Secondary- How Long?

[a_quintal]

Primary v Secondary. Wondering what you guys out there average for time spent in both? Also can you just add the sugar in the secondary after its crash cooled and stir it in or do you still need to rack to a new vessel before bottling?

 

[Scruffy]

I hardly bother with a secondary fermenter. And it really depends what you're brewing. When it's finished its first phase, and it's sat at a reasonable enough final gravity, and looks like it's starting to clear (if its supposed to!), I leave it for another week/two weeks ('cause I've already got several amounts of other beer, and don't need it desperately...). Might even bung some dry hops in - might start it off again with some more sugaz. Might add Brett. But if I'm going to play with it, I'll probably rack. Don't want to disturb the old yeast too much - same if you secondary - some yeast will still drop - specially if you chill. My 'secondary' is usually my bulk priming bucket, the beer probably stays in there for maybe a couple of hours tops!
I can count the number of 'secondary ferments' I've bothered to do on the hands of three of me mates. They were Big Belgian Brews (the beer, not me mates...). I can see the logic in racking off in order to lager or something, but... not mad keen on the lager styles...
Has my beer been compromised by sitting on the old yeast for a month? Dunno, never really split a batch to check (racked half off, left half in...).

 

[Wolfy]

Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but I think you'll find that a fair proportion of people here do not use secondary at all (any more).
That does of course depend on what type of beer, OG/FG the yeast used etc.
For ales simply ferment out in primary (1-2 weeks) crash chill and bottle/keg - I think is a fairly common practice.
Some yeasts will need longer and of course lager's need a long lagering period.

The purpose of crash cooling is to force your yeast to drop out, so it can be seperated from your beer.
By using a bottling bucket and adding the bulk priming sugar to that, you are racking off the yeast before any mixing takes place.
If you added sugar and stirred in the same vessel you crash chilled (unless you were very careful about mixing and then risked inadequate mixing and hence bottle bombs or under carbonation) you risk stirring up the yeast and hence it makes the crash chill process a little pointless.

 

[hazard]

Primary v Secondary. Wondering what you guys out there average for time spent in both? Also can you just add the sugar in the secondary after its crash cooled and stir it in or do you still need to rack to a new vessel before bottling?

I have got into a routine now, for all my ales (never done a lager):
- leave beer in primary for 2 weeks
- rack to a secondary, cold condition in the fridge for 1 week
- add dex to another fermenter, rack beer from secondary into this one, and bottle.

I rack to secondary for 2 reasons:
1. After 1 week in the fridge, beer comes out very clear, or at least clear enough for me, even without finings. I tried gelatine once, and got no noticeable improvement compared to cold conditioning alone.
2. I always harvest yeast from the secondary. In the primary, the yeast cake is full of hot break, cold break and hop trub. Out of the secondary, it is nice and clean. OK, perhaps I should try to minimise puting trub into the primary, but i hate to waste beer and after chilling I pour the kettle into the fermenter through a strainer - this keeps out most of the hop sludge but a lot of the break gets through. But the Irish moss still seems to work in the fermenter and it all drops to the bottom.

 

[Airgead]

Seldom bother with secondary. Usually I'll CC in the primary once fermentation finishes for a week or two (depending on how lazy I am) to let it drop clear and transfer straight to keg or bottles.

I might use a secondary if I am dry hopping or something like that but for a regular brew there is no point.

Cheers
Dave

 

[warra48]

Never use a secondary for ales.
Let it ferment for 2 to 3 weeks, and if I feel like it I'll crash chill it for another week.
I've had brews in primary for up to 4 weeks, with no problems at all.

Lagers are different. Primary ferment for 2 to 2 weeks at 9 to 10C, then raise to 18C for acouple of days diacetyl rest, them drop the temp back down over a couple of days.
I rack it then to a jerry container for lagering for a couple of months at 2C.

Never use bulk priming. I'm happy to prime individual bottles. Bottle ales straight from primary, lagers from the jerry container.

I can't see the need to complicate my processes. For me, simple works best (I like doing things the lazy way).

 

[a_quintal]

great replies guys. ive generally only done primary (for my 8 or so brews) but am going to secondary for an IPA that i'll dry hop and want to come out clear. i guess i'll see what i prefer.

 

[big78sam]

This was also discussed recently here.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...mp;hl=secondary

 

[Nick JD]

I think sometimes people confuse secondary fermentation with cold conditioning / lagering.

 

[Screwtop]

Only time I rack off the yeast to another vessel (secondary if you like) is usually after three days to recover good flocculating yeast. Don't want the stuff that is left at the end of 2 weeks and then cold crashing, it's full of crap.

Screwy

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I've given up racking to secondary. Now i just crash chill for about 4 days then rack onto bulk priming sugar and bottle

I'm doing a hefe at the moment so I don't even need to crash chill. Laziness for the win