Question for Jamil

[codewritinfool]

Jamil,
I know you're not a fan of secondarying (is that a word?), but my question is about what your feelings are when you're using a conical?

Do you do the same as a bucket, i.e. leave it on the trub, or do you drain the trub after the majority of the fermentation is done?

Thanks,

[jamilz]

If I'm doing an ale in a conical, I treat it the same as anything else. I do not worry a lot about the break material, I just try to leave behind as much in the kettle as is easy. I pitch my yeast and let it ferment until completely finished, plus a day or two. No hurries. No worries.

When it is done, I might save the yeast for repitching by dropping it out the bottom of the conical. Then the beer goes into kegs and into the fridge for carbonation and serving.

If I'm making a lager. I get the wort into the conical and get the temp down to 43F. After it has reached that temp, I drop about 10% of the wort to get rid of as much break material as possible. (The process of cooling and settling might take overnight.) I then pitch my yeast and let it go until it is 100% finished, plus a few extra days. No hurries. No worries.

Once it is done I harvest the yeast and transfer to kegs for carbonation and serving.

I don't do the "secondary" thing or drop the yeast or trub or anything like that. I found I got better results if I just left the yeast with the beer and let it do what it knows how to do.