Re: First recipe without a kit

On Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:04:32 GMT, <adlab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> "John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:slrng6q3gb.1qu.spam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> On Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:38:59 GMT, <adlab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>> To answer another question, it's not so much the gravity you're
looking 
>>> for
>>> but try to judge when primary fermentation is nearly finished and then

>>> rack
>>> to the secondary - don't do it when fermentation is totally complete.
>>
>> IMO, the timing of when to rack to a secondary isn't critical.  You can
do
>> it with a little fermentation activity left, or after activity is done.
 I
>> don't think it makes a big difference either way.  Racking to a
secondary
>> after the fermentation is complete should not hurt anything.
>>
>>
>> John.
>
> Probably a more im****tant step with lagers and low alcohol beers.
Especially 
> lagers, they like a bit of yeast in the secondary.

Even after fermentation is complete there is still a LOT of yeast in
suspension.  Filtering a lager before you transfer it to a secondary is
probably not a good idea, but just racking it should be fine.

> Even more im****tantly, why bother with a secondary? The only use I can
see 
> is to free-up equipment for the next batch and recovering the yeast
sludge.

Yeah, secondaries are definitely optional.  It's mostly just a preference
thing.


John.