Using bottling bucket twice with secondary fermentation also

[Henning1966]

I would suggest fermenting in the bucket with no spigot let it set in there for two weeks. If you are going to move it to siphon into the bottling bucket I would move it the night before and let it resettle. The reason you see people doing secondarys like you are describing is to get it to clear beer. You want the yeast to do some house work before the beer goes to the bottle cleaning up byproducts from the ferment that is why alot of us around here will leave beer in the fermenter for 2 weeks one week primary and one week yeast clean up your own mess.

[DonMoleon]

I would suggest fermenting in the bucket with no spigot let it set in there for two weeks. If you are going to move it to siphon into the bottling bucket I would move it the night before and let it resettle. The reason you see people doing secondarys like you are describing is to get it to clear beer. You want the yeast to do some house work before the beer goes to the bottle cleaning up byproducts from the ferment that is why alot of us around here will leave beer in the fermenter for 2 weeks one week primary and one week yeast clean up your own mess.

I think I'm getting the picture now, thanks everyone. I'll try moving it to the bottling bucket the night before bottling, as you suggest.

More dumb questions:
I bought an auto-siphon cause I was told this was better/easier to use. Are there any tips/tricks to siphoning that I should be aware of (pouring down the side of the bottling bucket to prevent too much disturbance or oxydation)?

Also, should I put the lid on the bottling bucket when I leave it to settle overnight?

[Henning1966]

I would suggest fermenting in the bucket with no spigot let it set in there for two weeks. If you are going to move it to siphon into the bottling bucket I would move it the night before and let it resettle. The reason you see people doing secondarys like you are describing is to get it to clear beer. You want the yeast to do some house work before the beer goes to the bottle cleaning up byproducts from the ferment that is why alot of us around here will leave beer in the fermenter for 2 weeks one week primary and one week yeast clean up your own mess.

I think I'm getting the picture now, thanks everyone. I'll try moving it to the bottling bucket the night before bottling, as you suggest.

More dumb questions:
I bought an auto-siphon cause I was told this was better/easier to use. Are there any tips/tricks to siphoning that I should be aware of (pouring down the side of the bottling bucket to prevent too much disturbance or oxydation)?

Also, should I put the lid on the bottling bucket when I leave it to settle overnight?

Ok let me clarify I was talking about moving the primary fermenter the day before and let it settle not siphon to the bottling bucket until the next day. I would make the priming sugar water put that in the bottling bucket and then submerge the end of the tube coming off the auto siphon under that and let the swirling action of the beer flowing in mix the two together

[DonMoleon]

Ok let me clarify I was talking about moving the primary fermenter the day before and let it settle not siphon to the bottling bucket until the next day. I would make the priming sugar water put that in the bottling bucket and then submerge the end of the tube coming off the auto siphon under that and let the swirling action of the beer flowing in mix the two together

Thanks for clarifying! That could have gotten ugly.

How do I "make the priming sugar water"? I believe my recipe directions say to add the dry priming sugar. Wouldn't the addition of water effect my brew? How much water are we talking about anyway? (BTW, I don't have my recipe directions on hand at the moment, so I could be mistaken. Maybe it does call for water)

[Henning1966]

try checking out this page it is from john palmers how to brew great read for new guys the online one is good but the printed book is better. http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter1-3.html

[DonMoleon]

Ok got it. It all makes sense now!

You've been quite helpful. Feel free to check out a related thread I just started with thoughts on making this into a rasberry oatmeal stout (note: I have decided against actually doing this since it is my first time ever brewing, but I would still like to learn for future reference)

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=27252&p=255213#p255213