woozy
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Lines 12 and 13 of the instructions that came with the ingredient kits of my first two batches:
My interpretation:
"Look, just don't do a secondary. You're a beginner, you'll just screw it up and it's not necessary and we just know that if you try, you're just going to rush everything. So we'll tell you to leave it in the primary until it's entirely done and then if you're pig-headed and do a secondary anyway, you won't screw it up because the beer's actually completely done before you even start."
....
Okay... so my first two batches I didn't do a secondary but I think I want to try to do one now. I want to see what it's like, to see what it does, and to see if which camp I'm in. But ... I actually don't think I completely understand the concept.
In short, my question is "What am I looking for when I decide to transfer from primary to secondary?" Now I know the rule of thumb about 1 week in primary; 2 in secondary but as someone else has said, yeasts don't read calendars. So whats the actual event that I'm waiting for before I transfer.
Actually let me put it this way: If I divide the fermentation process into distinct stages (you pitch the yeast, they yeast munches away, the yeast stops munching away and ... well, my concepts and knowledge gets hazy here ... eventually final gravity is reached) and you decide that the first n stages will be done in the primary and the second m stages will be done in the secondary, then which exactly are the n stages done in the primary and which are the m stages done in the secondary and ... how do I know when to transfer?
I'm sorry that this has been discussed so many times before but could we discuss it once more for this late-comer?
12. Once activity begins, the temperature should be held at around 65° F. Primary fermentation can last 2-3 weeks or longer. Do not bottle or transfer to secondary (optional) until final gravity is reached.
13. After you have reached your target final gravity, begin bottling: (and nothing about secondary is ever mentioned again.)
13. After you have reached your target final gravity, begin bottling: (and nothing about secondary is ever mentioned again.)
My interpretation:
"Look, just don't do a secondary. You're a beginner, you'll just screw it up and it's not necessary and we just know that if you try, you're just going to rush everything. So we'll tell you to leave it in the primary until it's entirely done and then if you're pig-headed and do a secondary anyway, you won't screw it up because the beer's actually completely done before you even start."
....
Okay... so my first two batches I didn't do a secondary but I think I want to try to do one now. I want to see what it's like, to see what it does, and to see if which camp I'm in. But ... I actually don't think I completely understand the concept.
In short, my question is "What am I looking for when I decide to transfer from primary to secondary?" Now I know the rule of thumb about 1 week in primary; 2 in secondary but as someone else has said, yeasts don't read calendars. So whats the actual event that I'm waiting for before I transfer.
Actually let me put it this way: If I divide the fermentation process into distinct stages (you pitch the yeast, they yeast munches away, the yeast stops munching away and ... well, my concepts and knowledge gets hazy here ... eventually final gravity is reached) and you decide that the first n stages will be done in the primary and the second m stages will be done in the secondary, then which exactly are the n stages done in the primary and which are the m stages done in the secondary and ... how do I know when to transfer?
I'm sorry that this has been discussed so many times before but could we discuss it once more for this late-comer?