Why the seconed carboy?
- Thread starter nikon90s
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You don't. In fact, this is the first I"ve heard of doing that.
You may want to move it to a "bottling bucket", though, to make bottling much easier. A bottling bucket, and a bottling wand make bottling quick and easy and ensure a good mixing of the priming sugar/solution and the beer to make sure you get an even carbonation.
You might be thinking about the secondary fermenter. People rack their beers to secondaries to do a few things.
To get them off the yeast, to prevent autolysis(which isn't really a problem homebrewers need to worry about that much)
To help them clarify their beer, either by adding gelatin or leaving it to chill on its own.
Or for dry hopping.
I only secondary when I feel I need to. Members on this forum are kinda split over the importance, or unimportance, of secondaries so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just follow your kit's directions
Puddlethumper
Well-Known Member
I'm a fairly new home brewer too. When I started out I thought it was just standard procedure to rack your beer to a secondary fermenter after a week or so. Have sort of "been to school" this last few months. Now I have two primary fermenters and just figure on leaving the beer in them all the way until bottling day. If there is a lot of trub (yeast, hops, etc) in the bottom of a batch and I just want to clear it up, or if I want to add some oak cubes or extra hops I will go ahead and move the beer to a secondary. Also, I must confess, sometimes I get a little anxious to start another batch, so will move the beer after a week or so to free up a carboy. But the bottom line is that, in most cases, you can leave the beer alone for up to three or four weeks in your primary without any problem.
DirtyOldDuck
Well-Known Member
Members are split, but I wouldn't follow the kit directions. Even if you want to secondary, there is no reason to do it after only a week in primary. Leaving your beer in the primary for two or three weeks is not going to hurt it and will most likely help it. If you are going to bulk age, add fruit, or add oak, racking to secondary is probably a good idea - after a couple of weeks in primary. Dry hop? Throw those puppies in the fermentor at two weeks and leave them for five to seven days and then bottle/keg. Need to free up primaries? Buy more. Food grade 6 gallon buckets are cheap, especially if you buy them someplace other than a LHBS. Just my two cents.
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I wasn't aware that his kit recommended a 1 week primary. Every NB kit I have gotten tells you to primary 2 weeks, and to take gravity readings along the way. Some kits don't even recommend secondaries after the 2 weeks, but they all mention that your hydrometer readings should be stable before bottling. I understand your point that you can take your time in the primary, which I usually do. But I don't think its good advice to tell a beginner not to follow his kits directions. They can be quite helpful
The directions to these kits are good only for brewing, but as far as moving into a secondary or leaving in the primary they are terrible. The kits you buy want you to brew quick so that you can buy another kit and they can make more money. Leave in primary for at least 3 weeks and then move into secondary if need be. Remember, a good clear beer takes time.
Thats a pretty cynical way of viewing your lhbs...
DirtyOldDuck
Well-Known Member
I only brewed one kit and it had crappy directions, but I have read many, many posts from people who say their kit says to rack to secondary after a week, - mine did. I did my homework instead and fermented for three weeks. Maybe some kits have decent directions, but I wouldn't assume they all do. Telling a new brewer to just follow the directions in their kit can also be bad advice. A new brewer can find all the information they need right here.
You must remember this about brewing kit beers. If you buy a kit beer you are normally looking to brew someone else's recipe, as you want to try their proven recipes or you really don't know what your doing just yet. With that being said there is nothing wrong with following the directions to the "t," as it has a proven outcome. Some of the best advice that I got was to follow the directions to the t until you are comfortable enough with the process to make intelligent deviations. I don't believe that it is responsible to suggest changing recipes to new brewers, even the smallest deviation like time in the primary, unless you provide them with honest and credible reasons that you can back up.
Puddlethumper
Well-Known Member
My first half dozen batches were from kits. First a Mr Beer start-up of two beers, then several from a mail order house. Mr Beer said let it ferment two weeks then bottle. The kits all said one week primary, one week secondary then bottle. Every one of those beers tasted better than anything I'd ever gotten from a liquor store.
I lean on forums like this as well as some books on brewing to improve my skills and, hopefully, my brews. But in my experience, the kits usually work and turn out decent beer. The problem with forums is the great diversity of opinions about the best way to do things. And unless a person has brewed a few batches most of the stuff we talk about here is greek to a complete newbie. If I had spent a month on these forums before I brewed my first batch I would probably just gotten confused and quit without trying.
I lean on forums like this as well as some books on brewing to improve my skills and, hopefully, my brews. But in my experience, the kits usually work and turn out decent beer. The problem with forums is the great diversity of opinions about the best way to do things. And unless a person has brewed a few batches most of the stuff we talk about here is greek to a complete newbie. If I had spent a month on these forums before I brewed my first batch I would probably just gotten confused and quit without trying.
DirtyOldDuck
Well-Known Member
With all due respect, I disagree. We are talking about how long to leave a batch in primary and whether to rack to secondary, not what grains, hops or yeast to use or how long to boil or when to add hops. I don't really consider telling someone that there is no reason to rack to secondary (except in the limited circumstances I already mentioned) and just leave it in the primary for two or three weeks as changing a recipe. Lots and lots of members on this site tell other brewers the same thing. If that person has questions about my advice, I am happy to try and answer their questions.
I am glad the advice to follow directions to a "t" worked for you. Personally, I think a new brewer is better off to do his or her own research and ask questions on sites like HBT. Who would learn anything if we answered all questions with, "Just follow the directions in your kit to a "t." Generally, new brewer's are asking questions because the directions don't make sense.
I am glad the advice to follow directions to a "t" worked for you. Personally, I think a new brewer is better off to do his or her own research and ask questions on sites like HBT. Who would learn anything if we answered all questions with, "Just follow the directions in your kit to a "t." Generally, new brewer's are asking questions because the directions don't make sense.
Dirty, my all of my comments aren't directed just at your post, but more so inclusive of the thread far. dwtowler's comments about why most kit recipes set dates for primary and secondary tank change overs was the majority of it. I think that if someone new comes on here, and sees that they comment, which I have seen elsewhere, they may take it as gospel. For your post you made it clear why you would move to a secondary tank, but you generalized most recipe directions as to not being as useful as what a new brewer would find on HBT with regards to brewing their exact recipe at that moment. I understand that you would explain yourself if requested, as to help people out. Just like Puddlethumper stated, the depth of conversation on every aspect of beer making can have a person unsure of what direction to go as some of it is based on opinion. Then there are so many ways on how to do one specific thing that they not know which way to go. If I misread your post, my B.
dawgmatic said:
I don't believe that it is cynical to look at my lhbs like that, they sell equipment and recipe kits to make money, that's why they are in business. I'm not saying that they do not help people with brewing because they do. But when it comes down to it, the more they sell the more they make. If your lhbs store was that great there would be no need for this forum now would there.
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