Secondary/kegging

[Scooby]

Now that my brew is progressing nicely in primary my thoughts are turning to secondary and kegging.

I've never bothered racking to a secondary FV it being too much hassle, but racked into a pressure barrel along with gelatine and sugar at about 7-8 days then leave for about 4 weeks for the secondary to take place and the beer to mature.

What do you guys with cornies do? I see one of the advantages of the corny as being able to force carbonate, for that I would have thought the beer should be crystal clear, that would mean racking into a secondary FV with some auxiliary finings, secondary then takes place and the beer matures for 4 weeks then rack into corny perhaps with some isinglass, force carbonate and drink almost straight away.

[Andy]

After fermentation I rack to a KingKeg and add gelatine for fining. Leave for a week and then transfer bright beer to cornie. I then either drink straight away or leave for a few weeks to come into condition.

[Scooby]

How long in primary before racking to KK Andy?

Do you purge the KK with Co2? I worry about infection, I only have a bin which leaves a lot of head space.

One American site I saw racked too secondary then to a clearing tank then to corny I suppose they do ferment in a carboy.

[steve_flack]

Generally for ales I don't bother with a secondary. I just wait for most of the yeast to drop out in the primary and then rack straight into a corny. I have several cornies so I can afford to have stuff maturing in them. If you've only got one corny then I can see why you'd want to do your secondary in something else.

[Andy]

How long in primary before racking to KK Andy?

Do you purge the KK with Co2? I worry about infection, I only have a bin which leaves a lot of head space.

One American site I saw racked too secondary then to a clearing tank then to corny I suppose they do ferment in a carboy.

Primary until fermentation is over. I don't bother purging the KK with CO2 before the transfer, I just add a squirt after it's all sealed up, leave it for a few hours and then partially open the lid to purge out air. I purge air again the next day and then leave it.

[Scooby]

So, I use a fermenting bin as secondary, when full clip the lid on tightly, squirt some Co2 through the airlock hole, fit airlock and leave awhile then repeat, how does that sound?

[Scooby]

Generally for ales I don't bother with a secondary. I just wait for most of the yeast to drop out in the primary and then rack straight into a corny. I have several cornies so I can afford to have stuff maturing in them. If you've only got one corny then I can see why you'd want to do your secondary in something else.

I do have two cornies Steve, I really just wanted to find out if the process was any different, your method of conditioning in the corny is easier with less chance of infection and more in keeping with our tradition.

[Scooby]

Daab's, that's great you have made me more confident about the process. Presumably you rack to a secondary vessel when the primary abates; is that the 1/4 gravity stage? about 7-10 days.

When you rack to corny do you prime and naturally condition or are you an unnatural kind of person

[steve_flack]

I never prime as I like to ensure the corny lid is sealed properly using a squirt of CO2. Often there's enough residual sugars to give a decent amount of carbonation anyway.

[tribs]

I do the same as Steve

I do leave it a little longer in Primary though so it has cleared a little before transferring to the cornie.

I have primed the cornie a few times but I did not notice any difference in the final product so no longer do so. I believe that the residual sugars give the beer the naturally conditioned profile regardless of whether you prime or force carb with CO2.

[Scooby]

As they say "There's more than one way to skin a cat." Skin them all I say but as long as it's skinned that's what matters.

It seems that as far as ale is concerned no matter what route it takes, once the beer is in the corny Co2 from the cylinder is only used to dispense when the natural conditioning is depleted.

[Andy]

As some of the more prominant figures in homebrewing are now saying its ok to leave beer in a primary for many weeks (I think 6 was quoted)

Yeah, I kind of thought it was time to share the knowledge and went public...

[Bigster]

Agree on that 10 day in the fermenter tip - as good as clear before going straight in to my barrel. One of the most useful , of the 100s of useful tips, I have picked up from JHBF

[Frothy]

I rack from primary into a corny and use this as a secondary fermentor with a gas post being used as a blow off tube. Then add finings. I blow off about 250ml after everything has settled and then carbonate. I hate faffing about.


Matt

[Frothy]

cutlery?