Fine, prime or secondary?

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TheRedDarren

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Hi guys,
as some of you will know I've just started brewing.
I've got my first batch in the FV and after 8 days I just took a hydro reading.
It started at 1042 and 8 days later, after it had stopped bubbling for a few days, its 1010.
It tasted great, I'm really excited about the flavour, very full and quite bitter.
Now, a few things I nee to clarify...
1: As I said, it had stopped bubbling for a few day but after replacing the lid after taking a sample, it started bubbling again. Have I crudely restarted the fermentation process? Is it just fresh air being expelled by co2? I did have to move the FV up onto a table where it will stay now, did that disturb it?
2: I would quite like to secondary ferment it, but I don't have a glass vessel, only a second plastic FV. Should I leave it for a few days and keg it? Can I use the other FV to batch prime it and then decant to a keg after a few more days?
Should I just keg it now and then leave for a few more weeks?

My concern is having taken the lid off and introduced air, I'm worried about infection. I know if I rack it to a keg and start secondary fermentation it should be safer after producing more co2...

3: This may well be answered within the two questions above, it's very cloudy with a lot of bits hanging in it, probably due to me moving it, do I need to add finings? Is this normal at this stage? I'm sure it is, but would like a nice clear pint when its ready.

Thanks in advance!
 
After 8 days out is going to be cloudy. I would leave for another week at least. I would move to another FV and wouldn't worry about the introduction of air if you only opened it to check after 8 days. I normally leave my brews for about 10 days in FV and then move to another for about another 10 which will give clear beer and you don't need to add finings to it
 
+ 1 to Ian
I feel there's far too much unnecessary worry/stressing over perceived oxygen/bacteria introduction around.
You can batch prime into a second FV but if your barreling just rack into your PB with priming sugar, Festival kits come with a sediment filter bag which can also make things easier.

Rob.
 
My thoughts :-

1) Moving it will have roused the yeast and sparked some activity. As would lifting it onto the table where the air is warmer. You'd be surprised what difference a few feet can make in a house temperature wise and what difference a degree can make to yeast activity - I increased a brewfridge's temperature up by a degree and some wine which had stopped fermenting literally starting fizzing.

2) I wouldn't put it into a secondary. Just leave it. Don't worry about infection, there would have been a layer of CO2 over the beer and it is naturally anti-bacterial.

3) Cloudy is natural. I wouldn't add finings until it has finished fermenting. Do you have the ability to crash cool it ? Sticking it somewhere where it is 5 degrees for a few days does a good job of clearing it. If not you can put your finings and priming sugar in the PB. The finings drop the yeast out of suspension but they can still do their job of priming and conditioning.
 
If you are kegging and this is your first brew I would leave it alone for another week, check with another hydro reading and if not changed then keg - adding priming sugar to your keg before syphoning into the keg. Then leave the keg in the warm for 2 weeks then move to somewhere cooler for 'cold conditioning' for at least 2-3 weeks before drinking - it may take a few more weeks longer to become clear in the keg.

Secondary fermentation is the process of carbing your beer up, which you want to happen in the keg so you get 'fizzy' beer when its ready to drink.

You can add more steps to your brewing processes as you move forward to help with clearing but I would keep this first brew simple - you will still end up with decent beer.
 
Secondary fermentation means different things to different people. It is mainly used these days to mean transferring the beer into a second FV to get it off the dead yeast and allow it to settle abd condition prior to kegging or bottling.
 
Secondary fermentation means different things to different people. It is mainly used these days to mean transferring the beer into a second FV to get it off the dead yeast and allow it to settle abd condition prior to kegging or bottling.

Hi Clibit,

I usually rack to a secondary FV to aid clearing and get the wort off the trub after about 2 weeks of primary fermentation. Never thought of this myself as 'secondary fermentation' - to me its just on-going primary fermentation in a clean vessel.

Not saying your wrong just never twigged or noticed others calling this 'racking to secondary FV' stage as 'secondary fermentation'.

Learning something new everyday !
 
Hi Clibit,

I usually rack to a secondary FV to aid clearing and get the wort off the trub after about 2 weeks of primary fermentation. Never thought of this myself as 'secondary fermentation' - to me its just on-going primary fermentation in a clean vessel.

Not saying your wrong just never twigged or noticed others calling this 'racking to secondary FV' stage as 'secondary fermentation'.

Learning something new everyday !


Some people refer to the priming stage as secondary fermentation as you are actually introducing a small secondary fermantable.
 
Some people refer to the priming stage as secondary fermentation as you are actually introducing a small secondary fermantable.

Thats what I refer to as secondary fermentation - ie. the priming/carbing up stage.

I was surprised that some call the racking to secondary FV to aid clearing (not priming) 'secondary fermentation'.

Anyway, this discussion could confuse the original poster :doh:
 
No, it's all good.
Makes me realise that rather than doing 'wrong' things there are many right ways to get the same (or there abouts) result.
Many thanks all.
 
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