secondary racking

[otate]

hi,

I am new to home brewing and just learning the ropes. So far I have done a few kits and last weekend had my first go at extract brewing.

I have read about secondary racking, but I am unsure on what the purpose of it is and whether I should be doing it. Can somebody explain the principle, why its done, and when I should be doing it? is it just a case of syphoning into a second fermenter?

many thanks for any advise

 

[rpt]

There is a lot of debate about whether it's worth bothering transferring to a secondary. So you don't have to do it. The idea is to get the beer off the yeast waste and so not get off flavours but many people leave the beer in the primary for several weeks with no problems.

 

[Maffa]

I think its used to help the beer clear better.

I must admit I would like some more info on this too. How long do you use the 2nd fv for? Are we talking hours/days/weeks? I have no idea :wha:

 

[graysalchemy]

It also reduces the risk of infection especially if you have had a messy fermentation. It also adds clearing and thus results in brighter beer for bottling. :thumb:

 

[rpt]

It also reduces the risk of infection especially if you have had a messy fermentation. It also adds clearing and thus results in brighter beer for bottling. :thumb:

You just want an excuse to show that photo again!

 

[graysalchemy]

Not today.

 

[calumscott]

Oh go on!! Everyone likes dirty pictures...

 

[graysalchemy]

Its to dirty calum for this time in the morning it is before the watershed. :lol: :lol:

 

[joe1002]

If you are going to do it, I believe most folk rack into the secondary after a week and leave it there for a week before bottling / kegging :thumb:

 

[jonnymorris]

It also reduces the risk of infection especially if you have had a messy fermentation. It also adds clearing and thus results in brighter beer for bottling. :thumb:

The other view is that it'll only increase risk of infection if you've not had an explosive fermentation as per the picture GA will be bullied into posting later. Some people will also refute the claim that it'll aid in clearing. Leave it alone and it'll be fine.

...is it just a case of syphoning into a second fermenter?

Yes.

 

[wigwamheed]

On a similar subject if not usinga sf would cooling in my cellar for a couple of days help clarity? Would this leave enough yeast in suspension for priming?

 

[winelight]

After reading hundreds of opinions on all the pros and cons of secondary racking and alternative methods, or doing nothing, I have come to the conclusion that by far the easiest, quickest, most reliable, and even cheapest (because it saves me buying a second FV) is simply to move the primary FV into the cold for a few days.

I did that on Saturday with my mild, and will bottle it tomorrow. It was already pretty clear before I even moved it into the cold.

The only drawback is that to bottle it I will have to move it back into the kitchen, so I'll have to do that very carefully to avoid stirring up the sediment again. And, ideally, not drop it.

(edit) sorry just noticed your second question. Apparently, even if you can't see the yeast, there will still be a gazillion yeast cells per cubic micrometre, or something.

 

[graysalchemy]

On a similar subject if not usinga sf would cooling in my cellar for a couple of days help clarity? Would this leave enough yeast in suspension for priming?

Yes cold concrete floor is fine.

 

[graysalchemy]

The only drawback is that to bottle it I will have to move it back into the kitchen, so I'll have to do that very carefully to avoid stirring up the sediment again. And, ideally, not drop it.
.

And this is the probem. I have just dropped my beer into a secondary and I have picked up some yeast not much but enough to turn it cloudy.So i will now leave it to cool till friday when I will drop it yet again into a clean fv ready for bottling. No the amount of yeast i will transfere on bottling day will be minimal so the beer going into the bottles will be bright. If i had bottled now out of the fv I would be putting cloudy beer into bottles and since I am using US05 not the best floculating yeasts I would end up with to much sediment in the bottles.

If you are going to be lifting it about then you need to get it of the yeast.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[otate]

Many thanks for all the replies

 

[Good Ed]

On a similar subject if not usinga sf would cooling in my cellar for a couple of days help clarity? Would this leave enough yeast in suspension for priming?

leave in a cool cellar for at least 4 days. clear beer will still have 1 million cells of yeast per millilitre (as winelight says is a lot), which is more than enough for bottle priming