Conditioning the Beer

Once primary fermentation is complete there are a few optional steps that you may take to change your beer's character before priming and bottling. These include a simple secondary fermentation, an extended period of lagering or cold conditioning, or an advanced technique such as filtering, barrel aging or krausening.

Conditioning for the Beginning Homebrewer

Beginning brewers do not need to worry about conditioning. A one-stage fermentation, where the beer is bottled or kegged directly from the primary fermenter is all that is needed for most beer styles and new brewers typically do not brew lager styles or other beers that require specialized conditioning for their first few beers.

Secondary Fermentation

The term "secondary fermentation" is something of a misnomer as no fermentation is actually occurring during this stage; rather, the beer is conditioning, clearing, and bulk aging. In some cases dry hopping may also be done at this point in the process. This period allows solids and yeast to settle out (resulting in clearer beer) and for volatile compounds to mellow, while the flavors meld and evolve.

After primary fermentation is complete the beer is transferred, or "racked", from the primary fermenter to a sanitized "secondary fermenter", typically a 5 gallon carboy an airlock (a smaller carboy is used to reduce the headspace since less carbon dioxide is produced at this stage).

This clearing stage typically lasts 2-3 weeks for ales although higher gravity beers may require longer time periods for conditioning. Lower temperatures (60-65 degrees F) are desirable during this period to aid in the clearing process.

Lagers require a longer period of conditioning (a month or more) at near-freezing temperatures referred to as lagering.

In certain cases, the addition of adjuncts such as oak cubes, herbs, spices or other flavorings, as well as the practice of dry-hopping, takes place in the secondary vessel.

Lagering

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Advanced Techniques

Filtering

Blending

Krausening

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One of the most traditional ways of carbonating beer is by adding a section of krausen from a fermenting batch of beer to the completed beer just before bottling. This is easier logistically for regular commercial or household brewers, but some home brewers krausen as well, either with another batch of fermenting beer or with some wort reserved from the original boil or created specifically for that purpose.

Wood aging

For centuries, beer has been aged and matured in wooden vessels; however, until recently, these vessels were always coated with brewer's pitch or otherwise treated so that the wood would not "contaminate" the beer. Unlike wine and whiskey, oak or wood character was not considered desirable in beer until very recently. The first modern intentionally "oaked" or Wood-Aged Beer was released in 2002, and since then craft brewers everywhere have been experimenting with wood aging.

For the home brewer, oak vessels are generally expensive and hard to work with, although small barrels are sometimes available. Wood cubes or chips are available from home wine making suppliers, and some home brewers have turned to homegrown solutions such as wooden chair legs to add a wood character as well.

What do I do next?

Once any necessary conditioning is finished, you are ready to move on to the final step in the beer brewing process: Packaging and Carbonation.