Temperature control will go a long way. Too hot and your yeast will produce off flavors (esters, typical flavors being banana and cloves). Too cold and your yeast won't be productive enough. You will get a stuck fermentation and the yeast won't be able to clean up your beer so it will again taste off. If your beer tastes sweet and possibly like green apples that is a sign of unhealthy fermentation.
As for secondary, oxidation of the young beer is the primary concern. You're going to want to purge your vessel with CO2 before your transfer. If you don't you'll be mixing in oxygen as well as end up with a head space filled with air. Granted a lot of people don't have a CO2 setup to utilize. If you don't have one, as an alternative you can transfer your beer to secondary while it is near the end of your primary fermentation. As it will be still off-gassing the container will be purged of oxygen. Then, once fermentation stops you can drop your hops in. Just make sure fermentation has stopped before you drop hops in, because if you don't, as the beer off gasses you will lose the hop aromas you are trying to obtain.
purplehaze423 karma
Temperature control will go a long way. Too hot and your yeast will produce off flavors (esters, typical flavors being banana and cloves). Too cold and your yeast won't be productive enough. You will get a stuck fermentation and the yeast won't be able to clean up your beer so it will again taste off. If your beer tastes sweet and possibly like green apples that is a sign of unhealthy fermentation.
As for secondary, oxidation of the young beer is the primary concern. You're going to want to purge your vessel with CO2 before your transfer. If you don't you'll be mixing in oxygen as well as end up with a head space filled with air. Granted a lot of people don't have a CO2 setup to utilize. If you don't have one, as an alternative you can transfer your beer to secondary while it is near the end of your primary fermentation. As it will be still off-gassing the container will be purged of oxygen. Then, once fermentation stops you can drop your hops in. Just make sure fermentation has stopped before you drop hops in, because if you don't, as the beer off gasses you will lose the hop aromas you are trying to obtain.
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