I have only brewed boxed beers so single fermentation then to bottle then to mouth.

I have a oatmeal stout fermenting now. Making tons of bubbles. I have a secondary fermentator and would like to try some 2nd with it. Add a flavor or just leave it alone?

? is what can I do to add some flavor to it? and do you add yeast on a 2nd ferm or just transfer the clean brew?

Sorry for my ingonrance and poor wording. Rsally new at this beer brewing thing.

Thanks in Advance.

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Posted by LSUBoo

Knoxville, TN

Member since Mar 2006

101931 posts

Posted on 11/20/12 at 7:28 am to McKinneyttu97

quote:
? is what can I do to add some flavor to it?

What are you thinking? You can add different things if you want to, cold steeped coffee, vanilla. Typically hops, but not for an oatmeal stout.

quote:
and do you add yeast on a 2nd ferm or just transfer the clean brew?

I would think you should only add yeast if you have a really high gravity beer and need to finish out the fermentation with a strain that can bring it to the right gravity. Very doubtful that's the case here, so you can just transfer the clean brew and try to leave the most of the trub behind.

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Posted by BugAC

St. George

Member since Oct 2007

52957 posts

Posted on 11/20/12 at 8:16 am to McKinneyttu97

quote:
McKinneyttu97

I secondary ferment all of my beers nowadays. Is it necessary? No, but it will produce a better product in the end, IMO. Secondary'ing allows for your beer to cleanup a bit, and get rid of any yeast taste. The secondary fermentation's purpose is not to ferment, but really to either flavor a beer and/or clean up a beer.

If you want to add flavor, like a vanilla bean or some cold steeped coffee, make sure your secondary fermenter is clean and sanitized, and make sure your transfer equipment (siphon) is clean too. Then add your flavor profile (vanilla, coffee, etc) to the fermenter and rack on your beer on top. I typically secondary ferment for a week, then drop the temperature about 10 degrees, and let it sit another week or so. But only add your brew to the secondary once primary fermentation is completely finished.

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Posted by LoneStarTiger

Lone Star State

Member since Aug 2004

15961 posts

Posted on 11/20/12 at 8:25 am to McKinneyttu97

I racked the first two beers I made, for different reasons. The first was a brown ale I made before discovering the blow-off tube, and we had a bit of an issue with hops and krausen on the ceiling, so I racked it to help clean it up. The second batch was a wheat beer that I racked onto blueberries and left on them for 2 or 3 weeks. Did not rack my latest batch, a stout

quote:
I have a oatmeal stout fermenting now. Making tons of bubbles. I have a secondary fermentator and would like to try some 2nd with it. Add a flavor or just leave it alone?

I'd only rack a stout if you want to add flavor. I don't think there is any reason to try to clear it up.