December 13, 2008
did I harm my homebrew?
after 7 days, I transfered my fermented beer to a secondary container and with it there was some foam on top which may have been as a result of some air getting in. I was as careful as I could be.
how long should I let it set in the secondary fermenter before bottling it?
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Comments on did I harm my homebrew?
Let it sit in the secondary until you reach final gravity. When fermentation completely stops, then bottle as normal. Usually, the secondary will be complete after 7 to 14 days.
The foam may have been from siphoning to the secondary from too high a point. There should be enough yeast in suspension to any oxidation that may have taken place.
Relax. Don’t worry. Have a homebrew.
It doesn’t sound as if you harmed it. Bottle when the SG remains constant for a couple of days. If you wait longer, it won’t hurt the beer; it just means that you will be thirsty for another couple of days (or weeks).
Racking to a secondary will get some of the yeast moving again and a bit more fermentation will happen. It could be air bubbles, too. When racking to a secondary use a hose that can get to the bottom of the secondary and stay under the surface of the liquid as its filled. Keep splashing to a minimum.
Let it sit in the secondary until you get the same FG for 3 days. Depends on the type of beer and what you are looking to do. About 7-14 days should be good, can go 30 days or so.