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06-05-2009, 10:55 PM
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#1
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NZ
Posts: 240
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Is there any advantage...
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in leaving my brew to ferment for 2 weeks in the primary, as opposed to leaving it for a week instead providing the SG remains constant over 2 days?
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06-05-2009, 11:01 PM
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#2
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 1,045
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Yes, even though fermentation has appeared to have ended, the yeast are still in their working.
If you can't wait, go for it. But there are definitely advantages.
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06-05-2009, 11:02 PM
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#3
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Willamina & Oak Grove, Oregon, USA
Posts: 25,616
Liked 108 Times on 103 Posts
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Just leave it for 3 weeks and it will clear enough you can go straight to the bottling bucket, and taste better.
__________________
Remember one unassailable statistic, as explained by the late, great George Carlin: "Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"
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06-05-2009, 11:05 PM
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#4
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 163
Liked 1 Times on 1 Posts
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Clarity and avoiding gushers are two reasons that come to mind.
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06-05-2009, 11:10 PM
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#5
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NZ
Posts: 240
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I bottled my brews after 7 days, but I added finings 24 hours before bottling and after a month of conditioning it's quite clear. Next brew I'll leave for 2 weeks in the primary.
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06-06-2009, 12:09 AM
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#6
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 5,809
Liked 134 Times on 117 Posts Likes Given: 23
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Full month in the primary FTW!
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Primary: Sahti, Strawberry Banana Blonde, Caramel Quad
Kegged: Cascadian Dark Ale -- Punkin' Ale -- "Bitter and Rye" American-style Bitter
Bottled: English Barleywine (brewed 9/26/09 -- bottled 5/5/10)
LET'S GO LA!
LA CAMPIONE!
PLAY FOR GLORY, THE GLORY LA!
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06-06-2009, 12:14 AM
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#7
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 2,657
Liked 25 Times on 19 Posts Likes Given: 15
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I've got a Dubbel going on it's 6th week, but I would recommend 21 days for a normal gravity brew, at least 28 days for higher gravities in the primary. My dubbel may even go on a 7th week due to a family birthday this weekend, so we'll see what happens.
Longer primaries have made a definite improvement on the overall flavor in my brews.
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06-06-2009, 01:02 AM
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#8
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 1,457
Liked 6 Times on 6 Posts
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Even when the yeast are largely finished with the primary fermentation process, if left to work longer they will clean up a lot of their own by-products, usually resulting in a cleaner flavor. I also noticed that I often get an extra point or two drop in FG since I started leaving them in primary longer (compared to the same recipe done with a shorter primary). In addition, after a 2 week primary - 2 week secondary and 3 weeks bottle conditioning, 90% of my batches have lost their green flavor and are ready to drink.
I prefer to secondary most of my beers, but many folks on here skip the secondary and instead opt for a 3-4 week long primary. I started out using the 1-2-3 method but as my brewing progressed (and my pipeline built up) I increased my primary time to 10 days, then to 14 days and I'd definitely say my beer has improved.
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"If you're gonna be an ape, be a hairy one" - Spyder
Primary 2: Edwort's Robust Porter
Secondary 1: LW Pale Ale
Secondary 1: Blackened Soul RIS
Kegged: Dead Guy Ale
Kegged: Rye Pale Ale
Kegged: Haus Pale Ale
Kegged: Nut Brown Ale
Kegged: Afrikan Amber
Kegged: Jock Scott Ale
Kegged: Afrikan Amber
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06-06-2009, 04:13 AM
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#9
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Doe Re Mi Beer
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Glass City
Posts: 1,951
Liked 23 Times on 13 Posts Likes Given: 29
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I'm in the same boat as ifishsum. 2 weeks - 2 weeks - 3 weeks for me. And I too have noticed an increase in quality. How you choose to do your process comes down to the equipment you have at your disposal and your patience.
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06-06-2009, 04:40 AM
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#10
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Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NZ
Posts: 240
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Would I get less severe hangovers with a longer primary? And how long before bottling should I add finings?
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