Racking to Secondary

[Rammelkamp]

I brewed my first batch of beer last Saturday (1/27). An Austin Home Brew English Pale Ale Extract.

On Sunday there was a little bit of action. On Monday there was about 1.5" of krausen and the air lock was bubbling approx. once per second. On Tuesday (yesterday), it looked about the same asit did on Monday. Today the krausen has begun to settle, and the airlock is bubbling approx. once per 3 seconds.

How do I know when I should rack to secondary?

 

[Brewpilot]

Let it sit for a week in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary, then bottle. Dont rush it, age is good. That means that you HAVE to have one brew in the bottles or keg, and another in the primary at all times!!!!

Brewpilot

 

[ayrton]

I brewed my first batch of beer last Saturday (1/27). An Austin Home Brew English Pale Ale Extract.

On Sunday there was a little bit of action. On Monday there was about 1.5" of krausen and the air lock was bubbling approx. once per second. On Tuesday (yesterday), it looked about the same asit did on Monday. Today the krausen has begun to settle, and the airlock is bubbling approx. once per 3 seconds.

How do I know when I should rack to secondary?

Sounds like you had a successful brew session! Congrats.

Now, do what Brewpilot said: let it be for a full week. If it's still bubbling after a week (which is unlikely), then let it go until it stops. When that week is over, transfer it to a secondary fermenter and let it sit for two weeks so that it clears nicely. Once it's bottled, it'll probably be drinkable within a week, BUT you will thank yourself for waiting a few weeks at least before you really start drinking it. Beer gets much better as it ages, and you'd be surprised at how much of a difference a month makes.

 

[dibby33]

Patience is the name of the game here. My BeastII has been sitting in primary for nearly a month now! (too busy to rack it) Still bubbles every couple of minutes though.

...called the beast due to it having an og of 1.15 :rockin:so it will take longer than normal. From what I have read on this site more time is better than less in 99% of cases.

 

[Cheesefood]

1-2-3 is really the bare minimum. If you want it to be good, consider something like 2-5-8. (If you can wait that long). Always have a good reserve on hand, and you'll find you have more patience.

 

[Whelk]

Patience is the name of the game here. My BeastII has been sitting in primary for nearly a month now! (too busy to rack it) Still bubbles every couple of minutes though.

...called the beast due to it having an og of 1.15 :rockin:so it will take longer than normal. From what I have read on this site more time is better than less in 99% of cases.

Truer words were never yet spoken. Time solves almost all problems--unfortunately, my impatience makes this the worst possible solution.

 

[thenatibrewer]

1-2-3 is really the bare minimum. If you want it to be good, consider something like 2-5-8. (If you can wait that long).

2-5-8, really!!! is that for ales??? WOW. do you notice a big difference?

 

[SteveM]

For my house beer, a freelanced Pale Ale, I go two weeks in the primary and then straight to bottle. The best one is ALWAYS the last one, usually two or three months old when I crack it open.

I could only wish for the will power to wait longer! Over the holidays I had about six or eight cases of home brews but got wiped out by all the house parties. Imagine the mixed feelings - pride that they were such hits with everyone but sadness at all the ones that I would not drink myself.

 

[dibby33]

Truer words were never yet spoken. Time solves almost all problems--unfortunately, my impatience makes this the worst possible solution.

I bring up the turtle egg theory again! make 1000's and hope for the 1% reaching maturity

 

[Rammelkamp]

What is the benefit of leaving it in the primary for longer? For the sake of example, what is the difference between 1-2-3 and 2-1-3?

 

[Yooper]

What is the benefit of leaving it in the primary for longer? For the sake of example, what is the difference between 1-2-3 and 2-1-3?

Well, that's still 6 weeks. I don't understand your question.

Of course, I HAVE been drinking tonight....

 

[Rammelkamp]

Well, that's still 6 weeks. I don't understand your question.

Of course, I HAVE been drinking tonight....

Yeh, that is my question. Is there a difference as long as the total fermentation time is the same?

I know that there are a lot of other variables involved, but does the time of primary vs. secondary fermentation matter?

 

[SteveM]

In my opinion it does not really affect flavor as much as clarity, but to really know for sure you would need to do side by side brewing and control all other conditions.

This would not be something I would undertake. Someone more energetic might.

 

[Orfy]

How do I know when I should rack to secondary?

A hydrometer comes in handy

 

[Rammelkamp]

A hydrometer comes in handy

Ok, so when should I take a hydrometer reading?

 

[texasgeorge]

What is the benefit of leaving it in the primary for longer? For the sake of example, what is the difference between 1-2-3 and 2-1-3?

Your primary is where all (okay, most) of your fermentation takes place. It's usually done in a few days with your average ale. Higher gravity ales are a different beast...

But geting back to your question: Once the majority of your fermentation is done, you want to get the beer off the yeastcake and trub and into a clean vessel so it can begin to clarify. The term "secondary fermentor" is really a misnomer, because very little fermentation takes place here. It's a clearing vessel and the longer you leave it in the secondary, the more stuff will settle out of it. I generally go 3 weeks in secondary before bottling... week 1 is at suggested yeast temperatures, and then I drop the temp and let it cold condition in the 52-55F range. This seems to really clear my beers up well. Then I bottle and generally crack into the first one after about a week to see how it's coming along. They really only start getting drinkable (read: more tasty!) after 2.5-3 weeks.

Ok, so when should I take a hydrometer reading?

When airlock activity settles down. If you're within a point or two of your target FG, then you should rack. Also, if you aren't sure where your FG should be, you can take hydro readings each of 3 consecutive days. If no change, go ahead and rack.

MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU USE TO GET THE BEER OUT OF THE PRIMARY FOR TESTING IS SANITIZED!!! A turkey baster works well for me, though after a little bit of time, I just go until I don't see any new stuff happening, and then rack off there. I only use my hydro to calculate efficiency (all-grain brewer), ABV%, and to log the OG and FG for future reference. Once it's in a carboy, I generally don't touch it until it's time to move it somewhere else.