Simple secondary fermentation question

[indewildemanfan]

When people talk about transferring to a secondary fermentor for a week or two before bottling, wouldn’t the sugars be fermented out by the time of bottling and therefore the beer would stay flat?

 

[pittsy]

If you do transfer to another vessel ( some don't bother) you don't add any extra fermentables (sugars) yet . This process is done to improve clarity and to have less sediment in vessel before bottling day , you would keep the vessel at room temp for a few days then if possible lower temp (cold) for a few days even a week . Then on bottling/keg day you would then transfer yet again to a 3rd vessel with sugar/water solution and then bottle.

 

[indewildemanfan]

If you do transfer to another vessel ( some don't bother) you don't add any extra fermentables (sugars) yet . This process is done to improve clarity and to have less sediment in vessel before bottling day , you would keep the vessel at room temp for a few days then if possible lower temp (cold) for a few days even a week . Then on bottling/keg day you would then transfer yet again to a 3rd vessel with sugar/water solution and then bottle.

Thanks for clarifying!

 

[winnywood]

When i do this i bring the temp back up to 20ºc a day before bottleing so secondary ferment can get going quicker.
It also means that the place i do the secondary in i just have to maintain that temp and not have to bring 40+ bottles up to temp first.
But it doesn't really matter as long as there is a nice warm spot for them.

 

[Maysie]

I know this is a personal preference thing, but is a transferring into a 2nd FV to clear the brew really worth doing?

I guess what I am asking is do most people do it or not bother?

Apologies in advance if I have just started an argument... :whistle:

 

[robsan77]

It's an age old question. I only move into another vessel if I'm dry hopping or need the old yeast slurry.
It's more important for commercial brewers to get the beer off the yeast because in their larger vessels, there is more pressure on the yeast that can cause off flavours. Not a problem in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[Maysie]

Lovely job.
I want to keep it simple if possible - particularly until I have got the hang of what I am doing.

 

[winnywood]

Its not nessecery to do but favorable if.

A. You are not or carn't bottle for a while i.e maybe your wife is in labour.

B. You want very little sediment in your bottles.

C. Your going to keg and force carb.

I am starting to do it more because of answer B.

Oh and on the wife in labour bit your beer takes priority so that was a bad example.

 

[Maysie]

Does it make any odds if I will be storing mine in a barrel rather than bottles then?

 

[winnywood]

If your using plastic kegs then not really a issue. because you just put your priming sugar in keg and transfer.
If you want to move your keg around alot i.e take it to your mates then there maybe a advantage of getting less sediment.
For bottleing i would say its worth doing because some beers produce a lot of sediment and it makes easier pouring.

 

[brewtim]

C. Your going to keg and force carb.

There's two ways to look at this one, you can use the keg as a secondary, let the beer sit in there for a week in the cool before carbing, then transfer into another keg where it will be even clearer then carb, no hassles with transporting and kicking up sediment or bottle clear from the keg.

If you are planning on not moving the keg while you drink from it, then you can fill direct from the primary and carb, only the first 1/2 pint and last 1/2 pint, will have any cloudiness (in my experience). After the first pour the dip tube creates a clear path for the beer and doesn't drag anymore sediment with it, it kicks up again when it drains completely along with a load of foam.

 

[jonnymorris]

B. You want very little sediment in your bottles.

Leave it alone in primary and it'll clear faster leading to very little sediment in the bottle.

 

[winnywood]

B. You want very little sediment in your bottles.

Leave it alone in primary and it'll clear faster leading to very little sediment in the bottle.

Yes that that is possible but its best to get it of the trub once its done fermenting.

 

[jonnymorris]

Yes that that is possible but its best to get it of the trub once its done fermenting.

2-3 weeks isn't going to make any difference. Robsan said it welll...

It's more important for commercial brewers to get the beer off the yeast because in their larger vessels, there is more pressure on the yeast that can cause off flavours. Not a problem in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Again - sorry for bumping up an old thread - I don't want to create a new one for a existing discussion...

I've done exactly what the OP described... last night, I racked? from my primary FV to a secondary bottling / conditioning vessel and included priming sugar. My idea was that it should sit for a couple of days before bottling on Sunday.

However, as the OP described, the beer is starting to further ferment...

Am I "wasting" that CO2 that should be going in to carbonate the beer?

Should I bottle as soon as I can* or should I be able to wait until Sunday?

* I'm actually waiting on a delivery of the caps and capper so I could do this today if / when it turns up.

Thanks, Phil

 

[Dexter101]

When bottling usual to do this on the same day. The sugar will then all be used for carbonating and you can accurately gauge how carbonated it would be.

I don't batch prime (at the moment) but I put sugar in the bottle, add fermented wort and cap. give it two weeks to carbonate and 2 weeks to condition before drinking if you can.

 

[MrL73]

That CO2 that is being produced by the further fermentation is what is used to carbonate the beer when it is in the bottle. As it is trapped inside the bottle it gets absorbed by the beer and adds the fizz. By letting it escape like this you are doomed to flat beer when you do eventually bottle.

I don't know what the best advise here is. If it was me, I'd probably let this initial priming sugar ferment out and then add more when you come to bottle it.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I don't batch prime (at the moment) but I put sugar in the bottle, add fermented wort and cap. give it two weeks to carbonate and 2 weeks to condition before drinking if you can.

+1
Spot on what I do

 

[DavidDetroit]

Priming sugar is added just before bottling. Bottle ASAP if you've already achieved your final gravity which is determined using two gravity readings that are the same a day or two apart.
"Secondary" and "bottling bucket" are two different things.
Generally, once the beer is done fermenting, priming sugar is added either by individual or batch priming.
I am interested to see how this turns out for you.

 

[MyQul]

No problem starting a new thread if you want to ask a question