Anyone have thoughts on secondary fermentation? I just moved a nut brown ale over tonight. I will be kegging and want it as clear as possible. Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
This is my first batch in 25 years and Ive forgotten pretty much everything from when I brewed with my dad. I didnt take an initial gravity but it was at 1.012 coming out of the primary fermentation. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Boise_Chief:
Anyone have thoughts on secondary fermentation? I just moved a nut brown ale over tonight. I will be kegging and want it as clear as possible. Posted via Mobile Device
I've typically done it for a couple extra weeks, but I'm sure it could be more... I typically do it so I can play with adding flavor to it. I've only made stouts, so clarity has never been a goal.
Hoping to get back into it this winter... unlike KC, I don't have a perfect 68 degree basement all year. [Reply]
I know this crowd will roll their eyes but I am excited. I have a batch of kombucha fermenting that will be flavored with a heavy dose of Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Boise_Chief:
Anyone have thoughts on secondary fermentation? I just moved a nut brown ale over tonight. I will be kegging and want it as clear as possible. Posted via Mobile Device
Unless you plan to hold the beer in fermentation for longer than 6-7 weeks I wouldn't move it as it adds little value and can actually oxidize the beer. When I make lagers I secondary in the keg so its only moved once.
One of the worst things you can do to beer is oxidize it after initial fermentation and every time you move it you are adding oxygen. This is one of the main reasons a lot of home brew taste like home brew. Breweries and advanced home brew systems can move beer without adding oxygen because they are closed systems. If you are siphoning you are adding a lot of oxygen.
When I do an IPA I do 7 days of fermentation and then 5-7 days dry hop in the primary. I then cold crash the primary for 1-2 days and then CO2 purge a keg and move it to the keg and carbonate. You can turn around an IPA in about 17 days doing this and have some of the freshest IPA you have ever tasted.
When I started I used to secondary everything thinking I was making a cleaner beer but have found not moving it makes a better tasting beer.
If you are doing some long term aging like making a brett beer, barley wine, or something thats going to take a few months, yea move it to secondary. (Brett actually likes oxygen so its not a bad thing to move a brett beer once)
My. $.02
Whats cool is you are brewing!
Edit: I was checking my BeerSmith program this weekend and counted that I had already brewed 110gal this year. I think the most I have done in a year is around 130gal. I should hit 160gal or so this year. [Reply]
My most recent DDH IPA with eldorado, citra, and galaxy. It's the first I've done with a completely closed transfer from fermenter to keg, which has gone a long way in preserving the freshness of the hops. Brewed one month ago today.
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
My most recent DDH IPA with eldorado, citra, and galaxy. It's the first I've done with a completely closed transfer from fermenter to keg, which has gone a long way in preserving the freshness of the hops. Brewed one month ago today.
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
I've actually considered that, you recommend them Im guessing?
I do. The things I like about them are:
Fairly inexpensive
Large screw off top making it easy to clean
Bottom spigot for easy transfers, gravity readings, etc
Easy to modify - there's even keg posts and other mods available online
Well made with sturdy handles making it easy to move
Things I don't necessarily like:
The sizes are odd. The 20L is 5.3 gallons and the 30L is 7.9 gallons. Kind of tweener sizes so you have to be cautious of headspace
You can't really see into them if you care about watching your krausen or seeing your beer
With it being plastic, you obviously have to be cautious of scratching the inside, but they're a really hard, durable plastic
The pros easily outweigh the cons for me, but I equate fermenters to smokers and what works for one might not be the best option for someone else. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I brewed a Belgian witbier with cherry juice and lime zest for our clubs Cinco de Mayo party. Calling it Wit Cherryfield.
That almost looks like an adult ice cream sundae. Rep! [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
That almost looks like an adult ice cream sundae. Rep!
Thanks. Our club parties attract a lot of dudes, so I wanted to brew something that might appeal more to the ladies. Rosé wine colored, low abv crusher at 4.5%, and I added some lime zest to give it a cherry limeade summer-y kind of feel. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I brewed a Belgian witbier with cherry juice and lime zest for our clubs Cinco de Mayo party. Calling it Wit Cherryfield.
That looks great. Appeals to me but I'm gay so that's cool.