So what is it called when you add sugar to a bottle, fill it with beer and cap it? Isn't it a tiny glass secondary fermenter? Isn't yeast consuming sugar and converting said sugar to alcohol and Co2 identified as fermentation? Point is unless you are serving your beer directly from the primary fermenter any transfer to a "secondary" vessel, be it bottle, conditioning keg or other is a secondary fermenter technically. IMO this thread derailed in providing the OP the answer they were looking for. Yes I'm old school and yes there are many occasions where in the use of a secondary fermenter is not only appropriate but necessary to complete the fermentation process. Barley Wines, Melomels and most brews where fruit is added need secondary fermentation for optimal quality. The important thing to consider is does the specific type Beverage require a secondary. Equally important is the practice of getting the product into the secondary, a whole different topic. One which there should be no debate, closed transfer. IMO any beer can be successfully transfered as long as the receiving vessel has been purged with Co2 and Co2 is used to push it from one to the other. Otherwise we would all be drinking from the fermenter. OK yes I've done that many times too.