bruceb07

Recipes 

This is all very helpful. Again I find the hardest part of this effort is waiting.....every batch is different but each batch has been worth the effort. Thanks for the support.

TaylorInOK

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Waiting is definitely the hardest part. There's hope for us yet though. Once we get two or three batches going in cycles it won't be so difficult to wait. Opening up and tasting a new batch every one or two weeks... Then it won't be "So" bad i guess :P

Also, i read somewhere on HBT to always leave several bottles in conditioning and open one every week to take notes on how well the beer ages. Helps out with the "hourly peeking into the fermenter" syndrome and edges us closer to the elusive "Perfect Brew".

NordeastBrewer77

Recipes 

i agree with you to some extent. after FG is reached, the yeast will clean up a bit. this clean-up will happen within several days of FG, usually 3-5. i also give most of my ales 2-3 weeks total in primary (or primary/secondary on the occasions i use them). the main reason i do this is for clarifying my brews before packaging. generally speaking, the fermentation and clean up phases should be complete within a week to 10 days in a properly pitched, aerated and fermented batch.
basically what i'm getting at is that, yes, it's good practice to leave your beer in primary for a couple/few weeks, but it doesn't mean that fermentation takes that long.

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The Polk Street Brewery
Brew Blog
Primary: Triple B, Honey Weizen (a ,Midwest kit), Columbus IPA
Secondary: No. 3 Burton, RIS
Bottled: Simcoe IPA, Northern English Brown
Kegged: German Alt, Octane IPA

Give a man beer and his thirst is quenched. Teach a man to brew and it will never be again.

TaylorInOK

Recipes 

Right on. So for the beginning brewer, ten days should be fine for properly pitched/aerated batch?

Clarity is important to me, but lets say we're making three two gal tasting batches. There shouldnt be any more (very noticable) taste changes after that 10 days in the primary? That would be good news to me

NordeastBrewer77

Recipes 

i'd always say go more than ten days. i still do two weeks minimum unless i'm trying to push it and turn a beer around fast, but when i do that, i keg the beer so i can cold crash and force carb to cut time too. otherwise i go two-three weeks in the fermenter or secondary, then bottle when the beer's nice and clear.

__________________
The Polk Street Brewery
Brew Blog
Primary: Triple B, Honey Weizen (a ,Midwest kit), Columbus IPA
Secondary: No. 3 Burton, RIS
Bottled: Simcoe IPA, Northern English Brown
Kegged: German Alt, Octane IPA

Give a man beer and his thirst is quenched. Teach a man to brew and it will never be again.

TaylorInOK

Recipes 

Good info. Thanks much!

bruceb07

Recipes 

well its been 2 weeks and I opened up the fermenter to check Sg. A heavy layer of krausening? was on top bubbling away. The Sg was at the posted FG 1.012. I buttoned it back up and the air lock started bubbling away. Will this Krausen layer sink or will I have to rack to secondary to allow the beer to clear up?

NordeastBrewer77

Recipes 

usually a krausen will drop back and sink given enough time. i have had some stubborn ones before, and once decided to rack from under the krausen into secondary to clear the beer. just make sure that FG is stable over a few days before racking. and really, most krausens will be long gone by 3-4 weeks, so you could leave it. the reason i did that the one time is i needed the beer to be ready, and i didn't want to wait out the yeast.

__________________
The Polk Street Brewery
Brew Blog
Primary: Triple B, Honey Weizen (a ,Midwest kit), Columbus IPA
Secondary: No. 3 Burton, RIS
Bottled: Simcoe IPA, Northern English Brown
Kegged: German Alt, Octane IPA

Give a man beer and his thirst is quenched. Teach a man to brew and it will never be again.

bruceb07

Recipes 

Thanks, I will be checking again in a few days to see how things are progressing. My plans are to bottle in 3-4 weeks if ready. If the krausening hasent settled I will rack to secondary first, settle for awhile then bottle.

Grinder12000

Recipes 

Waiting is why people make more then one beer at once.

I typically have 3 in one stage or another.

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Secondary Kentucky Common(83)
Primary #1 Scottish Ale 70(84)
Primary #2 The Black Pearl Porter(85)