Secondary Fermentation Question

If you are asking for my knowledge about biochemic chemistry and biology I would reply: "I don't know!.." But if you are asking for my intuition and experience what about homebrewing I'd say that you are taking tremendous risks, especially for we are in summer now.. (I assume you're living in the nothern hemisphere?) What you did is a cardinal sin in winemaking but in beermaking it's even a much bigger sin. Beer is so much more perishable than wine is and you will soon find out -if things go wrong- how serious it is what I'm saying here when you will see the first peels of acetic fermentation floating on the surface of the wort in your carboy during the days to come. I suggest you put your secondary fermentor IMMEDIATELY in the fridge at much lower temperatures (let's say 4.. 6 °C) AND, when you have a gas cylinder with CO2 than blow some CO2 over the surface of the wort and immediately after replace the air lock. When *I* don't do it this way, not even after thoroughly sanitizing my carboys, I am not able to make drinkable beer here in Belgium during summer. From October to May your method is less risky but it isn't now!

Kind regards,

Norbert (from Flanders, Belgium)

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.