Methods for secondary fermentation

[Scotty]

As much as like my beers from kegs, I plan on bottling most if not all my brew from now on for a number of reasons...less chance of infection into whole batch due to leakage, easier to chill etc etc.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle or in a second FV?

[brysie]

so chris, what would happen if you bottled without adding any more sugar then?

[simple one]

Is it true that beer conditions better in larger volumes and why?

[brysie]

[quote="Chris-x1"]You'd be be left with the residual carbonation from primary fermentation and any carbonation from the fermentation of the remaining slow fermenting sugars created during the production of the wort, obviously there would be fewer of these the longer you leave the beer in the primary (or the secondary depending on the method employed) but this would still be reliant upon having sufficient healthy yeast cells on bottling.

sorry for being a div here. so how would that affect the beer?

[brysie]

well ive always said `why use five words when 250 will do.`

is that the only difference?

[brysie]

cheers

[AlexCricket]

I believe that the logic relating to the reason why beer - and also wine - conditions better in larger volumes is because of the ration of surface area to volume. When you bottle you have a higher are of the beer in contact with other elements (including air) whereas if it is being matured on mass the bulk of the beer is merely in contact with - more beer.

[simple one]

So to that end it wouldnt be a good idea to fine straight after the primary fermentation? Because would this lose alot of the yeasts ability to condition the beer?

Also, would the occasional rousing of the yeast (obviously in the absence of O2) in the secondary fermenter aid the beer. Especially with high/early floc yeasts? Prior to fining and kegging?

[simple one]

Cheers Chris, enjoy leaching knowledge from you (or should that be leeching?!). There must be some conditioning done without yeast..... for instance wines? Are there high temp enzymes carried over? Or are there just time and temperature dependant chemical reactions which aid conditioning?

Is there ever a time to use a warm conditioning? Or is it better to always have a long slow condition at lower temps?

Cheers Matt

[simple one]

Hmmm, the plot thickens. Thanks Chris.

[blankfrank]

I recently changed my brewing method with excellent results on two beers, a Milestone Olde Home wrecker and a Tom Caxton real ale (+1kg DSM + 125g body bru)

After making up the kit in primary vessel and allowing to ferment for 4 days I moved to a secondry vessel to get it off the dead yeast (added a teaspoon of yeast vit) and let it sit there for about 2 weeks. Then syphoned into another vessel (used as a bottling bucket) and added 100kg of glucose (a bit more than usual to ensure good carbonation) left it for a couple of hours and bottled. Bottles kept in the warm for 10 days and into the cool for three weeks or so and beer is ready (although another couple will improve it). I allways put a bin bag over FV's and bottles to avoid damage caused by sun light, until I move them to the basement which is naturaly a bit darker, although I use brown glass bottles.

The bottles produce very little sediment compared to my old method of bottling direct from primary FV, both beers have good body, are well carbonated, taste more conditioned than the realatively short time in the bottle would suggest and produce a good and lasting head which leads me to believe that a little more time in the SV saves time in the bottle.

Over Easter we've done plenty of entertaining and the beer is becomming a little too popular and stocks quickly dwindle especially when they want to take a few bottles home! I would like to move onto all grain but with the results I'm getting with kits I'm not sure it's worth it and with current time limitations I think I'd struggle to keep up with demand!

FV 1
Brewferm Tarwebier (needs 6-8 weeks in bottle!!!) made with candi sugar

Conditioning
Milestone Black Pearl (fantastic irish stout....done it before)

Drinking
Tom Caxton Real Ale (will get another from Wilko's this week)
Milestone Olde Home Wrecker (one of our most popular)
Muntons Smuggler's Special (very hoppy but a good thirst quencher)

Waiting to go!!!!!
Cooper's Draught (will use 1Kg of DSM and try 250g Brubody in this)

Aspiration over next few weeks
Another TC kit an Olde Home Wrecker and a Munton's Conkerwood