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Greg83 · 02-12-2013, 09:15 PM

I posted this question earlier but went on an incredible tangent. Anyway, AHB recommends my stout to ferment for only 5-7 days then into secondary. I will be adding fruit. Most forums I read say 2 weeks minimum but I just got an email back from AHB saying they recommend 5-7 days inso off flavors don't appear. Any recommendations?

**tre9er** · 02-12-2013, 09:23 PM

Ferment until a stable gravity reading is reached twice, a few days in between readings, ie. 1.012 on Friday, 1.012 on Sunday. Then add fruit to the sanitized secondary and rack over. I always just add to primary, then cold crash when I'm ready to package, but you might not be able to cold crash (put fermenter in a fridge or otherwise bring it down into the high 30's for a few days).

**Cyclman** · 02-12-2013, 11:13 PM

Off flavors in a week old beer due to leaving it on the yeast would be very rare, especially in a flavorful, complex stout. Many beers are left in primary for months, and go on to win awards.

Greg83 · 02-13-2013, 12:14 AM

Thanks for the responses! These boards are some of the nicest most informative forums I've even seen.

I read A LOT so far and came to the conclusion longer in primary is better. this is only my second brew and I want to do everything right. I just don't know why AHB would recommend that little amount of time. I am racking to a secondary with raspberries so I'm guessing that may be why.

**RM-MN** · 02-13-2013, 12:42 AM

If you have extremely good temperature control, aerate to the proper level (requires pure oxygen to get that), and pitch a large quantity of yeast you might get your beer done in that short of time. Do you have a glycol chilled fermenter? a tank of oxygen and diffusion stone? large yeast starter prepared on a stir plate? If you answered no to any of those just leave your beer in the fermenter until your hydrometer says it is done, then rack onto your fruit in the secondary.

Greg83 · 02-13-2013, 02:14 AM

Haha. I answered no to all of them. Just two plain ol' buckets. I had a little mishap with the yeast also. It was my first time working with liquid yeast and when I opened it it exploded and I lost a little bit. There was yeast stuck on the sides also so I sanitized the vial filled it with wort, shook it up and dumped it in. Hopefully I got enough yeast in.