high abv before secondary

Nope. Abv doesnt mean fermentation is over. There is a conditioning phase that yeast go through where they cknsume some of the undesired byproducts of the in itial fermentation. Compounds like diacetyl and acetaldehyde will be broken down at this point. Bigger beers usually take longer to condition. Let it ride.

 

If it's already in the secondary then just leave it alone if it's still 'chugging along.' If it's not yet in secondary, then leave it in the primary; there is no need to use a secondary unless you want to age a beer on fruit, oak chips, etc. Take two gravity readings over several days to determine if the fermentation is finished. It's also good practice to allow some extra time (usually a week) to let the yeast clean things up and to drop out of the beer before packaging it.

 

You want to mess it up?

 

You probably DIDN'T mess it up to the point of a ruined beer, but you may have exposed your beer to oxidation during the transfer process from the primary. The popular argument against the use of a secondary fermentor is just for this reason of unnecessary exposure to oxidation. Most beers can stay in the primary through the conditioning phase before packaging. A beer will finish fermentation and go thru its clarification, etc. all in the primary. A secondary fermentor has some practical uses, mainly if you want to age a beer on fruit or other flavoring objects that cannot be packaged with the beer.

If you were cautious when transferring your beer to the secondary and minimized any splashing of the beer, etc., then you'll probably be okay. Oxidation will show slowly, so if you have exposed your beer, then you'll just need to drink it fairly quickly before the oxidation gets worse.

 

Your beer will be nice and have a perfect piney aroma of Simcoe for sure. It will certainly be clearer. Um yeah ship some of it here, I would like some please. One thing not mentioned in this post is maybe the style of beer you were shooting for or if you weren't shooting for a certain style, what was your recipe.

 

OP, sorry if I'm misreading your post, but secondary won't increase the ABV of your beer. By the time you rack to secondary, attenuation should be complete - meaning all the sugars that would be converted to alcohol have been. If you're moving to secondary before that's done, you're doing it waaaaay to early (possibly even within the first few days, which I don't think you're doing), slowing things down, and stressing the hell out of the yeast still in suspension.

Again, based on my interpretation of your post, if you were to be concerned about the increase in ABV as secondary progressed, and if that was actually happening, cutting it short would be a bad idea. Rising ABV means ongoing attenuation - which means production of CO2. Cut that short and put it in bottles and you've made a few dozen little glass bombs.

 

Is it possible that the activity you are seeing is just release of dissolved CO2 resulting from adding dry hops. This can provide nucleation points for bubbles. Generally, you should not see much true fermentation in secondaries unless you are doing something out of the ordinary.​

 

remember, if you get the same specific gravity reading three days in a row your done. ABV doesn't have anything to do with fermentation, unless there are extenuating circumstances. DO yourself a favor, leave it alone for three weeks. don't do anything. just look at it, wait don't eben do that. Come back in three weeks and keg/bottle and be happy.

 

Two gravity readings 2 or 3 days apart will tell you the same thing, without mucking around in your beer every day.

 

Yea, I was going to reword it, but you gotta give people the benefit of the doubt, plus if you don't know basic hydrometer usage you really shouldn't be brewing.