5
votes
Has your airlock ever shot out of your carboy?
It usually happens with strong fermentation when the krausen clogs the airlock, it is then ejected with the pressure.
If the fermentation was still active when you returned, the beer might not be ...
- 4,806
5
votes
Bottling Bucket - really necessary?
Most of the equipment is not really necessary. It may just make it much easier.
When you use a bottling bucket, you rack from fermenter to bottling bucket, leaving a layer of dead yeast cells and ...
- 1,266
4
votes
should i re-rack my beer?
Most people these days do not use secondary. It is not necessary and usually not recommended....Here's what John Palmer had to say....
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=...
- 33.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Bottling Bucket - really necessary?
If you have a bucket w/ a tap in it, it sounds to me like you already have a bottling bucket. I'd probably buy another bucket w/o a tap to ferment in and bottle using your current bucket.
You can ...
- 167
4
votes
Accepted
Can you add additions to the primary?
If you don't have a secondary then, feel free to add them to your primary. You don't really have to worry much about making additions in your primary, I have done it many times in the past when I ...
- 7,048
3
votes
Amount of oak chips
The question of how much to add and how long is like asking how much salt to put into your food. It depends on the food and your taste. That's why the recommendations you've come across vary so widely....
- 2,585
3
votes
How to do I mitigate diacetyl in cider that developed during secondary fermentation?
Diacetyl is a normal part of most fermentations. Nice thing is that yeast will eat it. The yeast just needs time. Give it 3-4 weeks of age, and the diacetyl should be cleaned up. No fancy actions ...
- 3,425
3
votes
Accepted
Storing beer in a keg
This would seem to be the same process as storing beer in a "brite tank" to allow it to clear after fermentation. Using a clean keg is always a good idea but I have found it sufficient to scald the ...
- 5,641
3
votes
Storing beer in a keg
I do this regularly, not using a keg, but e.g. a glass container.
Clean and disinfect well before usage
Make sure that you do not splash when transferring
What I also do is add some extra sugar to ...
- 3,665
3
votes
Adding water and sugar to secondary fermentation
You can. Don't do it.
Transfer beer to bottling bucket just before bottling. Add priming sugar, let it dissolve. Bottle. Bucket will be partially empty most of the time anyway, because you are ...
- 3,718
3
votes
Airlock required for lagering or conditioning?
You used the term "lagering", so if you are truly lagering, the answer is 'it depends'. If your beer is indeed a lager, then your yeast WILL be active....potentially down to freezing temperatures (if ...
3
votes
How long can I leave beer in the secondary fermenter?
As long as you want.
As with anything, there are considerations:
Hop Flavor and Aroma
This is a big one. Hop compounds break down and dissipate extremely quickly. If you want a fresh hop flavor ...
- 1,073
3
votes
Accepted
Secondary Fermentation Temperature and Purpose in Belgian Style Beer
There's a lot of questions here, I'll try to break them up.
How is this possible? Will the yeast be able to operate in so low temperatures?
Secondary fermentation is a bit of a misnomer- typically ...
- 1,783
2
votes
Chile Pepper Ale
So far I've made two brown-chili batches and here's what I did.
I actually made a chili concentrate by having hot chili flakes boil in raw alcohol (100% ethanol) for about 30-45 minutes, because ...
- 121
2
votes
Forgot to add sugar
IMHO for this situation it is best to leave the wine as it is and bottle when appropriate.
If one does not know the O.G. of the brew then it is very difficult to guess what it was and thus to ...
- 5,641
2
votes
Storing beer in a keg
After beer is done fermenting can I move it to a keg not carbonate it and let it sit for a long time?
Bulk aging at cellar temps is generally not done in a keg, unless you use a spunding valve or ...
- 2,178
2
votes
Adding priming sugar to lagering secondary
adding your sugar to secondary then cold crashing, the yeast may start eating sugar and fermenting again even at near freezing temps (not likely but possibility), and then you would need to add more ...
- 1,769
2
votes
Accepted
Wooden barrel treatment
It will not dry out in two week. It had hard alcohol in it which pretty much kills anything. When I empty wine barrels, we literally wash them out with hot water and drip dry for a couple days. We ...
- 3,012
2
votes
Can you add additions to the primary?
I agree with previous answers: if you have no secondary, there's nothing wrong with chucking whatever you want to add into the primary. However, if your additions are highly aromatic, you may want to ...
- 2,585
2
votes
Accepted
Adding water and sugar to secondary fermentation
The generally approved advice is don't dilute beer post fermentation - and that advice is "not wrong". However it depends on the type and gravity of the beer. I have regularly dissolved the priming ...
- 5,641
2
votes
Accepted
Rack to Secondary for Vanilla addition?
There really is not reason to transfer for just adding a couple vanilla beans. I'd just drop them in and replace the airlock and give it a light swirl to get them moving a bit. You might see some ...
- 36.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Lack of fermentation after racking to secondary
Yes, in my experience, there is still enough active yeast present for about 8 weeks. Beyond that point then I would add just 1-2 grams of fresh yeast. But you're not there yet so I'm sure it will ...
- 3,425
2
votes
Clearing using finings during racking prior to bottling - will there still be enough yeast for second fermentation?
Yes and yes. Finings will generate trub, and you might want to rack the beer off it before packaging. Finings also do not remove much if any of the yeast so priming will not be a problem at all ...
- 3,425
2
votes
Fast secondary fermentation (wine)
Exciting the wine can also give a burst of fermentation. Since your wine was actively fermenting, and you moved it into a secondary you more than likely degassed it just a bit, raised the pH a touch ...
- 975
2
votes
Fast secondary fermentation (wine)
Speed of fermentation usually depends on:
the amount of yeast cells (and nutrients)
the temperature of fermentation (the higher the faster)
To slow down fermentation:
Drop the temperature using Ice ...
- 4,806
2
votes
Amount of oak chips
The type, roast and cut (i.e. surface area) of the wood has a huge impact on the amount of wood flavor you get, and the length of time changes not only amount of flavor, but the types.
Start with a ...
2
votes
Sanitizing additives (herbs)
Make a tea with the herbs and use the tea to dose. You can pre-taste this and dose as needed, and the steeping process (~180F) will pasteurize the herbs. You can also filter out the herbs this way to ...
- 1,783
1
vote
Low FG on our IPA, can we force second fermentation?
The answer kind of depends on what has caused the stall. Is your wort actually fermentable beyond that point? Was the yeast healthy? Are your measurements correct? If the problem is a wort problem, ...
- 998
1
vote
Can you add additions to the primary?
yes, go right ahead, that's what I did and it worked out fine.
- 247
1
vote
Fermentation length for La Fin Du Monde clone
Let it go the full 6 weeks. A little aging always improves the flavor unless you want hoppy hoppy hoppy IPA's.
- 61
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