Secondary fermentation

[Griffter99]

I have had my IPA in its secondary fermentation keg for 14 days now after adding brewing sugar. What is the best way to know if it is ready?

Do I test by drinking some? Or by looking at a sample?!

This is my first ever attempt so I am unsure!

 

[dgr]

You have it in a cornelius keg? Under pressure? In it's final container? That is conditioning, not secondary. Secondary would be taking a beer off of the yeast/trub cake and putting it into another fermentation vessel.

Clarify so we can help.

Hang on. Are you from Europe and have a king keg? I honestly don't know but it should be apples to apples on carbonating in a pressurized container. It takes at least two weeks to carbonate. Three weeks is the standard wait time on a naturally carbonated beer. But no one waits that long on his first beer. But you should. Give it a taste.

 

[Griffter99]

Hi thanks for the reply. Yes it is in the pressurised keg.

 

[Greyfriar]

Not to hijack this thread, but since your question seems answered...

I've got my second batch of beer going now. I pitched my yeast, but haven't seen fermentation start (I know it can take 24-72 hours to get there, so I'm not worried about that). I did a partial mash and it calls for moving the beer from primary to secondary fermenter after 7 days.

My question is: Does the 7 day timer start after I see fermentation, or after a total of 7 days passes since I pitched my yest?

 

[GrogNerd]

Not to hijack this thread, but since your question seems answered...

I've got my second batch of beer going now. I pitched my yeast, but haven't seen fermentation start (I know it can take 24-72 hours to get there, so I'm not worried about that). I did a partial mash and it calls for moving the beer from primary to secondary fermenter after 7 days.

My question is: Does the 7 day timer start after I see fermentation, or after a total of 7 days passes since I pitched my yest?

by "haven't seen fermentation start," do you mean the airlock hasn't bubbled? because that's not a firm sign of fermentation. if you have a bucket, you can open it up and look for a layer of goo/gunk/gritch on top of the beer, and/or around the sides. THAT'S fermentation. plus, it will smell like what it is; warm, flat beer.

if the instructions with a kit say to rack to secondary after X number of days, you can safely IGNORE the instructions

first, unless you are adding more fermentables, such as fruit, or plan on extended aging, whether or not to secondary is a personal preference. many don't. you can, but don't need to.

secondly, kegging or bottling should be done ONLY after fermentation is complete and yeast don't get paid by the hour. so going by how many days they've been at it is pointless. they finish fermenting when they're finished and then they like to clean up after themselves.

the only way to tell that fermentation is complete is by taking gravity readings. if you get the same gravity with successive readings 1 or 2 days apart, fermentation is complete and you can package any time after that. or move to secondary if that's your preference. or even let it sit another week or 2.

my preference is to just let it sit for 3 weeks, take FG reading, then bottle.

I know, hard to do when it's only your 2nd batch.

 

[mrphillips]

Dear Mr. Thread Hijacker ,

No bubbles, no problem. I had ZERO proof that my 1st beer was fermenting, and it was just fine. Like the last poster said, taking the gravity with your hydrometer will tell you everything you need to know, but I'd bet the farm that you're fine.

Oh, and fermentation starts the second you pitch the yeast (that is, toss the yeast into the cooded wort in the primary fermenter). Best of luck!

 

[Greyfriar]

Thank you for the responses. You are correct when you said

by "haven't seen fermentation start," do you mean the airlock hasn't bubbled?

and now I know that I shouldn't be worried about that as much.

I've read before that you can tell when fermentation is done by checking the FG on successive days, but I've been worried about introducing foreign... whatever, to the batch by opening it and exposing it to the elements so much, but I guess I should get over that.

I'm making an Oktoberfest ale (I don't, and won't, have the capability to lager any time soon). I think racking the beer after fermentation is done was just to let it clarify.