New Brewer needs help - Carboy Use
Those water jugs are permeable to oxygen and could affect the taste of the beer. If you have an Old Tyme Pottery store near you can get a 5 gallon glass carboy for fifteen dollars.
I've heard those plastic water jugs are permeable to oxygen but if your beer is only kept in there for a week then I don't think you'd notice a difference. However, I still don't think I'd use them - I like my glass carboys. Just my 2 cents.
Back to the original post regarding secondary fermentation, here is a good article about it from one of our member's (Brewchez) website:
http://www.brew-dudes.com/skip-the-secondary/183
Unless you are planning on dry hopping, or throwing some fruit into the secondary, at this point in your brewing "career" I'd recommend skipping the secondary. Jamil Zainashef, generally considered as one of the best home brewers in the galaxy, also recommends just letting it ferment out in primary for 10-14 days.
You need to allow those wonderful yeasties time to do their job.
I have always used a glass carboy for a secondary and recommend them. Using a secondary allows your beer to clear up some .
Welcome aboard!
So far, I only usually use a secondary if I use a low flocculating yeast that needs more time to settle, or if I'm gonna add any aditional flavoring into the secondary. I am breaking with my norm this time with a blone ale that I'm doing and using a secondary, but I feel that it could use the extra conditioning time. Normally though I'd just leave it in the primary for about two weeks and then bottle.
Northern Ike wrote:
Back to the original post regarding secondary fermentation, here is a good article about it from one of our member's (Brewchez) website:
http://www.brew-dudes.com/skip-the-secondary/183
Unless you are planning on dry hopping, or throwing some fruit into the secondary, at this point in your brewing "career" I'd recommend skipping the secondary. Jamil Zainashef, generally considered as one of the best home brewers in the galaxy, also recommends just letting it ferment out in primary for 10-14 days.
You need to allow those wonderful yeasties time to do their job.
I read that article. Its pretty good.
I guess the main reasons I like the secondary, and always use one, is that I can take a gravity reading when I rack, any sediment settles out, & then I take my second SG reading just before bottling. Oh yeah, it frees up a 6gal bucket so I can start another batch.
Another nice thing about secondary in glass (or clear since I got grounded from glass, LOL):
I have a couple of extra hydrometers (they're not too expensive) which I sanitize and drop into the carboy after racking before I put on the air lock. That way I can keep an eye on the hydrometer reading without worrying about exposing my beer to possible contamination through multiple openings.
brewchez wrote:
Northern Ike wrote:
Back to the original post regarding secondary fermentation, here is a good article about it from one of our member's (Brewchez) website:
http://www.brew-dudes.com/skip-the-secondary/183
Unless you are planning on dry hopping, or throwing some fruit into the secondary, at this point in your brewing "career" I'd recommend skipping the secondary. Jamil Zainashef, generally considered as one of the best home brewers in the galaxy, also recommends just letting it ferment out in primary for 10-14 days.
You need to allow those wonderful yeasties time to do their job.I read that article. Its pretty good.
Well I hope you read what you write......
Jen wrote:
Another nice thing about secondary in glass (or clear since I got grounded from glass, LOL):
I have a couple of extra hydrometers (they're not too expensive) which I sanitize and drop into the carboy after racking before I put on the air lock. That way I can keep an eye on the hydrometer reading without worrying about exposing my beer to possible contamination through multiple openings.
That seems like a great idea. I may have to pick up an extra and try that!