go straight from primary to bottles for lots of my beers, and have learned not to rush on those that need a secondary.

S

 

[BierMuncher]

...I do have the pail which is larger, but I would really like to see the fermentation take place in the carboy....Any advice?

By about your 10th batch, the intrigue will fade.

A 5-gallon carboy is too small in my opinion.

Stick with the bucket or invest in some 6.5 or larger carboys or better bottles.

 

[YeastGardener]

By about your 10th batch, the intrigue will fade.

Yeah, been there!.

w1nk5 - what is being said, I think, is that vessel 'type' is not as important as letting the yeast do their work - watching it is fine, but, by my experience, I have been far too anxious to get on with it. Relax! it'll taste good, whatever you do - eventually! Have fun!

Cheers to all of you experienced guys for helping us all along!

YeastGardener.

 

[snailsongs]

I tend to use a secondary only when I want to quickly clear a beer of excess sediment for faster consumption (oh, and it's good for dry-hopping too)......If I brew a moderate or low strength session ale (which most of my brews are) and I want to dig in to it after two weeks or so, I tend to rack after a week to 10 days, then secondary for 1 week just to clear it faster.......
.....it's the beers (like the 1.068 oatmeal stout in my basement) that I am not in a hurry over, or that a long conditioning period is part of the plan that I just leave sit on the yeast cake.....that thing packs down hard if you wait long enough, and really starts to resemble a cake. Those beers get cleaned up and smoothed out better.

 

[michaelm]

By about your 10th batch, the intrigue will fade.

LIEZ LIEZ I TELL YOU!!!!!

I just used a bucket for the first time and its killing me to not be able to see my beer!! LOL

I use what the beer looks like ALOT as an indicator in when I bottle it.. I usually let it just sit in the primary until its clear (3-4 weeks) Not being able to see whats going on really is disturbing me.... but I guess I am just OCD that way LOL

 

[ChshreCat]

I stopped by one of my LHBS today to get some hops and I think I talked the guy working there into doing a 3+ week primary and skipping the secondary on the batch he just brewed.

 

[YeastGardener]

LIEZ LIEZ I TELL YOU!!!!!

I just used a bucket for the first time and its killing me to not be able to see my beer!! LOL

I use what the beer looks like ALOT as an indicator in when I bottle it.. I usually let it just sit in the primary until its clear (3-4 weeks) Not being able to see whats going on really is disturbing me.... but I guess I am just OCD that way LOL

Yeah, we really are 'TV nations' aren't we? There'll be a soap opera for 'armchair brewers', soon. (BTW Have you taken any vids yet? - for the archive, of course.)

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

(BTW Have you taken any vids yet? - for the archive, of course.)

Beer porn is just like real porn. Photos are good.....Movies are better!

 

[YeastGardener]

Beer porn is just like real porn. Photos are good.....Movies are better!

... just in case you forgot what the bubbling looked like ...

 

[Nukesquad]

I'm still on the bubble on "to use or not to use" for a secondary vessel. I have had a few brews that require of couple of weeks in the primary, but I've also had a few that I transfer once the initial fermentation slows and transfer it to secondary. I know that a couple of weeks won't have any adverse effects, but at what point does autolysis occur, that I should be concerned in getting the brew off of the sediment. Just curious.

 

[Nurmey]

I'm still on the bubble on "to use or not to use" for a secondary vessel. I have had a few brews that require of couple of weeks in the primary, but I've also had a few that I transfer once the initial fermentation slows and transfer it to secondary. I know that a couple of weeks won't have any adverse effects, but at what point does autolysis occur, that I should be concerned in getting the brew off of the sediment. Just curious.

I've gone up to 3 months and the beer turned out great. Generally I primary for 4 to 6 weeks. It used to be 2 or 3 weeks but the longer I've gone out, the clearer and cleaner tasting the beer has become so now I always go 4 weeks and sometimes more.

 

[YeastGardener]

I've gone up to 3 months and the beer turned out great. Generally I primary for 4 to 6 weeks. It used to be 2 or 3 weeks but the longer I've gone out, the clearer and cleaner tasting the beer has become so now I always go 4 weeks and sometimes more.

Great info; and do you mean 3 months in the primary alone?

This makes me ask whether anybody has managed to get an autolysis taint in their primary? If so, how long had it been in there?

YeastGardener.

 

[ChshreCat]

Great info; and do you mean 3 months in the primary alone?

This makes me ask whether anybody has managed to get an autolysis taint in their primary? If so, how long had it been in there?

YeastGardener.

If you're getting autolysis on your taint, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

By about your 10th batch, the intrigue will fade.

A 5-gallon carboy is too small in my opinion.

Stick with the bucket or invest in some 6.5 or larger carboys or better bottles.

Hell a 6.5 is too small, I prefer my 13 gallon carboys.

 

[Nurmey]

Yes, 3 months in primary. I think it's really hard to get autolysis to happen. I suppose if you put your primary in a really warm area you might have some after a few months.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Celler temps for long tyerm aging on the cake.

 

[YeastGardener]

If you're getting autolysis on your taint, you're doing it wrong.

There aint no taint on my autolysis, I assure you.