Best Time To Rack To Secondary?

[barneyb]

I've got a Pale Ale fermenting with US-05 that I boiled up 7 days ago. As I want to get another batch on ASAP for the Xmas period I was planning on racking this one to my new secondary fermenter, starting batch 2 in the original fermenter and then bulk priming the first brew straight in the secondary a week later.

I wanted to do this tomorrow but I noticed this morning that the beer is still getting airlock bubbles, albeit slowly. Now I know to never trust the airlock but if it is still bubbling I assume the S.G. hasn't stabilised - so my question it, is it ok to rack to secondary before primary fermentation is complete? Or should I wait until the S.G. has stabilised?

 

[Pennywise]

I'm not a racker, but it's my understanding that you should do it before it's finished, because if it's done then you wont be able to get a good co2 blanket over it to protect it.

 

[hefevice]

I've got a Pale Ale fermenting with US-05 that I boiled up 7 days ago. As I want to get another batch on ASAP for the Xmas period I was planning on racking this one to my new secondary fermenter, starting batch 2 in the original fermenter and then bulk priming the first brew straight in the secondary a week later.

I wanted to do this tomorrow but I noticed this morning that the beer is still getting airlock bubbles, albeit slowly. Now I know to never trust the airlock but if it is still bubbling I assume the S.G. hasn't stabilised - so my question it, is it ok to rack to secondary before primary fermentation is complete? Or should I wait until the S.G. has stabilised?

Is the new fermenter big enough for the next batch? If so, I would leave the current batch in the existing fermenter (on the yeast) and use the new fermenter for the next batch. Assuming you have controlled the fermentation temperature, there is no real need to rack to a secondary fermenter if you intend to get the beer off the yeast within 2 - 3 weeks of pitching. I'd get a bottling bucket for bulk priming.

 

[barneyb]

The main reason I was planning to rack to secondary was so I could bulk prime straight in the secondary fermenter a week later. It has a tap and has a rip lid so is ideal for bulk priming.

Basically my plan was:

Week 1: Start brew 1 in fermenter A
Week 2: Move brew 1 to fermenter B, start brew 2 in fermenter A
Week 3: Bulk prime brew 1 in fermenter B and bottle
Week 4: Rack brew 2 to fermenter B and prime/bottle

The racking is less to do with "moving off the yeast cake" and more to do with getting 2 brews on within a week of each other with the equipment I have available.

Hope this makes sense!

I'm not a racker, but it's my understanding that you should do it before it's finished, because if it's done then you wont be able to get a good co2 blanket over it to protect it.

This does make sense.

 

[BoilerBoy]

I've got a Pale Ale fermenting with US-05 that I boiled up 7 days ago. As I want to get another batch on ASAP for the Xmas period I was planning on racking this one to my new secondary fermenter, starting batch 2 in the original fermenter and then bulk priming the first brew straight in the secondary a week later.

I wanted to do this tomorrow but I noticed this morning that the beer is still getting airlock bubbles, albeit slowly. Now I know to never trust the airlock but if it is still bubbling I assume the S.G. hasn't stabilised - so my question it, is it ok to rack to secondary before primary fermentation is complete? Or should I wait until the S.G. has stabilised?

I wouldn't rack until FG has been reached, let the yeast do its thing buy yourself a plastic cube 20L or 25L depending on batch size and use that for racking and conditioning, this way you can leave your brew to finish without rushing it and trust only the hydrometer never the airlock!
Use your 2nd fermenter for the next batch now.

Cheers,
BB

 

[Pennywise]

I think the problem you'll have bulk priming this way is you may not get an even mixture throughout the beer, best way is to put the priming mixture in first and rack on top of it getting a swirling motion so it mix's evenly. Sounds like someone needs another fermenter

 

[boingk]

Yeah, racking off the cake is generally required for bulk priming to stop you stirring up the yeast into the beer. Racking is best done within about .05 to go on the fermentation, so there will still be some carbondioxide cranking. Extended fermentations are also best done this way to avoid possibly bad flavours coming from sitting on the yeast cake. A common one is caused by the autolysis of the yeast. That is, they start to cannibilise themselves.

Just buy another fermenter for racking.

Cheers -boingk

 

[barneyb]

A third fermenter! Sheesh I just bought the second. :blink:

I think I might do as suggested and leave batch 1 in the first fermenter and start batch 2 in the second. To overcome my priming woes maybe I'll stick to the carb drops for the first batch and bulk prime the second when I have a spare fermenter.

Cheers for all the advice, great forum this - so many replies so quickly. :icon_cheers:

 

[Pennywise]

A third fermenter! Sheesh I just bought the second. :blink:

Ha ha ha, I thought that when I bought my second one "how will I get through all this beer" I said to myself. I now have 4 .

 

[np1962]

barneyb,
Go for it, rack your first beer into the second fermenter. This is not true secondary fermentation it is racking to a secondary vessel to give a clearer beer.
As for no CO2 layer, what a load of bollocks! If your beer has not completed fermentation rousing will kick it off and you will have your CO2 layer, if it has finished racking will be enough to release some CO2 from solution and you will have your layer!
Be careful not to splash while racking and be sanitary at all times.
If you can give it 5 days then drop the temp to 2C for a couple of days then bulk prime and bottle. If you don't have the means to get the temp down then just bulk prime and bottle after 7 days. Add your priming sugar solution while stirring the beer GENTLY so as not to disturb the trub too much(there will be much less anyway for having racked), let sit for 20-30 mins then bottle. This will solve your dilemna of starting your next brew and give you clearer beer in your bottles.
If you don't understand any of this feel free to PM me with any Q's.
Cheers
Nige

P.S. You can never have too many fermenters!

 

[booyablack]

Hi Nige

I just put down my second brew ever yesterday. For the first I simply bought a kit and followed the instructions using all included ingredients and equipment. For this second brew though, I'd like to have a go at racking as you've just described. I'd just like to clear up a couple of details:

a) What extras do I need to buy? Obviously I need the second fermenter but do I also need plastic syphon, another airlock etc?

B) When racking, to avoid splashing I assume you have the first fermenter on a bench above the second (sanitised) fermenter and then have a plastic syphon hose into the second. Or do you just decant very carefully from the first one to the second?

c) Lastly, how do you know how long to leave in the second fermenter? Is it just an arbitrary length of time depending on experience (ie 2 weeks). Or is there some indication from the brew that it's ready to be bottled?



Cheers,
Booyablack