Racking Into Secondary Fermenter

[elollerenshaw]

Is it beneficial to rack into a secondary fermenter from the primray fermenter (does it depend on the style of beer?)

If so, when should you do it and for how long?

I am a kit/extract brewer using 23L batches going into bottles.
I have read about racking in books, but am interested if people think it's worth it.

 

[boingk]

Racking to secondary is best done at the conclusion of the fermentation. Generally this will be around 4 to 7 days after fermentation started, for an ale. For a lager brewed at appropriate temps (5~12'C) it may be several weeks. Rack to secondary for 48 hours.

I have done around 80ish brews so far, and have racked a few times. I do not rack any more as I find it an extra hassle that is not worth the time and risk to the brew (it can get infected if done improperly). I generall just wait an extra day or two in primary so the yeast drops out nicely. You will notice that the brew looks darker and the yeast cake more defined - thats what I mean and is a good stage to bottle.

You will get a bit less sediment if you rack to secondary but if you are planning to drink from glasses rather than straight from the bottle then this isn't an issue. If you want to drink straight from the bottle you may want to consider racking to secondary to reduce the sediment... although you will always end up with some.

Summary? Its up to you... but generally I'd advise against racking as you can get quite good results without it.

Cheers - boingk

 

[d3vour3r]

hey mate, i see ur new. make sure u use the search function before asking questions, as its most likely been covered before in great detail, such as this topic.

anyway... yes it is worth it. do it when ferment stops ie consistent FG over 2-3 days.

its helps with clarity, especially if u rack onto gelatine. usually when racked to secondary, if using a fridge drop temp to 2-4 deg. this helps condition the beer. have it in secondary for 1-2 weeks.

so in summary, secondary does this:

-makes beer for clear/bright
-conditions the beer.

 

[RobboMC]

Racking is one of those topics where if you ask 3 brewers the same question you will get 5 different answers.

If you wish to cold condition a lager in the traditional European way at 1-4deg C for 5 to 6 weeks then removing the beer from the yeast cake ( trub ) beforehand is essential. Also some brewers add aroma hops to the secondary vessel and rack onto them. Another reason for racking can be to empty the fermenter quickly to make way for the next brew, throwing the resulting churn or 'cube' into a fridge for later bottling.

Whether an ale benefits fom racking is open to wide debate and I'm not going to suggest either way. Racking of ales does have the benefit that you learn how to properly rack. ( which I feel is an art in itself ) In my youth I learned to transfer highly concentrated acids between barrels so I'm good at beer racking now, but is is a skill that takes learning to not waste or damage the beer. Racking does generate some washing and rinsing of the vessels. If the ale is removed from the trub you can bottle it whenever it's convenient rather than having the bottling day dictated by the beer; for a busy person this can be beneficial.

So I'd sum up with: only rack if you have a valid reason for racking. Lagers can benefit from cold conditioning, with ales the risks and extra work might outweigh the benefits. If you like crystal clear beer then investigate racking with finings.