A shorthand form for "secondary fermentation" or "secondary fermentor." Having the beer "in secondary" implies the beer has been racked to a different fermentation vessel and is undergoing "secondary-fermentation."
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When should I add a vanilla bean?
My wife just kicked a bottle of vanilla extract. She bakes a lot and buys the good stuff that comes with a bean in it. I think i want to add the bean to my double-chocolate stout that's in the ...
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5answers
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What's the difference between primary & secondary fermentation?
Over here PJ asked "How do you differentiate primary to secondary if you keep it in the same bucket?"
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2answers
837 views
Fruit beer: should I allow it to ferment out completely?
I have a wheat beer in secondary that has been on 5 lbs of strawberries for 6 days. The flavor is phenomenal right now, just perfect. The strawberries continue to ferment actively, and I want to ...
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5answers
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Early vs Late secondary fermentation
When do you start your secondary fermentation? Some people wait until the bubbles of the wort stop completely, others leave the wort in the fist fermenter for 3-4 days and then move on to secondary ...
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4answers
8k views
How long can I leave beer in the secondary fermenter?
My first home brew beer is ready to be bottled but I've been busy and haven't gotten around to it yet. The beer was in a primary fermenter for 2 weeks, then I racked it into a secondary fermenter ...
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8answers
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Sanitizing oak chips
Going to try using dry oak chips in my secondary fermenter. How do you recommend sanitizing the chips before adding them?
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1answer
527 views
Home brew, acetylaldehydes and hangovers
Both me and my gf noticed that my home brews (even just 1 or 2 a night) cause a fairly noticeable headache in the morning compared to commercial brews. God forbid you get drunk on it, the next ...
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7answers
288 views
How to clear beer
I am brewing my first homebrew an American cream ale. Was just reading into secondary fermentation. In the directions and books I've read it seems to suggest doing this. But as I search online and ...
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2answers
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Using a keg for secondary fermentation and natural carbonation?
I would like to transfer a beer that has been fermenting for about 3 weeks directly into a Cornelius keg for secondary fermentation AND carbonation.
I would like to add priming sugar and naturally ...
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Pellet Hops spilled out of bag in secondary. Advice?
My hop bag came undone in my secondary while dry-hopping and now I have pellet hops directly in my beer. What is the best way to filter out the hops for bottling?
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8answers
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Secondary size?
When moving a 5 gallon batch into secondary does it make a difference if it is into a 5 gallon carboy or a 6.5?
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3answers
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Should I purge my carboy with CO2 before racking to secondary?
I'm thinking this might help prevent oxidation.
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3answers
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Does krausening make for faster conditioning?
After reading this article on krausening, I began to wonder about using it to speed up the production of big beers. The article states that introducing fresh, active yeast will "clean up" the beer.
...
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How much chocolate extract should I use?
The Young's Double Chocolate Stout clone recipe I'm about to rack to the secondary in two days calls for 0.33 ounces of chocolate extract. That's less than a tablespoon. The bottle of chocolate ...
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Should dry hopping be done in secondary, when to transfer, and for how long?
After surveying questions related to dry hopping and secondary here on the Exchange, I don't yet have solid answers to the following questions.
Should beer be transferred to secondary for the ...
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4answers
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preparing fruit for secondary
What is the best method for preparing different fruits for fruit additions into secondary fermentors?
There are issues of sanitation and good fruit to wort contact, via chopping, slicing, mincing or ...
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4answers
124 views
Jugs for secondary?
I happened upon a bunch of 4L glass wine jugs today while dumpster-diving for beer bottles.
The jugs I found have screw-top lids, and I thought they could be useful as secondary fermenters. If I ...
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2answers
375 views
Brett: Primary or Secondary
What are the differences between fermenting a beer solely with Brettanomyces (or some blend of sour yeast) versus adding it to the secondary after primary fermentation with a non-sour yeast?
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1answer
265 views
Steps in Secondary Fermentation
I just picked up my Better Bottle Carboy... and will be racking to it in a few days. I have a few questions to ask since I did not use a secondary during my first few batches:
1) Do I add yeast at ...
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2answers
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Detriment of gelatin fining on flavor or aroma
Does using gelatin effect aromatics or flavor appreciably?
I was reading this post about using gelatin. I have one keg that I use as a cold conditioning vessel (sort of like secondary), and I was ...
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3answers
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Chile Pepper Ale
I've brewed a simple base ale recipe. It's fermenting happily.
I want to add Chile Peppers to the beer to make a spiced ale. I'm not looking for something with a lot of heat, but I do want some ...
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4answers
661 views
How is the length of each fermentation determined?
When crafting an original recipe, how do brewers determine the length of time at each stage of fermentation? Obviously, several factors weigh in, including the exact composition of the wort, the ...
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3answers
586 views
What is the best way to flavor beer with Oak?
Background:
I've purchased some lovely dark roasted oak chips that I plan on soaking in bourbon and using to flavor an Irish Red.
Friends of mine who have seasoned their beer on oak chips claim that ...
4
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4answers
508 views
Red Ale - Already in primary fermenter, what can I add to it during the secondary?
I decided to brew for my third time now. I have a red ale in the primary fermenter... but I am itching to do something a little more "advanced", since the last two came out good. I'm ready for a new ...
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3answers
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Secondary Fermentation - Gravity too high to bottle but it's not going anywhere
I have an Oatmeal Stout in the secondary fermenter (carboy) and it's been there for about a week. I checked the hydrometer reading this morning and it's at 1.020. The og was about 1.052, and when I ...
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3answers
993 views
Adding Chocolate & Coffee to Secondary
6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) Briess light, unhopped, malt extract
1.7 lbs. (0.77 kg) light dry extract
22 oz. (0.62 kg) flaked oats
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) chocolate malt (350 °L)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) roast barley ...
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2answers
249 views
Airlock required for lagering or conditioning?
If I put some beer in a secondary vessel for medium-term condition (e.g. lagering or dry hopping), do I need to put an airlock on it or can I just close it up with a stopper or put it in a keg and ...
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1answer
87 views
When is it the optimal time to add flavoring?
I purchased a bottle of raspberry flavoring from a home brew store for a Lambic brew that is still in secondary. I don't believe the flavoring has any fermentables in it.
Should this flavoring be ...
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2answers
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Secondary flavoring of a stout using chocolate and coffee, how much to use?
I am brewing an Imperial Stout (OG 1.081) and it is in primary now. I want to rack to secondary in one gallon jugs and want to flavor each differently. I have read through the coffee posts on here but ...
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3answers
289 views
Any reason not to lower a hydrometer into my secondary?
Is there any reason not to simply lower a hydrometer into my carboy during secondary fermentation, so that I can monitor gravity just by peeking in with a flashlight?
I'm thinking about doing this ...
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2answers
236 views
How to Cold Crash an Imperial Stout?
During my first all-grain (an Imperial Stout recipe a friend and I invented), I managed to forget adding Irish Moss towards the end of the boil. After 3 weeks in primary, I've verified that ...
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1answer
195 views
Do you add anything to the secondary container?
I am ready to do some secondary brewing in a glass carboy and wonder if you have to add anything to the beer in the secondary container. Sugar, more yeast etc.
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1answer
256 views
Can I ferment further once the beer is carbonated?
I have an imperial stout in a corny keg, and I'm just not happy with how sweet it is. It's already been carbonated. Can I let it go flat, rack it to a carboy, and throw in some high-gravity or ...
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1answer
270 views
Secondary or Bottles
I currently have a stout (my 2nd home brew) in a secondary fermentor (glass carboy). Once it reaches FG, what are the advantages/disadvantages of leaving it in the secondary to condition vs bottling ...
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4answers
532 views
Adding Sugar to Secondary to Create a Layer of CO2?
This might sound like an oddball question. But does it make sense to add a small amount of sugar to a beer (after fermenting appears to have stopped in the primary fementer), after transferring to a ...
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4answers
407 views
Longest time in carboy?
I've been extraordinarily lazy lately and have kept 2 of my beers sitting around for some time.
What is the longest you've kept your beer on primary and still had good results? I'm hearing arguments ...
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3answers
2k views
Secondary Fermentation In Bottling Bucket
I have a Hefeweizen (Wild Flower Wheat pg 135) in the fermenter that is ready to be racked to the secondary. The recipe calls for 5 days in the secondary, however the only secondary fermenters I have ...
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1answer
210 views
Aging Breakfast Stout Clone
So I've had my breakfast stout in the primary for 16 days and I'm going to transfer it to my secondary tomorrow. The gravity is stable and its ready to move. I'm cold pressing some kona coffee tonight ...
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1answer
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What advantages do I gain by putting my mead into a secondary before bottling?
I have always used a secondary fermentation container for my beers and meads in the past. Today I had a conversation with two different coworkers who mentioned they put their mead from the primary ...
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2answers
71 views
How foolish is it to try to make up for my tripel's shortish secondary by bottle conditioning it longer?
I'm attempting to brew a wide variety of beers (both 2.5 & 5 gallon batches depending on style) in a shortish time span in order to serve at a family reunion in the summer, and now it looks like I ...
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3answers
131 views
So I don't know if my primary is done
I started primary 5 days ago. On the second day it had a healthy yeast cake on top. Day three it began to fall and yesterday, so day 4, it went all the way down. The temp is at 70 degrees and is an ...
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2answers
165 views
no air lock activity after 3 days
First time brewer,I brewed a ipa extract kit.There is no airlock activity after 3 days.I had an og reading of 1.060, I took another reading today of 1.020.I want to ravk into a secondary should i do ...
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2answers
126 views
Yeast Contact Time Experiment Results
Anyone know the outcome of the Basic Brewing Radio yeast contact time experiment, where they asked people to let their beers sit on the yeast for four weeks? I can't seem to get the podcast out of ...
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1answer
286 views
When should I add apricot puree to a Belgian beer?
I'm brewing a Belgian dubbel tomorrow and have a 3-lb can of pureed apricot. I don't know if I should add it into my primary after a few days of initial fermentation, or if I should wait a couple of ...
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1answer
64 views
Keeping pressure in secondary keg
I recently started brewing again as I was bought some new kit:
5 gallon fermenting bucket
5 gallon plastic keg with tap
This is the first time I've brewed without bottling.
I've just got my wort ...
