[csu007]

My first two beers have been in a primary for about 7 days then racked to secondary carboy for about 7 days then bottled and carbonated naturally. For me racking to a secondary fermentation is not that more work and for my basic knowledge is the better option to control potential "off" flavors from letting the beer stay on the yeast cake. Once i start making more complicated beers like barely wine types, it seems like a secondary or aging carboy is a must.

[Joe Sr.]

I think its safe to say that all of us probably used secondaries for our first beers.

But current best practice is that the off flavors we thought we were avoiding are not really being produced if you let the beer sit in the primary.

So, you can skip the secondary and save the small amount of work and the additional risk of oxidation and/or sanitation.

My old ale is sitting in primary for going on a month now.  It may go straight into kegs or it may go into secondaries, but that will only be if I need the kegs for the Belgian Blonde and the Dopplebock.

Since I gave up beer for Lent, my kegs aren't emptying themselves like they used to.

[thebigbaker]

My first two beers have been in a primary for about 7 days then racked to secondary carboy for about 7 days then bottled and carbonated naturally. For me racking to a secondary fermentation is not that more work and for my basic knowledge is the better option to control potential "off" flavors from letting the beer stay on the yeast cake. Once i start making more complicated beers like barely wine types, it seems like a secondary or aging carboy is a must.

I thought the same thing about getting off flavors from letting the beer sit on the yeast cake.  However, I let my ales sit in primary for 3 weeks and keg and have yet to taste any off flavors from sitting on the yeast cake. 

[thirsty]

Yeah, I stopped years ago after tasting no difference between secondary and non-secondary batches. Maybe it would be good for really big beers that need to age for a long time, but I never make beers like that so it seems pointless. I'm with the three weeks to ferment and then bottle/keg crowd.

[deepsouth]

i think "sometimes" would have been a nice third option.

the only difference i've noticed is that it "seems" like the beers i secondary i a different carboy are clearer.

[brushvalleybrewer]

I only brew ales. I let the beer go through high kräusen, then raise the temperature for a diacetyl rest (secondary fermentation, but in the original fermenter), then cold crash the yeast, transfer to a keg, and dry hop using nylon bags in the keg.