I just moved a creme stout from my primary to a secondary fermenter. I put approximately 5 gallons into a 6 gallon carboy. The beer is quite still. Is it ok to leave such a large head space? I'm a winemaker and this would be a cardinal sin to wine. I do have a 5 gallon carboy but hated to move the beer again if not necessary.
If you can keep the temp. as low as you can get it, you will be O.K. What you are brewing is an ale, and they will take a little heat. I don't think that you will get oxidation in your beer, due to the fact that the ferment is still going on. You will have a CO2 blanket over your beer in just a short time.
Let it run it's course, and when it is done, bottle it or keg it. In the mean time, relax, don't worry, and have a home-brew.
Glenn
How long was it in the primary? There should have still been "some" fermentation going on when you transferred to the secondary. If not, you transferred too late. In either case, you should leave very little headspace. I typcially have only a couple inches between the the openning and the top level of the beer. Just enough to make room for floating dry hops.
Tom Veldhouse
I typically use a 6 gal. carboy for the secondary of a 5 gal. batch. In spite of the dire warnings you will hear, the reality is that it has never been a problem.
-------->Denny
I've had good luck splitting 5.5 to 6 gallons of wort into two 5 gallon carboys for primary. Then, after fermentation is about done, rack into another 5 gallon carboy, right to the top. Sediment gets left behind, and it works out perfect. If for some reason you do find yourself with too much headspace, you can purge with CO2. A few other benefits are that it's easier to move the partially full carboys, they can be stirred, shaken, or oxygenatated easily, and you never have to mess with a blowoff tube. Ken A.
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