Primary & Secondary Fermentation Question

[arch.tech]

I just got back into homebrewing after 15 years off and have a fermentation question. I just started an oak barrel stout, extract with steeping grains (OG=1.060) that will require a secondary fermentation to add oak cubes and vanilla beans. How long should I leave it in the primary, until it hits the FG=1.017 number? Then how long should it stay in the secondary, on the oak cubes and vanilla? The recipe did not say. Thanks!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

my standard fermentation time is generally 7 to 10 days, secondary depends on you, I cold crash my secondary for 3 to 4 days but you could do 3 to 7 its your call

 

[arch.tech]

Thanks Quality Home Brew! Do you cold crash all of your brew? I have not cold crashed one before.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yes but not for dry hopping or flavoring, only for settling the yeast and other particles to the bottom and somewhat clearing the beer, I would only do this with a flavoring after the secondary time is up

and because I keg, if you bottle only you might not want to cold crash because you need the yeast to carbonate, I use co2 to carbonate so I like to get rid of all remaining yeast if possible

 

[7 Slot Brewing]

.....and because I keg, if you bottle only you might not want to cold crash because you need the yeast to carbonate, I use co2 to carbonate so I like to get rid of all remaining yeast if possible

I bottle and cold crashed my last 2 batches. I CC for 48-72 hours at 1-2C. There is still plenty of yeast to carbonate, though it did take about 5-7 days longer than previous batches. My last one is one of the clearest I have done so far.

 

[Nosybear]

A warning on cold-crashing: If you do it too early, you're forcing the yeast out of the beer before it's done. What the yeast is doing is consuming a precursor to diacetyl so if you cold crash too early, your beer may taste diacetyl free at bottling, then taste of diacetyl later. I'd only do it if I'd added something to secondary and the beer wasn't clearing on its own in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[arch.tech]

Thanks for the help! One last question. I am adding oak cubes and vanilla beans during the secondary. Should I sanitize the oak cubes before putting them in? If so, is a StarSan soak OK?

 

[Nosybear]

Sanitize them in alcohol - vodka is a good choice because it's as close as possible to a solution of ethanol and water. Use the cheapest you can find.