Second fermentation

[thegoatboy]

hello once again!

just a few questions on second fermentation.

I measured my brew last night and at the moment its about 3% abv.

Gonna leave it a bit more in the hope that the alcohol content increases (10 days in FV so far - I had thought it had stopped, but it was going again quite nicely following the check, and it tasted lovely).

Going to keep checking it over the weekend to see if there are any changes. My next plan is to transfer to a second FV for a bit more time.

with that, when I syphon it out from one into another, do I need to take all the contents from one to the other?

I'm guessing it's gonna be a bit mucky at the bottom of the bucket eh?

also, will the alcohol content keep raising in the second vessel?

or is the transfer just to help it settle more before bottling?

 

[timcunnell]

Hi Mate

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about transferring to a secondary FV to continue fermenting in. Some people do this, but I think it is less common with most brewers these days from what I've seen and read.

The best/simplest method is to ferment your beer in the primary FV for 2-3 weeks. In reality, fermentation will have finished much sooner than this, but your beer will clear a fair bit in the primary. Then if you're bottling, you should siphon the fermented beer into a fermenter that is fitted with a tap. Be sure to siphon off the relatively clear beer, and leave all the sediment/trub behind. You should batch-prime the beer in this second vessel, and then bottle it straight away.

The extra sugar added at this stage will react with dormant yeast that will be knocking about in the beer, and this will carbonate the beer in the bottles. You should end up with just a little sediment at the bottom of the bottles after a week or two, and it should be good to go.

 

[Covrich]

Hello, what are you actually brewing and what was teh starting and current gravity?

 

[thegoatboy]

Hello, what are you actually brewing and what was teh starting and current gravity?

woodforde's wherry

1040 to start
1016 ten days in.

 

[timcunnell]

woodforde's wherry

1040 to start
1016 ten days in.

1016 is quite high still for 10 days to be fair. What kind of temperature have you had it at? Has it got a bit cold perhaps?

For a Wherry I think 1040 is about right for starting gravity, but you'd be wanting to ferment it down to at least 1010.

That said, it'll still be drinkable - but just weaker from a ABV point of view, and also might not taste quite right. But for a first crack, getting something you can drink is what its all about really. Its all a learning curve at the end of the day!

 

[Covrich]

Kits are not great at attenuating because of the yeast they supply and the lack of instructions for new brewers on airiation prior to pitching.. The Wherry seems notorious for sticking at 1020

That said I don't think you are a million miles away and 1014 is probably what you can expect. You could try warming it up see if that gets it to drop a few points.

 

[thegoatboy]

well, temp wise at the start it was around 20, but most of the time probably more like 17- 19 ish

it was a first attempt and I did put a bit too much water in there - certainly pay more attention next time.

I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days and see if it changes.

I did give it a good stir before hoofing the yeast in, but next time I'll rehydrate it first.

 

[Racinsnake]

Warm it up give it a stir and it should come down a bit more.

 

[terrym]

Kits are not great at attenuating because of the yeast they supply and the lack of instructions for new brewers on airiation prior to pitching.. The Wherry seems notorious for sticking at 1020

That said I don't think you are a million miles away and 1014 is probably what you can expect. You could try warming it up see if that gets it to drop a few points.

Goatboy
My Wherry stuck at 1020 and after a bit of coaxing along finished up at 1014 (and that's what I bottled it at).
In my experience the kit yeast is slow to clear and will cloud up at any excuse.
So I suggest you rack off to secondary for a few days to minimise the yeast load in the bucket/FV when it comes to bottling, or leave it for as long as you can cope with for two to three weeks after it started, to clear as much as possible in the FV.

 

[thegoatboy]

decisions decisions!

 

[thegoatboy]

Checked today and it was 1012

A stir has been given and it's now a bit closer to a radiator

It's bubbling after the stir so hopefully might get a little bit more out of it

 

[Slid]

Checked today and it was 1012

A stir has been given and it's now a bit closer to a radiator

It's bubbling after the stir so hopefully might get a little bit more out of it

Patience seems to be very important with Wherrys. I've done quite a few and they are slow to ferment, finish, clear and condition.

But it does make very good beer, for little effort, being a humble kit!

I would add that brewing with Coopers yeast, or with US 05 has made very little change to this tardyness.

 

[thegoatboy]

I was gonna move to a different fv tomorrow, but might give it another week

 

[thegoatboy]

Well I syphoned it off into another vessel yesterday.

it was still looking like 1012.

Gonna give it a week then bottle.

 

[ericmark]

I started to transfer mid way when trying to increase stock. I would transfer half way through expected time clean out fermentor and start new batch. I transferred into 6 demijohns as could not really start a brew in 6 equal parts and once split I could vary any extras put into the brew. I found it really reduced the sediment so even when I got second fermentor I continued to transfer, but not really required.

I don't like to waste beer and if I set the syphon 1 inch above the bottom I would also lose most of the sediment. However I put syphon on the bottom and clip it so it can't move so of a 2 foot area it sucks up sediment over 1 inch. Same when I bottle.

But it's not where you syphon from but where you syphon to that matters. I now put syphon to bottom of both vessels in early days I let it run so it gained unwanted air. The syphon will tend to de-gas so once swapped it seems all activity has stopped. It can take a day or two to restart and it is very easy to make errors and also contaminate the brew. So although I do swap fermenter I would not say it is good just something I do.

I also bottle in 2 litre pop bottles which means I tip them many times when pouring out my beer. If I used bottles smaller than one pint then I would only tip once so sediment would stay in the bottom.