Secondary Fermentation/Conditioning

[Dale]

Hi Guys,

Once primary fermentation has completed say day 8 and I move my beer into a keg for conditioning I have read that I should put it in the fridge at around 1C for 1-4weeks. Is this correct for all styles like Porters, Ales or only Lagers?

Thanks

[JoKing]

I depends what you want from the process. I do it with all of my beers for about as long as it takes to see a decent floc at the bottom of the secondary. Lagers should be for around 4 weeks or more depending on how flocculant the yeast is.

Some Ale strains will floc out overnight at that temperature.

[Dale]

Thanks Joking, Do you condition in a second fermenter or straight into your keg?

[denimglen]

I don't believe in secondarys (except for massive beers that need to age for a while).

I just let the primary do it's thing for like 3 - 4 weeks, into the fridge for a few days, finings maybe - depending on yeast strain, then rack into the keg.

I really would let the beer sit on the yeast for at least 2 weeks to make sure it cleans everything up, you can then condition in the keg for as long as you like, doesn't matter what style, start drinking when it tastes good!

[Dale]

Thanks Denimglen, I'm using a plastic fermenter would that not have a prob for that length of time?

[denimglen]

Nope, all plastic fermenters here.

A good HDPE or PET plastic fermenter should leach no plastic flavours into your beer, and you'd get more oxygen contact transferring the beer than you would letting it sit in plastic for another week or two.

[James P]

If you have access to it, purge your secondary fermenter with CO2 before racking... I've only had one batch oxidised without it so it's really only piece of mind.

[MrC]

I'm the same as denim. Secondary only for special scenarios with very long ferments such as mead or barleywine. I use a mixture of glass and plastic but treat them the same (apart from boiling water).

[warra48]

All my ales are in primary for between 2 to 3 weeks.
Then I bottle straight from primary.
I have no trouble getting clear beers doing this, even wheats.

Lagers are in primary for between 3 to 4 weeks. I don't bother with a diacetyl rest, as I don't pitch until I have it down to 10ºC, then pitch the slurry from a 5 litre starter.

I do control the temperature of all my ferments with a TempMate, which I believe does much more for the quality of my beers than racking would.

I use plastic fermenters.