Time To Rack?

TrevTheBev

Hi,
I am currently brewing a Festival Razorback IPA. The instructions say brew for 5 days then add the extra hops for another 5 days !!!

I am currently on my 20th day at the temperatures advised [22-24 degrees] and the hops have been added since day 8. Although the bubbling has reduced dramatically, it is still going every 4-6 minutes. I have taken a hydrometer reading last Saturday where it was sitting at 1.010 [It's supposed to reach 1.005].

We are going away on Sunday for Easter so my question is this :-

Can I rack this beer into a 2nd fermenting vessel to take it off the trub and allow it to drop further to prevent any damage to it? I would be away for 9 days so hopefully it would be clear and stopped fermenting completely on my return? It would not have the heat belt round it at this time but I would keep a fleece jacket around it instead.

Kind Regards,
TrevTheBev

TrevTheBev

Sorry, I meant to say should I rack into the 2nd fermenting vessel for the time I am away, or just leave in the original fermenting vessel with the current trub at the bottom?

HBO_Staff

Hi TrevTheBev, as it is still fermenting it can be a good idea to move into a second vessel, and leave all the sediment behind. Just ensure you seal the vessel up and use an airlock, as a last resort if you have to leave it in the first vessel you could, but it would be better in the second vessel if possible. You could remove the hops too until you are back and ready to bottle/barrel. As you say remove the heat belt, and it should gently finish off the last bit of fermentation as long as it is not too cold, but you can take a hydrometer reading when you return