Taking my first batch to secondary today

[OlieNH]

Hi All,

I am in the middle of my first batch of home brew. I am doing a True Brew Pale Ale. I am just about to move the brew over to a secondary vessel. The brew has been in primary for 13 days, it is looking clearer and gravity has settled at 1.012, started at 1.049. After 7 days the gravity was 1.015.

I am using glass carboys, 6.5 gallon for the primary and 5 gallon for the secondary. It has been very nice to watch the yeast after week 1, as I have been able to see things that I think would be lost with a plastic bucket. The beer definitely had a slowly swirling cloudy layer half-way down the carboy, I would guess indicating that the yeast is still doing its work.

This afternoon I am going to rack to secondary, clean up the equipment and get ready to start my second batch tomorrow. For that batch I am doing a Summer Honey Wheat from Beer Wine Hobby in MA (http://www.beer-wine.com/products/rom-summer-honey-wheat). Hopefully, I can keep the pipeline of batches coming every two weeks.

After one batch, I am a hardcore homebrew junkie and I am already putting the budget together to invest in kegging supplies and I plan to build a nice Kreezer similar to jester369's.

Erik

 

[Warped04]

Congrats! Good luck with keeping the budget.

 

[unionrdr]

Glad you're enjoying the coolest of hobbies! But,as has been noted by many...during the day at work,I'm as normal as I can be. But by night I'm a home brew junkie! Good Lord,have pity on me! Aaah,but friends I've been spotted lately,with a home brew on my breath. By the end of the day,I stumble into the house,with a face as white as death! I'm afraid that one day,they'll find me layin on my bed. With a bag of DME in one hand,& a 6 pack by my head!

 

[C-Rider]

Hi All,

I am in the middle of my first batch of home brew. I am doing a True Brew Pale Ale. I am just about to move the brew over to a secondary vessel. The brew has been in primary for 13 days, it is looking clearer and gravity has settled at 1.012, started at 1.049. After 7 days the gravity was 1.015.

I am using glass carboys, 6.5 gallon for the primary and 5 gallon for the secondary. It has been very nice to watch the yeast after week 1, as I have been able to see things that I think would be lost with a plastic bucket. The beer definitely had a slowly swirling cloudy layer half-way down the carboy, I would guess indicating that the yeast is still doing its work.

This afternoon I am going to rack to secondary, clean up the equipment and get ready to start my second batch tomorrow. For that batch I am doing a Summer Honey Wheat from Beer Wine Hobby in MA (http://www.beer-wine.com/products/rom-summer-honey-wheat). Hopefully, I can keep the pipeline of batches coming every two weeks.

After one batch, I am a hardcore homebrew junkie and I am already putting the budget together to invest in kegging supplies and I plan to build a nice Kreezer similar to jester369's.

Erik

Why use a secondary? YOu are not dry hopping so what is the purpose? Leave it in the primary for at least 3 weeks and then bottle and enjoy in another 3.5 weeks.

 

[dcp27]

congrats on doing the opposite of many 1st timers and giving this some time!

I'm usually more for waiting longer, but I say celebrate your doing good and bottle that puppy up instead of moving to the secondary. sure giving the extra time will result in a clearer and cleaner tasting beer, but you can learn that next beer.

 

[OlieNH]

Why use a secondary? YOu are not dry hopping so what is the purpose? Leave it in the primary for at least 3 weeks and then bottle and enjoy in another 3.5 weeks.

Great question.

First, I want to start the next batch, so I need to get my primary emptied out and cleaned.

My good friend that got me started on this has been using primaries for everything and his beer is amazing.

So, I am trying not to rush things and eager to get started on the next batch. Otherwise, I would let it sit in primary another week and bottle it.

Thanks for the input guys!

E

 

[edie]

congrats on the first batch. took us 2 batches before we built the keezer. you have no idea how fun it is to pull your own pint. and by own i mean YOU MADE BEER!

enjoy!