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Ever use a BrewCap?
Has anyone converted a 6.5 gallon carboy into a conical fermenter by inverting it and affixing "BrewCap" attachment? Reason why I am asking is due to the many opinions on whether or not to rack to a secondary; most opinions against racking are due to risk of contamination and oxidation whereas most opinions for racking are to get off the sediment formed from primary fermentation. Seems as though the BrewCap (or some similar set up) would solve the dilemma by enabling easy drainage of the sediment formed from primary fermentation without any risk of contamination or oxidation.
Thoughts?
BrewCap example:
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/BrewCapKB.html
Otis wrote:
Reason why I am asking is due to the many opinions on whether or not to rack to a secondary; most opinions against racking are due to risk of contamination and oxidation whereas most opinions for racking are to get off the sediment formed from primary fermentation.
How long are you currently leaving your beer in primary?
I usually leave my beer in primary for 4 for weeks before kegging or bottling but have left my beer in primary on a number of occasions for 5 - 6 weeks without any negative effects. I think if you have healthy yeast then there is a very small risk of autolysis. Hell, even my saison that sat in primary at 85 degrees for 7 weeks didn't have any problems.
It's true that racking can introduce contamination and oxidation but as long as your sanitization and racking techniques are sound I don't think you have anything to worry about. I used to use a secondary but joined the "primary only" camp because I learned my beer would be fine for a month in primary and it involved less work, cleaning, etc.
I always rack to secondary just as primary fermentation is winding down and the beer is still clouded with yeast. The time spent in different stages probably averages out to the 1:2:3 rule, but with bigger beers and/or fruit beers, I've tended to extend secondary from 2 weeks to 4-6 weeks. I've always had good results and never had an infection, however, more and more reading (Palmer) is suggesting that racking isn't really necessary, especially for straightforward ales, and I'm always looking to simplify (read: getting lazy). In addition, I've made it a ritual to whirl-pool the wort and let sit for 30 minutes post-immersion chill before siphoning into the primary. Doing the whirl-pool significantly reduces the layer of sediment due to trub to almost nothing. The BrewCap seems like a good compromise between being lazy and getting the potentially hurtful sediment away from the beer. I am curious to people's experience with it....
for the most part i've stopped racking to secondary, and just bottle out of the fermentor. However there are exceptions, I made a fruit beer that had to be racked three times Primary-secondary with fruit-thirdendary(tm)- bottle bucket. Also some yeasts that I've used come out alot better after sitting for 2 more weeks in the secondary Wlp005 is a perfect example. It just comes out better after a secondary, clearer, and cleaner tasting. Then there is the all mighty fermentis S-04 this yeast can almost be used as a fining agent it's so friggin awsome, I use this alot, and even use it to speed up stuck fermentations, or to clear other same type beers.
Otis wrote:
he BrewCap seems like a good compromise between being lazy and getting the potentially hurtful sediment away from the beer.
Trub isn't as "potentially hurtful" as people have been led to believe. From talking with some old timer brewers who have been brewing for 10-25 years, the school of thought back in the day was to get your beer off the trub as quickly as possible. Even to the extreme that people were instructed to rack their beer to secondary after 2-3 days. We've learned that this isn't the case anymore and its beneficial to not rush your beer. The yeast are still working even after fermentation is complete. Leaving your beer on the cake after fermentation allows the yeast to clean up any by products it produced during fermentation. Take for examples, diacetyl and acetyldehyde. Both are compounds produced by yeast earlier in the fermentation process and then reabsorbed, processed, and removed after fermentation is complete.
I guess the point I was trying to make was I think the BrewCap is unnecessary and therefore a waste of money. Letting your beer sit in primary for 2-3 weeks and then bottling is a good compromise between being lazy and whats best for your beer.
Thanks, you are right, I am really looking for some reassurance as to how long it can sit in primary 
No problem Otis. Try it out and see how it works for ya. Sometimes you have to experience something yourself to be a believer.
bruguru wrote:
...I made a fruit beer that had to be racked three times Primary-secondary with fruit-thirdendary(tm)...
Does thirdenary(tm) apply only to fruit/veg beers? Maybe a 2nd dry hop for big IPA's?
Thirdendary is just a joke between Thirsty and myself. (Tm) just means trademark. The real word is Tritary but I feel this is dumb, so I started calling it a thirdendary, and it pisses Thirsty off, and that is why I keep doing it Ha.
Fruit beers or spiced beers might be the only reason to thirdendary
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