01-23-2021, 02:42 PM
(01-23-2021, 07:03 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Update
The Pale Ale is now in the secondary fermenter in the back right. I decided to put a Steam Lager over the yeast cake in the fermenter that held the Original Pale Ale in the back middle and the American Hefeweizen is still fermenting away in the back left. The original Bavarian Hefeweizen is in the secondary fermenter on the right in the front and the new Bavarian Hefeweizen was poured on top of the yeast cake of the original in the front middle. Brewing up a Brown Ale either later today or tomorrow. In two weeks, I'll have three beers on tap and in three weeks I will have six beers on tap, five of which will be different. Thinking about a Dunkelweizen to go on top of the Bavarian yeast cake in a couple of weeks.
You change anything in your grain bill on the American vs Bavarian hefe, or just the yeast?
I've never really gotten into using a secondary. Even if I'm aging on oak or adding fruit, I don't find the beer is ever on the yeast for more than 5-6 weeks, and I've never had an issue with that length of time (those beers are also usually higher gravity, but not always in the case of fruited beers). I know most people swear by the method or were scared into doing it because they heard a horror story but I like to save time in transferring, avoid accidental oxygenation and reduce the number of vessels I need. I'm curious if you've ever had an issue or just secondary out of habit/precaution?