Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[BeerAdvocate]

I would skip secondary and just dryhop in Primary.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

I would skip secondary and just dryhop in Primary.

This works.

Or, if you're asking how to transfer it from the primary (which you will need to do for bottling anyway,) I would definitely suggest investing in an autosiphon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIu6IRpFNr8

For years I just used the basic racking cane + tubing + sucking on the end of the tube to create flow. Picked up an autosiphon earlier this year and it is my second favorite brewing gadget of all time.

[hammondc]

I have an autosiphon. I was just thinking it is generally recommended to move to a secondary after a week or so to improve clarity and avoid a funk caused by the dead yeast.

Also, do you think is necessary to agitate the fermenter by gently swirling it during fermentation?


...I know I am asking a lot of stuff. I really appreciate the help. Can you suggest an online forum for homebrewing. Somewhere with nice folks, like here.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by hammondc

I have an autosiphon. I was just thinking it is generally recommended to move to a secondary after a week or so to improve clarity and avoid a funk caused by the dead yeast.

I always rack to a secondary, usually sometime between 5 & 10 days, but you don't have to.

Originally Posted by hammondc

Also, do you think is necessary to agitate the fermenter by gently swirling it during fermentation?

Nope. I agitate like hell before pitching the yeast, but once that's done, I never touch it and don't think there's a reason to.

Originally Posted by hammondc

...I know I am asking a lot of stuff. I really appreciate the help. Can you suggest an online forum for homebrewing. Somewhere with nice folks, like here.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

[hammondc]

Thanks again. Racking to secondary (on top of hops) is planned for next saturday. The recipe highly recommends it and I want to stick as close the the recipe as possible. I suppose using an autosiphon will reduce the oxidation risk also.


I'll check out homebrewtalk. Are you on there under the same user? I will put you down as the referring me under registration.

[cricky101]

This week I picked up ingredients for a cream stout and grains for an IPA with a yet-to-be-decided hopping schedule for what I've got in the freezer.

I found a recipe online that used some of the hops I've got and comes in at about 67 IBU I might try. The grain bill is 10 lbs 2-row, 2 lbs Vienna and 1/2 lb crystal 20. Hopping schedule is:

boil 60 mins 0.5 Columbus
boil 15 mins 0.5 Amarillo
boil 15 mins 0.5 Centennial
boil 15 mins 0.25 Columbus
boil 15 mins 0.5 Falconer's Flight
boil 5 mins 0.5 Amarillo
boil 5 mins 0.5 Centennial
boil 5 mins 0.25 Columbus
boil 5 mins 0.5 Falconer's Flight
dry hop 7 days 1.0 Falconer's Flight

I have no idea how these hops will work together, so if anyone has any thoughts feel free to share ...

[Salvelinus]

Just got my latest grain order in. I'll be set for grains for a bit...

100lbs two row
50lbs pilsner
50lbs marris otter
50lbs munich

All that for a little over $100. If I was to buy it at my local homebrew it would cost me $472.50. I try to support local companies, but it's tough with that mark up. There's going to be a lot of beer in fermenters over the winter

[Salvelinus]

Originally Posted by hammondc

I have an autosiphon. I was just thinking it is generally recommended to move to a secondary after a week or so to improve clarity and avoid a funk caused by the dead yeast.

If you are going to move to a secondary do it for the clarity. I'd be interested to hear what brewers here think, but I don't know anyone that concerns themselves with yeast autolysis at the normal timeframe for ales. If you were going to leave it in primary for a year or two maybe, but not after two weeks.

In response to agitation, I don't during fermentation, but I do each day after I dry hop. I was listening to a podcast with the brewer from Avery, he mentioned that they plumb CO2 through their maharaja during dry hop to agitate the hops and get as much of the oils into suspension as possible. I just gently rock the carboy to get the hops throughout the beer. This ruins the clarity from secondarying, but I don't care because I cold crash it to clear it out.

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

If you are going to move to a secondary do it for the clarity. I'd be interested to hear what brewers here think, but I don't know anyone that concerns themselves with yeast autolysis at the normal timeframe for ales. If you were going to leave it in primary for a year or two maybe, but not after two weeks.

This is why I usually skip secondary. I stopped using secondary a few years ago and have never noticed a differance. One less step!

[replicant_argent]

I think I am going to secondary my SHB straight into the Corny, simpler, seems better.
I have no trouble with the first glass or so out of the keg being cloudy/sediment. I will just toss it and be happy.

[Salvelinus]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

I think I am going to secondary my SHB straight into the Corny, simpler, seems better.
I have no trouble with the first glass or so out of the keg being cloudy/sediment. I will just toss it and be happy.

A couple of breweries near me finish fermentations under pressure. For my next few batches I am going to play around with doing this as well. I plan to move to a keg when the beer has a couple of gravity points left to fall. It should naturally carbonate itself, and finish up the fermentation at the same time. We'll see I guess.

[rack04]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Just got my latest grain order in. I'll be set for grains for a bit...

100lbs two row
50lbs pilsner
50lbs marris otter
50lbs munich

All that for a little over $100. If I was to buy it at my local homebrew it would cost me $472.50. I try to support local companies, but it's tough with that mark up. There's going to be a lot of beer in fermenters over the winter

Great prices. Does that include shipping?

[Salvelinus]

It does, as long as I don't count the half hour I have to drive to pick it up.

[hammondc]

To the secondary!

[cricky101]

Monday I brewed a cream stout and then kegged a Belgian wit.

[mmblz]

years ago the one time i brewed, i borrowed a pot from someone. when i got done there was so much crap burned on the bottom it was impossible to get off - even using a wire brush attached to a power drill.
was I just totally ignoring / not stirring?
should it be possible to use our large pasta pot without damaging it in any way?

[cricky101]

Originally Posted by mmblz

years ago the one time i brewed, i borrowed a pot from someone. when i got done there was so much crap burned on the bottom it was impossible to get off - even using a wire brush attached to a power drill.
was I just totally ignoring / not stirring?
should it be possible to use our large pasta pot without damaging it in any way?

Were you using malt extract to brew?

I think you're supposed to remove it from the heat and get it mixed in completely before putting it back over a flame. Could be it wasn't fully dissolved and scorched on the bottom.

I did a couple extract batches on my stove and didn't have any scorching in my pot, but did remove the pot from the burner and stirred the $h!t out of it before putting it back on the heat.

[mmblz]

unfortunately this was something like 12 years ago so my only memory is the wire brush and the utter dismay

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by mmblz

should it be possible to use our large pasta pot without damaging it in any way?

Absolutely, just make sure that you frequently tend to the stirring, scraping the spoon along the bottom of the pot. Partial boils (2-3 gallons) scorch easily because the malt sugars are so concentrated. You don't have to keep the burner on high, you're just looking for a rolling boil.

And like Chris says, cut off the heat when you add your extract, especially if you are using the liquid kind.

[replicant_argent]

Black IPA into the primary this afternoon. 6 weeks is a looong time to wait for something that looks so dark and delicious.