Primary/secondary containers

[doctor strangebrew]

Small 1 gallon batches. I have a glass jug and a plastic jug. Should I use plastic for primary, then glass for secondary? Does it even matter? Eventually will have several glass jugs so I can try different ingredients, but have to use what I have for now.

 

[Maylar]

Hmm. I would use plastic for primary. For secondary I would want the visual clarity and a nicely fitting airlock, which isn't as important in primary.

 

[Blacksmith1]

My first two 1 gallons were in plastic water jugs. they worked ok but now it's all glass for me.

 

[doctor strangebrew]

How soon should I rack from primary to secondary? I know it's a judgement call, but what are common times?

 

[teddy464]

It all depends on what you're making. I don't use a secondary unless I am making a lager, or something that needs to be aged like a RIS... Just give what you are making 10-14 days in the primary if you have good temp control. You can do a d-rest and cold crash it if you like, but like I said, I only use a secondary in certain situations and I have never had a problem. The more you move the beer the more likely you are to expose it to oxygen.

 

[Blacksmith1]

keeping in mind that I use a fairly fast yeast (K1-v1116) at 72F my primaries are slowed after about a week. I was racking then. Due to advice here on the site I started waiting for 2 weeks, and now do my best to wait a month before the first rack. I'm not sure what effect it has on my brews but they are better than my early ones.

 

[Blacksmith1]

It all depends on what you're making. I don't use a secondary unless I am making a lager, or something that needs to be aged like a RIS... Just give what you are making 10-14 days in the primary if you have good temp control. You can do a d-rest and cold crash it if you like, but like I said, I only use a secondary in certain situations and I have never had a problem. The more you move the beer the more likely you are to expose it to oxygen.

It's cider. But your info can be applied.

 

[teddy464]

It's cider. But your info can be applied.

Ahhh... I have never made cider, thanks for clarifying though.

 

[doctor strangebrew]

Cider forum, but same thing basically. Actually I don't usually do secondary with beer, especially ales. Maybe for a special batch of lager. I'm going to skip the secondary this time for my cider... just let it go longer in primary. It's a simple apple cider with some cranberry juice. Temps are still cool here in California, but that won't last. Soon I'll be experimenting with evaporative cooling (already posted a thread on that topic)

 

[Maylar]

How soon should I rack from primary to secondary? I know it's a judgement call, but what are common times?

Go by gravity, not time. If you rack somewhere below 1.010 gravity you'll still be in the ferment stage where CO2 is being produced that will fill the headspace and keep out oxygen. You would want to minimize headspace anyway and use an airlock in secondary. You'll still get some lees but it'll be minimal. If I rack at about 1.006 I'll only get a dusting of sediment after the cider clears. The time varies with yeast and temp.

 

[doctor strangebrew]

I got a side job so just going to get another 1 gallon of cheap wine ($12 and I get a glass jug too) For now, just made a batch of apple cranberry cider in glass jug and will drink the wine in time for secondary. I was going to skip secondary, but this batch is high gravity I want to let it fully ferment. My other ciders have been dry and no carbonation. This time want to bottle condition (using two 2 liter plastic soda bottles) How much priming sugar for 1 gallon? What about some honey for sweetness? I assume if added at bottling it wont ferment much.

 

[doctor strangebrew]

By the way, I actually like the cheap wine... it's a chianti made locally. Just buying a 1 gallon jug cost almost as much (with shipping)

 

[Chalkyt]

As with Maylar, I go on gravity, racking at around 1.010 to 1.020. A bit of a guide is to watch the primary turbulent foam build up and decline, then check the gravity once it settles a bit.

I find the time varies with different yeasts. Last year SO4 took a few weeks, but this year WLP002 and WLP775 have rushed down from 1.060 to 1.015 in just over a week. It probably is quite dependent on temperature (my cool store is usually at 18 degrees C or less and Jollicoeur in Canada suggests that it can take up to a month).

I then rack to secondary which gets rid of the settled pulp. Then top up to minimise airspace and leave it under airlock for a couple of months or until I get around to it.

 

[KaiB]

I got a side job so just going to get another 1 gallon of cheap wine ($12 and I get a glass jug too) For now, just made a batch of apple cranberry cider in glass jug and will drink the wine in time for secondary. I was going to skip secondary, but this batch is high gravity I want to let it fully ferment. My other ciders have been dry and no carbonation. This time want to bottle condition (using two 2 liter plastic soda bottles) How much priming sugar for 1 gallon? What about some honey for sweetness? I assume if added at bottling it wont ferment much.

You will typically add 28g/gal sugar for carbonation at bottling - this could be the sugar in 1/6 of a can of AJC, which many of us use. Any added sugars from honey will present a problem (over carbonation) as everything will be fermented to dryness.

 

[bmd2k1]

When ur ready for larger batches - toss $50 at a 20L Speidel. (Actually holds about 7gals)

They rock & sure help with my KISS protocol of cider making. [emoji111]

 

[KaiB]

Ditto on the Speidels!!!

Life is just too short not to use them for cider. A 30L is perfect for 7gal juice fermenting, which then gets transferred into a 20L stuffed full for secondary. The 30L then serves as the perfect bottling bucket; rinse and repeat.

 

[doctor strangebrew]

Don't know what a speidel is, but I do have 3 gallon and 5 gallon glass carboys. I use those for beer and like the 1 gallon for ciders so I can try different ingredients in small batches. I do tend to rush ciders (beer is much faster) That's why I don't make wine... don't have the patience. Just searched for speidel... I like it, but have no funds right now (very lucky someone gave me the glass carboys... they used them to make "moonshine" but gave up the hobby... too risky)

 

[Blacksmith1]

I use a 30L (8 gallon) fermenting bucket for my large batches. Same reasons as you guys use the speidel. Works great. Also have a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket which is good for 5 gallon batches.