OK, I've been seeing a lot of posts from some experienced homebrewers, saying that they don't use a secondary fermentation. I've been brewing for 8 years, and I've always used a secondary. I want to gather the facts, so I can evaluate my process, "it's a pain in the butt" is not a valid reason for me. Here's how I see it:
Using a secondary increases the chances of infection, but if you sanitize everything well, it is a low risk. The positives are that a secondary improves clarity, but I've heard people say that they get decent clarity without a secondary. The reason I use a secondary fermentation, is to get the beer off of the trub, decreasing astringency and a "meat-like" flavor. What I've been reading, is that keeping your beer on the yeast in the primary will aid fermentation. I overpitch like crazy, so my fermentation is over in 3 days, so a week on the primary usually does it. Anyway, I'd like input, thanks!
-Dave