secondary or bottle condition

[Fritz Eye]

6 weeks ago I brewed the B3 all grain Saison, with an OG of 1.080 and it spent 4 weeks in the primary and transfered to secondary at 1.007, about % 91% attenuation.
I would like to free up the seconday by keeping it on for 2 weeks total and then bottle.
If I age the bottles for a few months, would that be the same as keeping in the secondary for a longer period.
Any words of advice are greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Fritz

[Mylo]

The term "secondary" (fermenter) is misleading. It's really just a "brite tank" that you use for aging and for more yeast to drop out. True secondary fermenters are where the Belgians add more sugar, or fruit, etc - and another fermentation takes place.

In your case, nothing additional will happen when the beer is "all together" in 5 gal, that it won't do in the bottles. You might get a little more yeast in the bottom of the bottle, but since you are bottle conditioning, you expect that anyway. Just keep 'em in cold storage after the bottle conditioning is done.


Mylo

[Fritz Eye]

The term "secondary" (fermenter) is misleading. It's really just a "brite tank" that you use for aging and for more yeast to drop out. True secondary fermenters are where the Belgians add more sugar, or fruit, etc - and another fermentation takes place.

In your case, nothing additional will happen when the beer is "all together" in 5 gal, that it won't do in the bottles. You might get a little more yeast in the bottom of the bottle, but since you are bottle conditioning, you expect that anyway. Just keep 'em in cold storage after the bottle conditioning is done.


Mylo

Thanks Milo, that is sort of what I thought. I actually have about another 3/4" of dead yeast at the bottom of the secondary. So I will bottle after 3 total weeks there and then store cool at around 50-55%.
I see you are from Scottsdale, do you visit the Papago Brewery? I would always stop in there when I would visit there, always a great selections of beers on tap and bottles for take away.
Thanks for your help.
Cheers.
Fritz

[Mylo]

Yeah, I make it out to Papago every few months or so. It's not really right around the corner. Scottsdale is only 5 miles wide, but it's like 40 miles long, and Papago is way on the other side from me.

We have a Yardhouse with 120 beers on tap, several brewpubs, and a few BevMo's up on this side.


Mylo