Secondary fermentation question

[dopejack]

Hi
yesterday I transfered a Batemanns XXXB clone that'd been in the primary for a week, into a 5 gallon carboy as a secondary. I've never done this before. Today it is lifeless, no movement at all in the airlock. Should I re-pitch, or just leave it alone? I did squirt in a bit of CO2 before fitting the airlock, so it should be safe, I just don't know whether I should've transferred more yeast sediment... please help!
cheers

[Billy Hunt]

That's how I usually process my brews. I normally use a S04 yeast which goes mad for the first 3 days and then calms down. When the gravity reading settles down for a couple of days I transfer to another F.V. for 2 days and then bottle the brew. After 2 weeks it's ready for drinking but the little experience I have in brewing tells me that my beers are at their best after about 4 weeks.

[dopejack]

S04 is what I used, sounds like I get about the same sort of reaction. I just don't know whether there should be SOMETHING going on in the secondary. I was thinking of leaving it in there for a week to ten days; I'm off work again from next Thursday!

[jubby]

I would imagine that the fermentation was complete by the time that you transferred to a secondary, so what you have is normal. You added a squirt of Co2 into the secondary which is good, this should have pushed the o2 out. Personally i wouldn't add anything else at this stage, just leave it to clear.

When using a secondary, i add a teaspoon or two of sugar, as recommended by Dave Line. This gives the yeast left in suspension something to munch on and produce a little more Co2 to fill the air gap in your secondary.

[dopejack]

Thanks jubby, that's the answer I was really hoping for.

[flything]

S04 is what I used, sounds like I get about the same sort of reaction. I just don't know whether there should be SOMETHING going on in the secondary. I was thinking of leaving it in there for a week to ten days; I'm off work again from next Thursday!

Just because you moved it doesn't mean something will happen, if there are no sugars left then you'll see very little if any activity, that doesn't mean the yeast isn't still doing something though, they can for instance take up any diacetyl that was produced during intial fermentation, indeed moving it too soon could actually mean there isn't enough yeast to consume it.