why do you leave wort in primary for 28 days

this is a question i have for those who leave wort in primary for 28 days. Why? Because i tasted my beer after fermentation (5 days) and it was the best full bodied beer that i had brew. After i left it for another 23 days and 15 days of conditioning it is weak and no carbonation. Please explain to me this technique. I messed up my brew. this was going to the State Fair competition.
sims_l22

What kind of beer?

Clearing/conditioning, mostly. Not sure what you did there.

California Style Imperial Ale

First of all beer in a fermenter is already a BEER and not WORT. Once you add yeast, it's a beer. And why is it better after longer fermentation? There is probably a lot of answers to that question, but the bottom line is that people tested it both ways, and majority of brewers nowadays say 3-4 weeks in primary does your beer good.

It's likely that what you perceived to be "fuller flavor" was simply a yeast-dense beer that had not completely attenuated and was still sweet from non-fermented sugars. Now that the beer is fermented and the sugars converted to alcohol, the beer is indeed thinner.

Almost every brewer will attest that tasting fully fermented and properly conditioned beer out of a secondary will yield disappointing (thin and flavorless) taste results.

Carbonation is a huge component of rounding out the flavor and mouthfeel profile. See the beer through and don't judge your product until it is "final".

I really appreciate all the info guys. I will see the beer through and give it another 3 weeks in a warmer room.
thanks

during primary fermentation the yeast convert the sugars to alcohol, CO2, and various byproducts that can cause off flavors. during secondary fermentation, which happens during and after primary fermentation, the yeast clean up those byproducts resulting in a cleaner beer. BeirMuncher is right carbonation helps quite a bit. just let the beer sit and carb fully then taste the beer. if its still not right just wait a few more weeks. the taste of a beer will change quite a bit while its in the bottle and will improve.

sims_l22 said:

i tasted my beer after fermentation (5 days) and it was the best full bodied beer that i had brew. After i left it for another 23 days and 15 days of conditioning it is weak and no carbonation.

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During fermentation and conditioning the CO2 is allowed to escape. Afterward it is primed with sugar in the bottle or force carbonated in a keg.

Young beers taste sweeter (even after feremtnation is complete). The sweetness mellows and melds with the other flavors as it conditions, whether that's done in primary, secondary, or bottle/keg.

Carbonation *does* change the flavor of the beer.

Ever noticed how flat soda tastes different from fresh soda, even at the same temperature? Same thing with beer.

What happens is that as carbon dioxide is subjected to pressure in a container with beer (which is mostly water), it enters into solution and an amount of carbonic acid (H2CO3) is created. Carbonic acid exists in relation to the dissolved carbon dioxide in solution.

Carbonic acid is very acidic, and adds a tangy flavor to beer. As your beer fizzes and goes flat, the amount of carbon dioxide in your beer lowers, and therefore carbonic acid breaks down, literally changing the flavor of your beer. This is why some maltier beers are tastier at low carbonation (wee heavy), and other, fruiter beers are better with high carbonation (hefenweizens). One of the reasons why hefs are served with lemon (or orange if you're a Blue Moon drinker) is the citric acid, which reinforces the flavors introduced by a high level of carbonation.

When your beer tasted fantastic so soon after fermentation, you were probably tasting a significant amount of carbonation along with the beer. After 2-3 weeks, a lot of that carbon dioxide has left solution and your beer tastes flat.

So long story short, carb it. It will literally change the flavor of your beer.

Note: I'm not a chemist, and could be talking out my rear on this, but I'm pretty sure the basics are right in there.

For my first ten batches or so, I mis understood the whole "conditioning" phase. I had read that pretty much after ten or so days (with simple styles) that you beer was done fermenting. I would then bottle. This lead to many off flavors in my beer.

I now leave my beer in primary for 3 weeks and the taste is WAY better. Letting the beer condition allows time for the yeast to start breaking down off flavors and complex sugars. You want to do this in your carboy. When you bottle it, the yeast work very slowly under pressure.

I do it because I am lazy.

But more seriously, the more I let the trub settle, the more beer that I can get into the bottle/keg without having floaties. More beer per batch = good. The beer also just seems more "done" when everything is settled and compacted properly rather than still having things floating around in it.

Any relations to the Sims family out of Farmington, NM?

I find that bulk conditioning is faster than bottle conditioning. I've brewed the same beer twice and bottled after 2 weeks and it took a couple months in the bottle after carbonating before it really got good. Next time I brewed it I gave it 3 weeks in primary and 1 in secondary, and the beer was good as soon as it was carbonated. It was like the extra two weeks in bulk was equal to two months in the bottle.

No relation to the sims family in Farmington,NM

Flatline summed up the carbonation aspect. About all I'll add is the extra time allows the beer to clear. With 4-5 weeks in the fermenter, I can go straight to the keg and not worry about sediment clogging the system.

BierMuncher said:

It's likely that what you perceived to be "fuller flavor" was simply a yeast-dense beer that had not completely attenuated and was still sweet from non-fermented sugars. Now that the beer is fermented and the sugars converted to alcohol, the beer is indeed thinner.

Almost every brewer will attest that tasting fully fermented and properly conditioned beer out of a secondary will yield disappointing (thin and flavorless) taste results.

Carbonation is a huge component of rounding out the flavor and mouthfeel profile. See the beer through and don't judge your product until it is "final".

Click to expand...

Yep, +1 to this

I brewed a Wit that was horrible every step of the way (no off flavors, just didn't taste like a Wit). Even at 5 days of keg carbonating, it wasn't very good. At day 8, it was carbed to the right level and it was a different beer. The correct carbonation level is very important. And don't give up on a beer

Eric