When to rack for Kolsch on Primary (it’s been 4 weeks at ~ 61°)

I recently brewed up an extract Kolsch kit from Northern .

Recipe:
FERMENTABLES
--1 lb Pilsen dry malt extract (60 min)
--6 lbs Pilsen malt syrup late addition (15 min)

HOPS & FLAVORINGS
--1 oz Tradition (60 min)
--1 oz Hersbrucker (30 min)

YEAST
Safale US-05 Ale Yeast. Optimum temp: 59°-75° F

I cooled down to 58° and pitched. Placed in basement and temps of ferm rose to 64° during ferm activity and have now cooled down to 60-62°. It’s been 4 weeks since brew day. I haven’t taken any FG’s but will when I bottle.

So, since this beer is bigger than the ones I’ve already made (OG 1.050) and I’m fermenting in cooler temps than usual….how long should I wait to bottle?

It's time to take a hydrometer reading. What is the current gravity? It's probably done and time to bottle. No need to secondary this type of beer.

yeah, 4 weeks should be plenty. it probably finished fermenting like 2 weeks ago (or more) but of course only the hydro will tell you for sure, but if it's not done fermenting after 4 weeks, something went wrong.

My concern isn't about finished fermentation or not. I'll take gravity sample to find out if it's done fermenting or not. if it's not done fermenting then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

my concern is how long should I leave it for it (yeast) to clean up after itself and taste better?

edit: O, but thanks for the info anyway !!

MODS: if this should be moved to different forum please feel free to do so (i.e. fermentation or bottling forum)

sillyburt said:

my concern is how long should I leave it for it (yeast) to clean up after itself and taste better?

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It's probably done doing that by now.

so you guys think it won't be beneficial to continue to wait ?

edit: sorry maybe I should explain myself better. since the temps are lower than what I've brewed before, I'm thinking that the brew might need a longer time to clean up i.e. the yeast is working slower because it's colder and because I'm at the colder end of the temp range for the yeast. I think 4 weeks shopuld be plenty of time for fermentation to be over....if it's stuck then I have a totally different problem on my hands. I haven't wanted to take a gravity sample for fear of contamination.

so am I just waiting for nothing and I should get the brew in the bottles or am I getting a better beer by waiting longer than 4 weeks?

sorry, i should have elaborated. i was implying that the yeast have had ample time to both ferment and clean up after themselves. especially since you used us-05, it should be definitely ready to go. traditional kolsch yeast can benefit from a longer aging since it doesn't flocculate very well, but i don't think i'd go beyond 4 weeks even with that yeast. once you bottle and carb it up, it might benefit from cold storage, but i think you'll have a nice beer either way.

android said:

sorry, i should have elaborated. i was implying that the yeast have had ample time to both ferment and clean up after themselves. especially since you used us-05, it should be definitely ready to go. traditional kolsch yeast can benefit from a longer aging since it doesn't flocculate very well, but i don't think i'd go beyond 4 weeks even with that yeast. once you bottle and carb it up, it might benefit from cold storage, but i think you'll have a nice beer either way.

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that's the subject I was looking for an opinion on, thanks. I tossed the carboy in the garage last night to cold crash. what the hell, we'll see how this turns out