Secondary Ferment

[jdsaint]

I amwondering is their any pics on this showing exactly whats to be done I know i need 2 fermenters and a tube I know you have to conect 1 end to the tap your draining (transfering from) wers the other end go? do i take the lid off? or contect it to the air lock hole? help on this please!!!

 

[PostModern]

Open the sanitised receiving fermenter and place it on the floor. Place your primary fermenter on a bench above the receiving fermenter. Sanitise a length of food grade tubing (12mm outer diameter, iirc?) and push one end up the spiggot of the primary. Place the other end into the receiving fermenter, making sure it is long enough to take a trip or two around the inside of the base. Remove primary airlock. Open tap of primary. Wait.

 

[chris.taylor.98]

I amwondering is their any pics on this showing exactly whats to be done I know i need 2 fermenters and a tube I know you have to conect 1 end to the tap your draining (transfering from) wers the other end go? do i take the lid off? or contect it to the air lock hole? help on this please!!!

Should be pretty striaght forward.

i) Place the full fermenter up on a table or stool ( something at least as tall as the secondary )

ii) Attach the tube to the primary (full) fermenter which is on the table.

iii) Place the secondary directly under with its lid off, and coil the rest of the tube down into the bottom of it ( make sure the tap is turned off! )

iv) Take out the airlock on the primary and turn its tap on full.

v) When the beer is has all transfered ( you might have to tip the primary a bit ) place the lid on the secondary and put the airlock in it.

The idea is to transfer the beer from one frementer to the other with as little exposure to air as posible, hence the coiling of the tube in the secondary.

And make sure the the secondard fermenter and the tube have been santisied before starting the racking process.

 

[jdsaint]

Open the sanitised receiving fermenter and place it on the floor. Place your primary fermenter on a bench above the receiving fermenter. Sanitise a length of food grade tubing (12mm outer diameter, iirc?) and push one end up the spiggot of the primary. Place the other end into the receiving fermenter, making sure it is long enough to take a trip or two around the inside of the base. Remove primary airlock. Open tap of primary. Wait.

so no lid on recieving fermenter have the tube in the recieving fermenter so that their is no splashing or much stiring up...
can I get this from my local hbs? the tubing?

 

[jdsaint]

thanx chris! :beer:
so would it help to cover temporily with cling wrap over the top with the tube inside? or make no diference?



thanx for everyones help through out this site hopefully I could help someone 1 day ( maybe 5 yrs or so) from what i have learnt through aussie home brewers thanx again

 

[PostModern]

so would it help to cover temporily with cling wrap over the top with the tube inside?

You should avoid doing this in a dusty or breezy place, as passing micro-organisms might take a dip in your beer, but it's not a big worry. After primary, there should be enough alcohol to protect the beer. If you sit the hose just right, and you have the right shape fermenter, you can place your lid over the opening and still get the hose in. If you want.

 

[chris.taylor.98]

thanx chris! :beer:
so would it help to cover temporily with cling wrap over the top with the tube inside? or make no diference?
thanx for everyones help through out this site hopefully I could help someone 1 day ( maybe 5 yrs or so) from what i have learnt through aussie home brewers thanx again

I don't bother covering with anything during the transfer, and have had no infections to date.

If you are worried about that it is best to rack to a secondary while there is still a little bit of activity going on so that the beer is still pushing out CO2.

The CO2 layer will help to protect the transferring beer from oxygen and other nasties.

 

[Dan A]

Hey mate, here is some more info for ya..

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-4.html

http://www.allaboutbeer.com/homebrew/secondar.html

Dan

 

[Alf Flamin' Stewart]

I've only racked one brew to secondary, and notice that it seems to have taken a lot longer to carbonate once bottled... any tips on what that's about? Do I need to alter my carbonation sugar dosage? Or did I botch something else?

 

[Adamt]

It's likely more of the yeast would drop out of solution after going through a secondary fermentation, which makes it longer to carbonate.

However, carbonation speed also depends on how healthy/good the yeast was to begin with (and hence at botling stage). You can improve this if this is indeed the problem by using higher quality, fresher yeast. Ditch the yeast that comes with the kit, unless you know it's a good strain and it's been treated well in transit. These yeasts will more likely be of lower health/quality which can result in lower quality beer, not just slower carbonation.

If you add more priming sugar its just much more likely your bottles will explode (eventually) from overcarbonation.

 

[Alf Flamin' Stewart]

It's likely more of the yeast would drop out of solution after going through a secondary fermentation, which makes it longer to carbonate.

However, carbonation speed also depends on how healthy/good the yeast was to begin with (and hence at botling stage). You can improve this if this is indeed the problem by using higher quality, fresher yeast. Ditch the yeast that comes with the kit, unless you know it's a good strain and it's been treated well in transit. These yeasts will more likely be of lower health/quality which can result in lower quality beer, not just slower carbonation.

If you add more priming sugar its just much more likely your bottles will explode (eventually) from overcarbonation.

Thank you, o beer god! I've been using the kit yeasts, but will certain explore my other options for the upcoming brew season.

 

[RobboMC]

Hi Chris and jdsaint,

I learnt the art of 'racking' from an Industrial Chemist, but we had to transfer 100% Hydrogen Peroxide from barrel to barrel, a single splash burns through your skin in 5 seconds. I had to learn to be perfect with regard to splashing and so on. Great experience I am now transferring to beer racking.

I suggest the idea of starting with your receiving fermenter on the table beside the full primary.
Run the racking tube from the tap into the top of the receiving fermenter, yes, that's uphill.

Open the tap. The beer s-l-o-w-l-y fills the tube up to the level in the primary.
Now pick up the empty receiving fermenter and lower it until the top is just below the liquid level in the primary. The tube will gradually fill with liquid and the beer will s-l-o-w-l-y start to fill the secondary.
Now tip the receiving fermenter to make a deeper pool on the side where the tubing ends, to get the tube outlet under the surface as quickly as possible.

Only when there is sufficient depth in the receiving fermenter, ie about 4 cm, to easily submerge the tube outlet, lower the fermenter and place on the ground.

Carry on with Chris' instructions.

By initiating the transfer process slowly and gently there is less splashing and therefore less oxidation, and also less risk of spilling any.