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EnjoyGoodBeer · 08-17-2012, 08:44 PM

Hello working on 13 days primary for our Porter checked hydrometer last night looks good. Gonna check again tonight. I wasnt gonna rack it but I read that most people leave in primary for 3 weeks. Why is that? Should I?

We were also gonna bottle them this weekend I was gonna go two to three weeks in bottle before enjoyment.

My brew book for newbs says around 14 days in primary and two to four weeks in bottles. What would be somone thats been doing this for a wile input? Please and thank you.

planetscott · 08-17-2012, 08:47 PM

Removing from the yeast too soon can cause off flavors, most notably diacytel.....A buttery/popcorn flavor. I always go at least 2 in the primary.....Usually 3 and another 2 in the secondary.

Better safe than sorry.

duboman · 08-17-2012, 08:49 PM

I usually recommend adding one week to primary time once Final Gravity has been confirmed. This gives the beer a chance to clear and condition, then bottle. For bottling Read This:

http://http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

EnjoyGoodBeer · 08-17-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duboman

I usually recommend adding one week to primary time once Final Gravity has been confirmed. This gives the beer a chance to clear and condition, then bottle. For bottling Read This:

http://http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

That link is not working with my ipod app. So I should leave it in primary for 3 weeks then?

**unionrdr** · 08-17-2012, 08:57 PM

I have to agree. I laways add 3-7 days after FG is confirmed to allow the beer to settle out clear or slightly misty. This is also the time where fermentation by products are eaten by the yeast when sugars have been consumed.

EnjoyGoodBeer · 08-17-2012, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unionrdr

I have to agree. I laways add 3-7 days after FG is confirmed to allow the beer to settle out clear or slightly misty. This is also the time where fermentation by products are eaten by the yeast when sugars have been consumed.

How often do you check your primary? Ours was in primary for 13 days the we checked FG for first time and FG looks good. So give it another 3-7 days or so?

**pfgonzo** · 08-17-2012, 09:05 PM

Depends on the brew. There is a difference between aging and conditioning, and a lot of brewers mix them up. Chris White (from White Labs) says that yeast reabsorb primary fermentation byproducts (diacetyl acetaldehyde etc...) following the completion of fermentation, a process known as conditioning. The yeast finish this process in no more than 2 days. He recommends getting the beer off the yeast cake as soon as that's done. In other words, once you hit your FG, give it 2-3 days longer and then bottle/keg or rack to a secondary for bulk aging if that's your thing.

Harvest the yeast for reuse right away. The longer you wait, the less viable it will be. Leaving the beer on the yeast cake too long (months) can result in off-flavors due to yeast death (autolysis), but that's more of a problem with large scale operations, and is less of an issue on the 5ga homebrew scale. Still, if primary finishes in 4-5 days, feel free to bottle/keg on day 10 (or before) and start carbing. You don't get any benefit to being on the yeast longer.

Now, bigger beers need to age a bit to mellow out. This is diff from conditioning, and has nothing to do with yeast. Some beers (barleywine, dubs, trips, or anything imperial) take 6 months or even a year before they really hit their flavor peaks.

Taste as you go! Experiment and find your sweet spot with each brew!

duboman · 08-17-2012, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnjoyGoodBeer

How often do you check your primary? Ours was in primary for 13 days the we checked FG for first time and FG looks good. So give it another 3-7 days or so?

If you only checked once then wait a day and then check again, two of the same readings ensure you hit FG.

As for the link, it is a sticky in the bottling forum written by Revvy and explains the proper, tried and true method for bottling and everything else you ever wanted to know about bottling and then some more about bottling that you probably didn't want to know but read anyways

**unionrdr** · 08-17-2012, 09:06 PM

I take the OG reading before pitching the yeast,then wait till 2 week mark to take a gravity reading to see how close to FG I am. Yeah,wait another 7 days max to take another gravity reading to see if your in FG range.

EnjoyGoodBeer · 08-17-2012, 09:07 PM

Thanks for the input fellas be back to check shortly, gonna see if my local schnucks has the blue moons carmel apple ale in.