New here beer question.

It's probably done with attenuation. Do you have a hydrometer? If so, take a reading, wait 2 or 3 days and take another. If they are the same and close to what you were expecting, it's finished.

 

In the future you don't need secondary.

 

Yeah, skip the secondary and avoid the oxidation risk. And 4-5 days to hit FG is not uncommon in many ale fermentation's.

 

While 4-6 days for fermentation to finish isn't uncommon, I doubt that the yeast were done cleaning up fermentation by products and off flavors bringing your beer to a more mature flavor. Don't rush the process. Allow the yeast to do everything it is supposed to do, not just make alcohol and CO2. And as stated above, don't use a secondary, it risks oxidation and removes the beer from the yeast that still needs to do clean up work.

 

Sigh. Plenty of us still rack to a secondary with zero negative results. Be careful about what you believe from the internet - the quickest feedback you get is not always gospel.

Have fun!

 

With what benefit?

 

Well, for starters, better clarity without using clarifiers, imperial stouts ageing on wood, nibs, fruit and other products without the auto lysis and again better fining, preserving yeast cakes and other benefits others may wish to list.

I have plenty of pals who never secondary and they brew great beer. To each there own. 1 persons way is not always the best for another.

 

I'm not saying racking to a secondary is wrong at all, after all its your home brew and you can choose to do what you wish with it. I just don't see the need for secondary unless you are going be racking it on to fruit, oak chips, any other type of adjunct, or needing to age something. Everything can be accomplished in the same vessel which reduces your risk of getting an infection or exposing it to oxygen.

 

^^^ Well said. And all true. But overly simplistic comments like “skip the secondary” and “you don’t need secondary,” while well-meaning and valid opinions, are not facts. There are many ways to brew fine tasting beer, I just ask that we not shut the door on the kid for a particular technique

RDWHAHB

 

I use secondary for bulk aging and conditioning. That's it. I dryhop in primary, I add tinctures and flavorings in primary or at bottling. My beer is better for it, and it appeals to my KISS brewing technique.

 

^^^ Awesome. And those are all valid points that a new home brewer should consider. But I think you’ll agree that that one opinion is not the be-all-end-all of homebrewing

 

I just used a secondary vessel for strawberries a couple days ago. I was speaking no need to secondary for the OP's situation. Not never just not in this situation.

 

FWIW, risk of autolysis on the homebrew level in the average beer, is next to zero. Not saying there are no benefits to secondary, but you are much more likely to pick up oxygen by transferring than you to encounter any autolysis by using only a primary.
Secondary is mostly just an old-school winemaking (and pro brewing) carry-over that offers little advantages and several disadvantages to the homebrewer.

 

I used to rattle my sabres over this too. I have since rethought a few other things that used to be hard fast brewing rules. I'm not so worried about trub. I'm not so worried about leaving my beer on a yeast cake. I'm not worried about DMS or hitting my numbers either.

 

I'm also curious about this whole "secondary clears your beer faster" theory. Brite tanks exist for bulk conditioning, not for faster clarification. That's the job of finings, filters, and centrifuges.

 

Sigh again. I’m in an internet arguement with strangers trying to simply reopen a door that should never have been closed. Silly me.

My fault. I’m out.