I don’t add more yeast for secondary fermentation in beer. The yeast that is present in the brew is typically sufficient to carry out the secondary fermentation and carbonate the beer during bottling.
When I brew beer, I make sure to pitch an adequate amount of yeast during the initial fermentation. This means adding the appropriate amount of yeast to the wort to ensure a healthy fermentation process. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the wort and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as byproducts.
During the primary fermentation, the yeast consumes most of the sugars and goes through a period of vigorous activity. Once the majority of the fermentation is complete, the yeast begins to settle at the bottom of the fermenter. At this point, I usually transfer the beer to a secondary fermenter for conditioning.
The purpose of the secondary fermentation is mainly to allow the beer to clarify and mellow out any harsh flavors. It also provides an opportunity for any remaining fermentation activity to take place before bottling. However, the yeast that is still in suspension from the primary fermentation is usually enough to carry out this secondary fermentation.
When it comes time to bottle the beer, I add a small amount of priming sugar to each bottle. This sugar serves as a fuel source for the remaining yeast to consume, producing carbon dioxide and carbonating the beer in the process. It’s important to measure and add the correct amount of priming sugar to achieve the desired level of carbonation.
In some cases, if something has gone wrong during the initial fermentation, you may need to re-start the fermentation process by adding new yeast. This could happen if the yeast used initially was not viable or if the fermentation stalled for some reason. In such situations, adding new yeast can help kickstart the fermentation and ensure proper carbonation.
Adding more yeast for secondary fermentation in beer is not typically necessary. The yeast present from the initial fermentation is usually sufficient to carry out the secondary fermentation and carbonate the beer during bottling.