To Secondary...Or Not?

[berryman]

This question has come and gone every since I've been brewing beer. It used to be a secondary was the right way to brew beer. Then it was decided that it wasn't necessary to make good beer and the risk involved out weighted the benefits. I think it is worth it, here's why.... once you put that fermenting wort into the secondary, you can kind of forget about it until you are ready to bottle, it will age and condition, settle and clear, Free up the primary to make more beer. Just use good sanitation practices when transferring and there is no problem.
Brewed this beer 12/14/14 racked 12/22/14 bottled 1/17/15 have been drinking it for a few days now and as good or better then some beers I have bottle conditioned for weeks.


Good beer can be made either way, but I like to use a secondary most times.

[LouieMacGoo]

I think it really depends on what your brewing. There are several guys in my home brew club that don't do the secondary and have award winning beers. I think the bigger, high ABV beers 8% and above tend to benefit from a secondary where as lower ABV ones don't. Also wheat beers are supposed to be hazy so you don't need it to settle out in a secondary. If you do use a secondary the 2 big issues are sanitation as you mentioned but also oxidation.

[DaYooper]

If you do use a secondary the 2 big issues are sanitation as you mentioned but also oxidation.

Yup, the key is to rack while there is some fermentation going on unless you purge with CO2. If I am not sure I will dump 1/2oz or so of priming sugar in to be on the safe side.

[philm00x]

The only time I've ever racked to secondary is when I brew a beer using fruit. I don't want to throw fruit on top of the yeast cake, so I'll put it into another bucket and let the suspended yeast do its thing.

[gwcr]

I've only done a secondary once way back when I had a HUGE amount of trub in the MB fermenter. Like philm00x, I would probably use one if I were using fruit or maybe a massive amount of dry hops. Other than that, I go 2-3 weeks in primary then keg. I guess technically I secondary in the keg as I like to go at least 2-4 weeks in the keg at 65 degrees, but I don't transfer to another keg after that. May start using one of the kegs as a brite tank down the road if I get a wild hair. Bottom line is you can make great (and award winning) beer either way. So do whatever your space, time, budget allows, and RDWHAHB!

[Beer-lord]

One secondary for me in the last 2 years. Its not something I plan to do much in the future either. If it's done for clarity, it still wouldn't be worth it to me but to each his/her own.

[Dawg LB Steve]

Lately, FWIW, only secondary is for Lager.

[FedoraDave]

I've used a secondary in the past, but I tend not to bother nowadays, unless I want that carboy for another batch. I have a friend who used a secondary for a coffee milk stout, racking onto coffee beans and letting it sit; essentially conditioning it this way prior to bottling. The stout turned out great, and that technique worked very well for him.

For me, it's more trouble than it's worth, unless, as I said, I want a quicker turnaround and need the primary.

[braukasper]

It all depends on what I am doing. On this upcoming batch I will secondary. Will be racking on to coca nibs for a couple of weeks. Most batches go from primary to keg. The beer cellar conditions till it ends up in the beer frig. Don't think there is a rule on secondary or not. I go by what the beer needs.

[Bluejaye]

I had read not to bother, so I never did. This last Kolsch I made, however, I decided to do it because the Wyeast Kolsch yeast doesn't floc, and I wanted a bright beer. The first time I used it the Kolsch was so cloudy, which is just about looking good, but in for a penny, in for a pound. No point in doing something if you aren't going to do it the best you can, is how I live. I also used gelatin for the first time on this one. Turned out great!

I might just start using a secondary for every batch from now on, for no other reason than it made bottling day a bit easier with regards to cleaning. I had to clean the fermentor out the day I did the secondary, but that meant not having another thing to clean on bottling day, which for some reason seemed "better" to me.

[braukasper]

When I bottled all my beers I pretty much did secondary everything. A habit I picked up from making wine. I am going to get a couple of spunding valves. With the pick up system the kids got for me. I am going to keg my beer a couple, three points high set the valve an let them carb & condition in the keg. What kids got be picks the beer up from the top of the keg instead of the bottom.

[Kealia]

I had read not to bother, so I never did. This last Kolsch I made, however, I decided to do it because the Wyeast Kolsch yeast doesn't floc, and I wanted a bright beer. The first time I used it the Kolsch was so cloudy, which is just about looking good, but in for a penny, in for a pound. No point in doing something if you aren't going to do it the best you can, is how I live. I also used gelatin for the first time on this one. Turned out great!

I might just start using a secondary for every batch from now on, for no other reason than it made bottling day a bit easier with regards to cleaning. I had to clean the fermentor out the day I did the secondary, but that meant not having another thing to clean on bottling day, which for some reason seemed "better" to me.

Honestly, if you are using gelatin I wouldn't bother using a secondary. But yeah, that Kolsch yeast can be a bitch to floc out!

[berryman]

I brought this topic up mostly for something to talk about and discussion. I don't always secondary everything. I just brewed a nut brown that stayed in the primary for the duration, and I have a couple MB seasonals in LBK's that will be bottled out of them. I do have a Saison in one of my secondary carboys that I will leave in there for a while. My next one I will brew next Monday will sit in a secondary for quite a few weeks. I'm far from being an expert but I think timing is very important when transferring. I like to secondary just when the krausen drops but still having a little active fermentation. Usually 7-10 days but have had to go a little longer all depending on the beer, Yeast and fermenting temp. I usually take a hydro. reading and then a taste test at that time.

[braukasper]

I always like doing the transfer when the yeast is still active. That will blow the Oxygen out.

[mashani]

Many years ago I used to secondary everything. Because that's what you did.

But now, the only beer I put in a secondary in the past 2 years was a Quad. The only reason I did that is that I had pitched onto a yeast cake, and the new cake got "super sized" with lots of old buried yeast, and I didn't want to leave it on that for very long. Other then that even the Kolsch I haven't bothered with. They clear in the bottle given time.