Cheap solution for secondary fermentation

[CraigMac]

Hello,

I'm a first-timer and I'm about to hit my first snag. I've just started with my beginners kit from the Art of Brewing and I've realised I'm a bucket short. Or rather, after following all the instructions, I've realised my IPA kit from Brewers' Choice recommends siphoning off into a second bucket with an airlock after the initial 5-7 days of fermentation. Now, I've already used my airlock bucket. Do I need to borrow another one or can a get a couple of cheap buckets, sterilise them, siphon into them, clean the original bucker then siphon back?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks,
Craig

 

[Brewmarc]

Well you could do that :thumb: but if I were you I would get a youngs wine fermenter which has a large screw lid with seal to syphon the beer into it would save a lot of cleaning & sterilising another bung & airlock would be an advantage :thumb: cost about £10 leave it in this for a couple of weeks for fermentation to finish completly & the yeast to drop out then bottle or keg :thumb:

 

[Wez]

Craig - some brewers don't bother with racking to secondary and some do - I don't transfer to secondary myself.

Welcome to the forum by the way :thumb:

 

[CraigMac]

Thanks for that. I've just bought a fermenter so fingers crossed for the next stage.

 

[Brewmarc]

Let us know how it turns out :thumb: :

 

[warra48]

I never rack, unless I have a very good reason for doing so.

Most of my Ales, I leave in the fermenter for 2 weeks, and then bottle.

The exceptions are Bocks or Pilsners (I do a Dunkelweizenbock, and a Pilsner once a year).
These obviously need a period of Cold Conditioning or Lagering.

Other than that, I see no need to invite the possibility of oxidation or infection from an unnecessary transfer into another vessel for no perceived benefit.

 

[steve_flack]

The racking off to a secondary after seven days is an American thing and mostly unnecessary.

 

[Brewmarc]

Racking into a secodary fermenter for 2-3 weeks prior to bottling in my experience is advantagous :thumb: especially when bottling :thumb: it 99.9% garentees fermentation has finished :thumb: no need to take gravity readings over a few days which has a risk of introducing infection, :thumb: It allows the beer to mature & clear sometimes perfectly, :thumb: no risk of yeast off flavours from the beer sitting on the dead yeast cells so you need not worry about when to bottle :thumb: & even when the beer looks absolutely crystal cleer there is plenty of yeast in suspension for carbonation in the bottle or keg & only a very light dusting of yeast in the bottom :thumb: it is longer befor you drink it :cry: