jmgekeler

Recipes 

Hello.

My name is Jason and I am new to brewing beer (I've made about 20 gallons so far). Seems like there is a lot of good info here and I am looking forward to learning!

My question is, how long can I leave my beer in the primary fermenter? I am brewing a porter and my primary is a plastic bucket. I pitched the yeast on 8-17-08. According to the instructions, I should let it set in the fermenter 10 to 12 days. Problem is, I'll be away and unable to bottle. So it will be in the fermenter for at least 2 weeks before I can bottle it. Also, I do not have a secondary fermenter to rack to.

Will leaving the beer the primary for 2 weeks cause problems?

Thanks!
-Jason

McKBrew

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Absolutely not. Many of us skip the secondary and keep beer in the primary for up to 1 month, then bottle or keg. Here is a related thread.

flyangler18

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Welcome!

First off. excellent name

Yep, you can leave it in primary for that amount of time. I regularly leave my beers in primary for about a month. While active fermentation is finished by that time, it gives the yeast time to clean up after themselves.

McKBrew

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BTW, welcome to the forum.

jmgekeler

Recipes 

Thanks for the reply guys!

I also called the local supply store and was told that I DO need to bottle before I leave since my primary is a plastic bucket. The reason being that the plastic bucket could leak air and cause contamination. I'm not sure I agree with this statement as the lid is pretty darn tight. What do you think?

-Jason

waterse

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That doesn't make sense. Why would it leak air and cause contamination after 2 weeks but not during the original 10 - 12 days? Just make sure your airlock is full before you go, maybe overfill it just a tiny bit to make sure it doesn't dry up and allow air in.

flyangler18

Recipes 

My last IPA spent 5 weeks in an Ale Pail (plastic bucket) and it's one of my best to date.

Freddy57

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I ferment all of my beers in plastic buckets and always leave them in primary for a minimum of two weeks and usually longer. I have never had a problem with my beers, the flavor is good and I have never had one get infected. There is no reason to get in a hurry to bottle or keg, just relax and have a nice trip.

McKBrew

Recipes 

I think you should trust us. Your beer will be fine in the bucket for that long.

Brew-boy

Recipes 

You will be fine for 3-4 weeks if need be. No need for secondaries any more.

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