Secondary Fermentation

[ozjames]

Hi all

Ok I just got back from my Local home brew shop in geelong after buying a 2nd tube so i can do this secondary fermentation for better beer, I put down a VB clone around 9pm on the 21st of dec and its currently bubbling away at the rate of once every 8 - 12 seconds is now to early to transfer or should i wait another day or more?

Thanks
James

 

[tipsy_mcstagger]

i wait until it bubbles every 20 seconds

 

[Trough Lolly]

Hi all

Ok I just got back from my Local home brew shop in geelong after buying a 2nd tube so i can do this secondary fermentation for better beer, I put down a VB clone around 9pm on the 21st of dec and its currently bubbling away at the rate of once every 8 - 12 seconds is now to early to transfer or should i wait another day or more?

Thanks
James

G'day and welcome to the forum James,
Based on what you've said, it's probably still too soon to rack the beer into secondary for further conditioning and fermenting. Without knowing what yeast you used in primary, I'd leave it in primary for at least 4-5 days to be safe. If you had good sanitary protocols, your beer won't get infected or go bad if you play it safe and leave it in the primary fermenter for a few extra days.
Can you see the surface of the beer? When it was fermenting away and bubbling CO2 out of the airlock, did you see a layer of foam on the surface of the beer? Thats called Krausen and is not a bad thing. You may still have a small amount of foam on the top of the beer in the fermenter, especially since its less than two days since you pitched the yeast. Keep an eye on your temps - a VB clone means you more than likely have an ale in the fermenter and you should try to keep it to around the 18 - 20C mark if you want a nice clean ferment.
Whats the 2nd tube for? Did your HBS tell you to add it to secondary??? <_< You don't need to pitch any yeast into secondary - there will be plenty of yeast in suspension in the beer to continue the secondary fermentation process without having to add any more expensive yeast.
If you haven't already got one, grab yourself a hydrometer so you can measure the specific gravity of the wort/beer you can take small samples and quickly find out what's happening to the sugar levels in the beer. A bubbling airlock is nice but isn't the best way to measure when your beer is ready to go into secondary or bottling/kegging. The beer will continue to ferment out, despite a relatively inactive airlock. Also, hydrometers typically don't lie - a poor airseal and inactive airlock does. If you have to put the beer into secondary now because you don't have the time, then fine, go for it but I'd not transfer this beer until Monday or tomorrow at the earliest.
Cheers,
TL

 

[Paleman]

Just in adding to TL's above post. Try not to get confused over secondary fermentation, and racking to secondary.

I think you are pertaining to racking to a secondary vessel. This step involves transfering your wort into another fermenter, via food grade plastic tube/hose. That coils on the bottom of the seconary vessel, to avoid any splashing and a smooth transfer. Splashing may introduce oxidisation at this stage.

We rack to secondary, usually when the primary ferment is over, or nearly over. Racking helps ferment out your wort fully, and clears the wort further.

Secondary fermentation is bottle conditioning, or keg conditioning of your beer. A charge of fermentables in your bottle carbonates and conditions the beer. Thus secondary fermentation. Whatever yeast was left over in suspension, does another mini ferment over time. The longer the better, up to a certain stage.

 

[Hubby]

This is from Palmer's "How o Brew" ...

Ozjames, have a read through - Ch 8 Fermentation (J Palmer) (click on link) ... this will give you some good ideas on the whats, whens, wherefors etc of fermentation. Alternatively, search for "secondary" on this site for the pros and cons.

As TL indicated, from what you write it's way too soon AND a hydrometer is an essential bit of kit

 

[MHB]

All of what T L and Paleman said.
A quick rule of thumb is 3/4 of the way from OG to FG; If a brew started at 1040and you expect it to finish at 1010, rack at or around 1017.

MHB

 

[ozjames]

excellent, thanks for your help guys

 

[hughman666]

quick rule that i go by, is 7 days in primary & 7 days in secondary. i've just started dropping my secondary to sub-10c temps once fermentation is complete (usually ~3 days into secondary) which clears the beer up a hell of a lot.

as was mentioned above, it all depends on the yeast you are using too. slow yeasts like k-97 (for wheat beers) i usually let them sit in primary for 10 days and then move them over to secondary for another 10 days.

find out what works for you and go with that! the journey is half the fun with this brewing caper!

:chug:

 

[dairymaid]

Hi guys, just wondering what's the temperature for the secondary?
cheer/beers Dairymaid

 

[mika]

Depends on what you're brewing.
Lagers could go as low as 0deg, but 8degs probably ain't bad.
For Ale something like 16degs would be good enough.
The colder the better if you're trying to drop the yeast out.
Otherwise you want something at the lower end of the yeast temperature range so that it slows right down but keeps working.

 

[dairymaid]

hi, I have a Lion Real Ale down, put into fermenter on 24/12/06, transfered into secondary on 4/01/07
It was very cloudy so when it has siphoned into new clean fermenter I added some gelatine to clear it,
which it has done, it is obviously well sealed as it is bubbling away still- only noticed the bubbles cause was in the laundry cleaning some more fermenters to transfer another beer onto secondary - not bothered with secondary before, but decided if I am making beer I should try and make a better beer. The Ales are for my dairyfarmer, I only drink the stouts and dark beer!!!! Temperature not too warm here I am in the top of the South Island NZ but is warm for us, hence the right time to brew, plenty of water and enough heat!
Next month we will not have enough water to brew! Do I need tomake it colder for the secondary!
cheers/beers Dairymaid

 

[Adamt]

Secondary fermentation for ales should be in the same temperature range for primary fermentation (ideally 18-21C, depending on the yeast).

Some people also "cold-condition", which is not really traditional practice for ales but it works nevertheless. Cold-conditioning is where the secondary is chilled down to fridge temperatures, 0-4C, for a period of time. This brings more yeast out of solution which will sediment on the bottom, leaving you with a clearer beer.