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16 votes
Accepted

How badly did I oxidize my beer?

Some brewers have a unwarranted paranoia about oxygen and beer. Relax. If there were literally a "few bubbles" in the keg then I very much doubt it will cause the beer to oxidise. If the beer was not ...
barking.pete's user avatar
  • 5,631
6 votes

If/When to move to secondary fermentation

Some widely respected people advise against it, like: Racking to prevent autolysis is not necessary Whilst it might be true, in some cases, it is not true in case of strong stuff, stuff that will ...
Mołot's user avatar
  • 3,718
4 votes
Accepted

Amount of time available for racking after fermentation is complete

Depend on a lot of factors. If it was in fermenter only two weeks, one or two more should not hurt. For light beers, under 6% ABV, I never kept them over a month. But I do have few fermenters 3 or 4 ...
Mołot's user avatar
  • 3,718
4 votes

How badly did I oxidize my beer?

It shouldn't be a big problem.
Denny Conn's user avatar
  • 33.4k
3 votes

Amount of time available for racking after fermentation is complete

I just finished a nut brown: OG:51 FG:10. Left it on the primary yeast cake for three weeks and it turned out great. Lots of people are suggesting no secondary these days, and a little longer in the ...
jordancpaul's user avatar
3 votes
Accepted

Racked Too Early... Now What?

It's fine. There's plenty of yeast in suspension to complete your fermentation. Any yeast or sediment that was left behind in the primary is of little use and this beer won't miss it. Let it ride ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
3 votes

Creating a fruit saison: when to add the fruit and rack to secondary?

There is really no right or wrong answer here, especially with the anecdotal (and some scientific) evidence coming to light over the past years. Most books on homebrewing, and indeed most advice ...
ritterasdf's user avatar
3 votes

Creating a fruit saison: when to add the fruit and rack to secondary?

If you're racking onto fruit then a second fermentation from the fruit is expected, so the main thing you need to wait for is a noticeable active fermentation to end. The main reason for this is that ...
MannIncognito's user avatar
3 votes

Creating a fruit saison: when to add the fruit and rack to secondary?

In general you should wait for fermentation to be completed in the primary, then rack to your secondary. So it means waiting to have a stable specific gravity for 3 days. In my opinion, I don't ...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
3 votes
Accepted

Is it ok to tip the brewpot while racking?

It is okay, and you didn't introduce any "bad things". More than likely, you have pitched a sub-optimal or basically-reasonable quantity of yeast into wort with very little dissolved oxygen, and the ...
jsled's user avatar
  • 10.1k
3 votes

How often can I rack?

From my experience, unless you are trying to stop/stun an active fermentation, you should not rack until your primary fermentation is either done or mostly done. If you racked too early, then there ...
valverij's user avatar
  • 629
3 votes

If/When to move to secondary fermentation

An interesting point when considering initial and possible secondary fermenter: If we’re going to let the beer sit after its main fermentation is done, it pretty much needs to be in glass, and away ...
gnB's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes

Do I have to bottle my wine immediately after stopping the fermentation?

Yes, this is how most wine is made and aged before it's bottled. It's not uncommon for red wines to sit in a barrel or a stainless tank for 2-3 years. As long as you keep the sulfite levels in the ...
farmersteve's user avatar
  • 3,012
3 votes

Is SG 1.005 OK for cider before first racking

It is not uncommon to have SG fall that far after about 9 days. Adding extra sugar at any point, at beginning, end, or at this point in between, is a matter of preference. Be aware that the added ...
dmtaylor's user avatar
  • 3,417
3 votes

Is SG 1.005 OK for cider before first racking

You can rack at any point, just be careful not to over expose your cider to air, to avoid oxidation. There are tips (mostly for wine, but still) for that here: Oxidation of red wine during racking ...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
2 votes

If/When to move to secondary fermentation

My viewpoint is: 1. Rack to a glass 2ndary after 1 week - assuming you have no active carbonation. 2. Dry hop in the 2ndary, although it is a pain if you are using dried hops vs pellets :( A trusted ...
Don Gilman's user avatar
2 votes

Rack onto yeast cake then fast rack to secondary?

Don't wash with wort, you won't get the chance. It will take off before what you want to extract settles. Just rack on top the cake and use it for what it is. As long as you practice good sanitation ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
2 votes

Rack onto yeast cake then fast rack to secondary?

It's probably as safe as anything in a sanitary environment, though if I'm understanding you correctly it means another, however small, potential window of exposure to dangerous microbes since you're ...
Bolwerk's user avatar
  • 366
2 votes

What happened to all my beer?

Gratz on your second brew! This is just speculation from the limited info. Detailed steps and ingredients will help in the future. If there is actual liquid volume missing from the fermentor, then ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
2 votes

Pilsner racking before bottling

I'd rack it into a secondary for the sake of cleanliness in the final product. Especially if you were to coldcrash it before bottling. Cheers and best of luck!
tbiss1252 's user avatar
2 votes
Accepted

Secondary racking for store bought apple juice

Lees are not just the pectin precipitate from apple juice, or grape bits or beery crud from the biol, it is mostly your yeast cake. I have brewed many things, wine, cider, beers, meads and sometimes ...
Mr_road's user avatar
  • 6,993
2 votes

How badly did I oxidize my beer?

O2 is important to big brewers because the beer will get warm and cold many times and they can't control the age. Drink it fresh and enjoy it. It might not last as long as a super low DO beer like ...
Colin 's user avatar
  • 31
2 votes

Quick advice for dry-hopping and racking to secondary

Dry-hopping in primary is fine. Many people don't rack to a secondary fermentation vessel anymore unless they're actually adding additional fermentables. In fact, dry-hopping before primary-...
thesquaregroot's user avatar
  • 1,890
2 votes

Barrel fermenting (white) wine. Questions and assumptions

Yes it is possible. Barrel fermentation of white wine is a traditional Burgundian technique, it is used (commercially) with Chardonnay for instance. Be careful because white wines are easy to ...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
2 votes

I've lost my online site for Mead Making!

Fortunately, there is Archive.org to help you. It took a snapshot of the webpage, it can be found here: https://web.archive.org/web/20210512151955/http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/fast-cheap-mead-...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
2 votes

Making wine with fruits?

You might need to condition it for longer and use finings to clarify it. Adding pectolase could also help as well. I think it depends on the fruit you're using as well. There's a lot of documentation ...
SocksSocksSocks's user avatar
1 vote

Racked Too Early... Now What?

Some people leave their beer for a longer time in the primary and many don't event rack to a secondary. So no worry here. The most important concern is sanitation, not the number of days. Cloudy ...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
1 vote

I accidentally stirred all the lees into my wine during first racking. Now (1 day later) secondary has lots (+1cm) of sediment. Should I rack again?

Time will give you clear wine, multiple rackings may be required. However, if you are anxious for a clear product (not necessarily sufficiently aged), you may wish to investigate a clearing agent. I ...
Tony's user avatar
  • 502
1 vote

I accidentally stirred all the lees into my wine during first racking. Now (1 day later) secondary has lots (+1cm) of sediment. Should I rack again?

Don't worry. This is why we do multiple rackings when we make wine. You'll have to do it again in a couple of months. Just keep your sulfite levels up.
farmersteve's user avatar
  • 3,012
1 vote

Pilsner racking before bottling

I just made a Czech Pilsner at a little higher temp. Once it finished fermenting I racked it off the trub into an sanitized secondary that would fit into my frig. I let it get very cold, then added ...
Tony's user avatar
  • 502

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