- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
First homebrew batch
Posted on 7/6/21 at 5:38 am
Posted on 7/6/21 at 5:38 am
I just put my first batch of Caribou Slobber brewing. The instructions in the kit said to ferment for 14 days then bottle for 14 days before drinking. The online version of the instructions actually say to transfer to a secondary.
There are forums on this topic of secondary fermentation or not but has anyone done this in our climate? Any advice welcome.
There are forums on this topic of secondary fermentation or not but has anyone done this in our climate? Any advice welcome.
6
Posted on 7/6/21 at 6:00 am to seeinspots
Secondary isn't necessary and will just lead to oxygen ruining your beer.
Check out the homebrew thread.
Check out the homebrew thread.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 7:53 am to seeinspots
quote:
Caribou Slobber brewing.
My first homebrew batch was a Caribou slobber clone.
I wouldn't worry about secondary. It's another opportunity for oxidation or contamination. When I started brewing I would do it and my beer got noticeably (to me) better when I stopped doing it and focused on minimizing post fermentation oxidation.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 8:06 am to seeinspots
Secondary fermentation is not necessary. Most brewers don't do it anymore. More important is maintaining your fermentation temperature. I try to keep it on the lower end of the recommended range for the yeast I'm using. I don't brew much in the summer because I don't have a room cool enough to do that.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 8:37 am to seeinspots
Skip the secondary. Go directly to bottles. Since it's your fist batch, make sure your gravity is stable prior to packaging. Bottle bombs are no fun.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 9:46 am to The Spleen
I still do secondary fermentation, I get much clearer and cleaner beer that way. I don't try to filter, maybe others do. Also has to do with my equipment, my primary carboy is bigger and can handle it when the fermentation goes nuts, and I rack to a smaller secondary where I have a lot less head space, and I sometimes put it in the fridge to settle things out even more to get it cleaned up before bottling.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 9:51 am to calcotron
Thanks for all the input! I guess I will skip the secondary.
That said, I did get a smaller 5 gallon carboy just in case I want to experiment with the secondary.
That said, I did get a smaller 5 gallon carboy just in case I want to experiment with the secondary.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 11:00 am to calcotron
Do you find there is enough fermentation in the secondary to clear out any oxygen in the smaller carboy? Or do you purge it with CO2? Just curious.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 12:03 pm to seeinspots
I do, the transfer to secondary stirs it up enough to get it bubbling pretty well at first, so it is purged in no time at all. I like to get it off of the bottom funk and away from some of the top funk for a few days. Since I have done it this way, I can tell beers are clear (as in clear, not homebrew-clear) and cleaner tasting.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 12:07 pm to calcotron
quote:
I do, the transfer to secondary stirs it up enough to get it bubbling pretty well at first, so it is purged in no time at all. I like to get it off of the bottom funk and away from some of the top funk for a few days. Since I have done it this way, I can tell beers are clear (as in clear, not homebrew-clear) and cleaner tasting.
By all means, do as you want, but unless you are closed transferring to a secondary, you will inevitably have some O2 pickup, which leads to much quicker degradation of beer. If clarity is an issue, fine with gelatin and/or cold crash longer prior to packaging.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 12:41 pm to BugAC
quote:
By all means, do as you want, but unless you are closed transferring to a secondary, you will inevitably have some O2 pickup, which leads to much quicker degradation of beer. If clarity is an issue, fine with gelatin and/or cold crash longer prior to packaging.
I agree with this. Gelatin will make your beer as clear as you ever want it to be. Gelatin and cold crash is all you need.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 12:55 pm to BigPerm30
Yeah, there are like two reasons to use a secondary, and neither one is clarity, imo. Fruit and bulk aging are the only two reasons I'd ever use a secondary, and really I do all of my bulk aging in my kegs, so I'm not sure that even counts.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 1:06 pm to BigPerm30
I haven't tried gelatin, I may next time. I haven't ever done extra adds in general. I do cold crash. I haven't had O2 issues, but transferring does open it up to that more for sure.
OP, good luck and have fun with this first batch! Based on my experience you'll adjust next time no matter what. It's all about the process - if you like the process, you'll do it again.
OP, good luck and have fun with this first batch! Based on my experience you'll adjust next time no matter what. It's all about the process - if you like the process, you'll do it again.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 1:44 pm to BugAC
quote:
I do, the transfer to secondary stirs it up enough to get it bubbling pretty well at first, so it is purged in no time at all. I like to get it off of the bottom funk and away from some of the top funk for a few days. Since I have done it this way, I can tell beers are clear (as in clear, not homebrew-clear) and cleaner tasting.
also, if you're transferring to secondary while there is enough fermentation activity remaining to clear the 02 headspace I'd be concerned with diacetyl if you pitch rate/wort oxidation/fermentation temp are not on point
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:29 pm to seeinspots
I think the real elephant in the room isn't whether or not to secondary, I think it's the 28 day from brew to drink that is suspect. It's gonna taste like arse.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:29 pm to seeinspots
Also isn't this a dark ale, so who GAF about clarity, right?
Posted on 7/6/21 at 11:38 pm to deeprig9
quote:
I think the real elephant in the room isn't whether or not to secondary, I think it's the 28 day from brew to drink that is suspect. It's gonna taste like arse.
28 days is average if you are bottling. 28 days is minimum time before the beer is carbonated. Add another week or 2 until it hits its prime.
When I keg, anywhere from 10-14 days in fermenter, 1 day of high force carb, then I let sit at recommended carb pressure for 3 days. Even then, the beer isn’t hitting its prime until about 2 weeks after. As long as you are keeping O2 out, your beer will stay fresh a long time.
Posted on 7/7/21 at 4:36 am to BugAC
I will be bottling. Havent even graduated from the basics to consider kegging.
I have the smaller 5 gallon carboy as a secondary but since Ill pass on the transfer, I may use it for a 3.5 gallon batch.
Appreciate all the input.
I have the smaller 5 gallon carboy as a secondary but since Ill pass on the transfer, I may use it for a 3.5 gallon batch.
Appreciate all the input.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News