Quote:
Originally Posted by Dartgod
I assume then that the ones without a carboy just have a single fermenting bucket?
The carboy is for the secondary fermentation stage. You will siphon off the primary into the carboy, leaving all the crap (dead yeast, etc. called trub) that has settled to the bottom behind. There will still be live yeast, suspended in the wort to continue the fermentation process. Basically it helps you produce a clearer, less hazy beer and helps prevent some off flavors being introduced by sitting on the trub too long.
I would recommend getting the kit with the carboy.
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Secondary is really just needed for extended periods of conditioning. Autolysis (The main reason you transfer to a secondary) has been proven to take a lot longer than previously thought to occur. I had an experimental batch of a very light Blonde Ale that was in the primary for 2 1/2 months to see if my brewing club could detect any autolysis, it was consensus that they could not detect any. I have read other people's accounts that have said the same thing, as does Mr. Palmer himself.
So I guess in summary, the transfer from the primary to the secondary has more chance of harming your beer than leaving your yeast on the beer for anything less than a few months. I have used secondary once in my brewing life and had no discernible different.