Do you do secondary fermentation ?

[SuperBroo]

Just curious how many people do a secondary fermentation.

Cheers,
Chris

[lethaldog]

Yep have racked and let sit for a long time now and always will, i personally think that it improved my beers greatly compared to when i didnt and never had a problem with infection or anything of that concern!!

[Bum]

I do when I have a specific reason to - in the past it has only been to rouse a stubborn brew or to add gelatine (and even then not every time I add gelatine). Would certainly do it if I were adding fruit to a brew (but have never bothered for dry hopping) or if I made lagers.

[Trizza]

I always rack, and often rack twice.

I find that it reduces the eventual sediment and the bottom of each bottle considerably. The second rack is usually more important with batches where a large amount of dry hopping has been put into the secondary and a second rack removes more of the hops from the batch

[SuperBroo]

I have always done secondary, but just kegged 2 up last week that were primary only...
- Primary 3 weeks.
- Finings for 2 days and chilled.
- Kegged.

Both are really clear, and taste really nice.
Will do 2 more like this, and may stop doing secondaries for ever if these turn out ok.
Then I will try a secondary again later on and see if I notice a difference going back to it again.

[warra48]

Never ever with Ales. They can sit in primary for up to 4 weeks on occasion.

The only racking I ever do is for lagers, which I rack to a Jerry for lagering.

[Oliver]

I haven't, but intend to give it a go once I get BIAB up and running and have a brew fridge.

Cheers,

Oliver

[rotten]

I rack and have noticed clearer brews, but i cold chill and use gelatine most of the time as well.

[drsmurto]

Compulsive racker here.

[BribieG]

I don't really know what is meant by "secondary fermentation".
I usually give beer about 10 days in the fermenter then rack off the lees into a cube onto gelatine, and put it into my lagering fridge for another week, at least. I doubt if there's much fermentation of a secondary nature going on there, just clearing and settling prior to kegging / bottling.

[billybushcook]

Pretty much the same here,
14 Day Primary,
Rack & Filter into secondary then straight into fridge for a week to Cold Condition - no poly clar or stuff.

Mick.

[Planner]

Haven't racked on any of my brews, only the last couple have been cc'd. Prior to that 14-21 days in primary then into the bottle.

[speedie]

any of you guys bottle condition (secondary fermentation?)

[Bum]

any of you guys bottle condition (secondary fermentation?)

Don't start that old argument. Either use of the term is probably correct however it is broadly considered that, for the sake of discussions that can be followed, racking off the yeast cake at/near the end of primary to a secondary vessel is the method that is meant when "secondaries" are mentioned. Referring to bottle conditioning as a secondary in a broad conversation is confusing - if I call it a secondary what do I call the stage where I rack my wit near the end of primary to a second fermenter with a raspberries? Primary.5?

Although I suspect none of this is news to you and you just don't give a shit about conversations making sense nor referring to process by names others might understand.

[speedie]

so after you have done your secondary wit and put it into bottles it must follow sequence and be a third ferment or would we call it a triple?
and no it isnt a deadset recognised term in brewing bum

[Bum]

so after you have done your secondary wit and put it into bottles it must follow sequence and be a third ferment or would we call it a triple?

But if I bottle straight from primary the exact some process is called a secondary? This is a stupid discussion.

[chadjaja]

Well I rack generally when primary fermentation is finished. When you bottle you add sugar and start another round of ferment for carbonation...

hence secondary to me is racking to another vessel.

Secondary fermentation is bottling.



So secondary without the word fermentation after it can't be bottling.

I'm Chad.......and i'm a racker

It frees up another fermenter, gives me access to the yeast at the bottom for harvesting or direct pitching and provides a slightly clearer beer imo.

[barrelboy]

I thought the bonus of " primary to bottle" was for a potential meal with your beer?