| This article discusses the process of secondary | | | | unique beer. Some things you can do include: |
| fermentation and why it is a good thing for your | | | | Dry Hopping. This will add more aroma to the beer - |
| beer. By employing secondary fermentation into your | | | | just add an ounce of hops to the secondary |
| brewing process, you don't need to worry about | | | | fermenter. |
| unfinished primary fermentation including the dreaded | | | | Lagering. To make a proper lager you should age the |
| exploding bottles. | | | | beer for at least a week at a cold temperature. The |
| The purpose of secondary fermentation is to | | | | garden shed in winter is a good place to keep the |
| condition the beer. One of the key reasons to get | | | | secondary fermenter during this process. |
| the beer into the secondary fermenting vessel is to | | | | Clarification. There are several additives you can use |
| get it off the yeast bed. Once the initial fermentation | | | | to help clear your beer. The most typical are gelatin |
| is over, the yeast that sediments on the bottom of | | | | finings that can be stirred gently into the beer during |
| the primary fermenter will start to decompose. This | | | | secondary fermentation. |
| is known as yeast autolysis and if you leave your | | | | For secondary fermentation you must always use a |
| new beer sitting on the yeast bed, it will start to | | | | glass or stainless steel vessel. The most commonly |
| adversely affect the flavor of your beer. So by | | | | used vessel is a five gallon glass carboy. These are |
| racking the beer into the secondary fermenter will | | | | good because they have a narrow neck which only |
| stop this from happening. You could of course just | | | | presents a very small surface area of beer when you |
| bottle the beer at this point but if you leave it for a | | | | have the stopper off and this cuts down the risk of |
| secondary fermentation you give the flavors more | | | | contamination. Plastic vessels should be avoided |
| time to mature and mellow and the improvement in | | | | because even if they are food grade (as in the |
| the flavor of the finished beer will be considerable. | | | | primary fermenter), because the beer will be |
| Another benefit is to avoid that "homebrew" yeasty | | | | conditioning for extended periods you run the risk of |
| twang. My wife reckons it tastes like marmite! This is | | | | having gases penetrating the plastic and spoiling your |
| caused by too much yeast sediment in the bottle | | | | beer. |
| and by allowing the secondary fermentation you will | | | | It is important to make sure that the initial |
| cut down on this. This is because the yeast will have | | | | fermentation which is usually quite vigorous has |
| consumed most of the sugars during the primary | | | | subsided. The easiest way to to do this is to count |
| fermentation process and so you should get very | | | | the bubbles emerging from the airlock. If they appear |
| little yeast sediment. | | | | every thirty seconds or longer then you can proceed |
| You can also use the secondary fermentation time to | | | | with racking the beer into the secondary fermenter. |
| add many different flavorings to create your own | | | | |
