Newbile Q: Secondary

[MmmBeer]

I have just recieved my first set-up (f/m grapeandgranary.com, very fast btw). It consists of a 6.5 gallon primary and a 6.5 bottling bucket. I didn't get a secondary.

So heres my newbish question: Is the secondary important to enhance the beer's flavor or is it primarily for clarification? Sans clarification, does in bottle conditioning aid the flavor in the same way as a secondary would?

My first attempt will be a witbier. Partly because I love Hoegaarden and partly because it requires a certain amount of cloudy debris to look like "the real thing". Investing in a $7.00 secondary wouldn't be too much of a problem though, just double the racking doesn't appeal to me. Call me lazy.

[Dave A]

You have a few options;
A) Stick with receipes that only require single stage fermentation. These are generally quick fermenting ales. You should be OK for a couple weeks, some sources say up to a month (I haven't tried anything past 2 1/2 weeks)
B) Go ahead and brew the more complex beers and see how it goes. Getting the beer off the trub makes better beer but there's no law that says you can't experiment a little.
C) Use the bottling bucket as a primary, rack to the other bucket and you'll be able to rack back to the bottling bucket when the time comes.
D) Pick up a a second bucket or a carboy.

In my own case, I use a bottling bucket and a carboy for fermentors, I use the bucket for a primary and when its time to rack I slide a piece of hose over the spigot and let it flow. The spigot is far enough from the bottom of the bucket that the trub is left behind (use caution for high OG, there may be more trub).

The problem with leaving the beer in a primary too long is that the yeast will start to feed off itself and this can cause off flavors, "how long this takes" and "how much off flavor" I can't tell you, I have read 2 to 4 weeks is the max but I have never pushed it far enough to form my own opinion (YMMV).

[b3s]

Originally posted by MmmBeer
So heres my newbish question: Is the secondary important to enhance the beer's flavor or is it primarily for clarification? Sans clarification, does in bottle conditioning aid the flavor in the same way as a secondary would?


a separate secondary gets the beer off of the trub. beer sitting on the trub may be more bitter than beer not sitting on the same trub for three weeks. a secondary definitely aids in clarity of beer.

bottle conditioning is a bit separate...it creates the natural carbonization and adds fermentation time...the aging process also helps the beer be non-green and allows more stuff to settle out.

with faster, simpler ale recipes, you should be fine with a single fermentation process. even more complex beers will still be better than most of the stuff at the local paint store.

that said, i'd definitely get a secondary (or three!) soon. having more secondaries means having more beers in process.

for secondaries i'd definitely stick to glass...it just doesn't assume off flavors.

[MmmBeer]

Thanks guys! yeah a glass secondary sounds good. Do you need a runoff for the secondary?

[b3s]

no runoff...but definitely a siphon...and i recommend chunking out the 10 bones for an auto-siphon...makes the process way easier.

a runoff would probably introduce a lot of air, which is not good at that stage of brewing.

unless you meant blowoff tube...in which case, no, a simple airlock is sufficient.

[MmmBeer]

Yeah, i meant blow-off, thanks. And that answered my question. Thanks b3s

[b3s]

as long as the krausen has fallen, the secondary is for final fermentation and aging, so an airlock is sufficient.