My typical brewing schedule is to rack to primary, wait about a week and
then rack to secondary for another week.

However every time I rack to secondary it appears that nothing ever happens
in the airlock. Should I rack to secondary earlier in the process to
jumpstart a second fermentation process?

[color=blue]
> However every time I rack to secondary it appears that nothing ever happens
> in the airlock. Should I rack to secondary earlier in the process to
> jumpstart a second fermentation process?[/color]

What you do is fine, and probably what most do. IMHO, the secondary is
more for clearing and aging than fermentation. In fact, for most ales,
I don't even do a secondary anymore... just primary longer for the
clearing and aging, then bottle. I've seen no difference in quality.

Derric

[harsley]

I agree...pretty much wait until primary is done and yeast has fallen...then decant off the yeast and you can leave it in secondary for a while.

[BierNewbie]

Fermentation *should* be done before racking to secondary. This is the time the beer starts to clear.

If all you had to go by was airlock activity, how would you define a
complete fermentation? Right now I get a CO2 bubble every 12-13 seconds, a
considerable slowdown since two days ago, but fermenting nonetheless.

What I want to avoid is keeping the beer on the trub for too long and
getting off flavors. I also want to make sure that the remaining yeast is
active enough to give me carbonation during bottle conditioning

"BierNewbie" <BierNewbie.2mdrar@usenet.brewtank.com> wrote in message
news:BierNewbie.2mdrar@usenet.brewtank.com...[color=blue]
>
> Fermentation *should* be done before racking to secondary. This is the
> time the beer starts to clear.
>
>
> --
> BierNewbie
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> BierNewbie's Profile: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/member.php?userid=349[/url]
> View this thread: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/showthread.php?t=3313[/url]
>[/color]

At a rate of 12 - 13 seconds between co2 bubbles, I'd say it's safe to rack
to secondary.

Contrary to what others have said in this thread, I have always put my beer
in secondary for the past 19 years.

Leaving beer on the yeast in primary too long can give you off flavors, do
to the fact that the yeast that is dead (not all of it is dead but some of
it dies and some goes dormant) starts to decay.


"Joe Murphy" <spamthis@spam.com> wrote in message
news:9qWdncQqqo9aNUDYnZ2dnUVZ_g6dnZ2d@rcn.net...[color=blue]
> If all you had to go by was airlock activity, how would you define a
> complete fermentation? Right now I get a CO2 bubble every 12-13 seconds, a
> considerable slowdown since two days ago, but fermenting nonetheless.
>
> What I want to avoid is keeping the beer on the trub for too long and
> getting off flavors. I also want to make sure that the remaining yeast is
> active enough to give me carbonation during bottle conditioning
>
> "BierNewbie" <BierNewbie.2mdrar@usenet.brewtank.com> wrote in message
> news:BierNewbie.2mdrar@usenet.brewtank.com...[color=green]
>>
>> Fermentation *should* be done before racking to secondary. This is the
>> time the beer starts to clear.
>>
>>
>> --
>> BierNewbie
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> BierNewbie's Profile: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/member.php?userid=349[/url]
>> View this thread: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/showthread.php?t=3313[/url]
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

[wild]

It takes a few weeks before autolysis. An average rule of thumb for ales is 7-10 days in primary or until fermentation slows to 1 bubble at a minute+. Which ever comes last.

Wild

That all depends on how warm your fermentation is... but hell, I know
nothing after 19 years of homebrewing.
"wild" <wild.2mg5vf@usenet.brewtank.com> wrote in message
news:wild.2mg5vf@usenet.brewtank.com...[color=blue]
>
> It takes a few weeks before autolysis. An average rule of thumb for
> ales is 7-10 days in primary or until fermentation slows to 1 bubble at
> a minute+. Which ever comes last.
>
> Wild
>
>
> --
> wild
>
> ::It is my design to die in the brew-house; let ale be placed to my
> mouth when I am expiring, that when the choirs of angels come, they may
> say, \"Be God propitious to this drinker.\" -- Saint Columbanus, A.D.
> 612::
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> wild's Profile: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/member.php?userid=69[/url]
> View this thread: [url]http://www.brewtank.com/showthread.php?t=3313[/url]
>[/color]

On 23 Feb, 05:45, wild <wild.2mg...@usenet.brewtank.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> It takes a few weeks before autolysis. An average rule of thumb for
> ales is 7-10 days in primary or until fermentation slows to 1 bubble at
> a minute+. Which ever comes last.
>
> Wild
>
> --
> wild
>
> ::It is my design to die in the brew-house; let ale be placed to my
> mouth when I am expiring, that when the choirs of angels come, they may
> say, \"Be God propitious to this drinker.\" -- Saint Columbanus, A.D.
> 612::
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> wild's Profile:[url]http://www.brewtank.com/member.php?userid=69[/url]
> View this thread:[url]http://www.brewtank.com/showthread.php?t=3313[/url][/color]

I drop mine into the secondary as soon as the primary fermentation
starts to slow down and there isn't a thick 'head' of yeast on the
beer. This is usually about 4 days after I started the brew.

Joe Murphy <spamthis@spam.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> My typical brewing schedule is to rack to primary, wait about
> a week and then rack to secondary for another week.
>
> However every time I rack to secondary it appears that nothing
> ever happens in the airlock. Should I rack to secondary earlier
> in the process to jumpstart a second fermentation process?[/color]

You don't own an hydrometer?

All bubbles in an airlock indicate is that the secondary is
sealed.

The 'secondary fermentation process' is for 'conditioning'.
Minimal fermentation should be taking place in the secondary.
See: [url]http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-3.html[/url]

Dick