If i skip the secondary, how long should i leave it in the primary?

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thisisvlad

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Hi, I'm brewing my first two batches of beer right now.. an Amber and a Belgian Wit. After reading a lot in these forums, i've decided to not use a secondary and just leave them in my primary until bottling. How long should they sit in the primary? Is it 3 weeks?

thanks!
 
At least 10 days. But 2-3 weeks is better. Its tough being patient on the first batch but it pays off with better beer.

I don't use a secondary for most beer and I keg between 10-20 days. There are plenty of stories of 4-8+ weeks with no problems assuming you have plenty of healthy yeast and a good consistent fermentation.
 
for both of those beers you should be fine after two weeks but I almost always go 3 weeks
 
I have a follow up question. for the Heff, the people at the brew shop told me that it should be kept at a higher temp, so they sold me this belt thing to keep the temp steady at 75ish degrees. Should i keep the belt on the whole three weeks that i leave it in the primary, or do i take the belt off after a week?
 
I have a follow up question. for the Heff, the people at the brew shop told me that it should be kept at a higher temp, so they sold me this belt thing to keep the temp steady at 75ish degrees. Should i keep the belt on the whole three weeks that i leave it in the primary, or do i take the belt off after a week?

Sounds like bad advice to me
 
75? that's the very top of the range. i prefer 68 for hefe's and wits. i leave them fermenting for 2 weeks at 68, keg ( or bottle ), and enjoy. i'm drinking a hefe right now brewed with those stats
 
75? that's the very top of the range. i prefer 68 for hefe's and wits. i leave them fermenting for 2 weeks at 68, keg ( or bottle ), and enjoy. i'm drinking a hefe right now brewed with those stats



hmmm.. do you think my beer might be ruined? should i remove the belt? what would happen to my beer if it's been around 75 degrees?
 
hmmm.. do you think my beer might be ruined? should i remove the belt? what would happen to my beer if it's been around 75 degrees?

it takes a lot more than brewing it at high end of temp range to ruin it, so don't worry, it's fine, but might be better next time if you target lower temp. I would probably keep it at same temp for rest of fermentation because consistent temp is another factor. Afterwards, take the belt back to the shop and get your money back - usually the issue is keeping it cool enough not warm enough unless you are in very cold climate.
 
at that high of temps the yeast will produce more esters, phenols and fusel alcohols making a 'harsh' beer with some off flavors. That being said before I got my temps under control I had some beers get up too high and they still turned out fine. Just let them condition longer so the yeast can clean some of that 'bad' stuff up.

So no, its not ruined just might have a little more flavor...
 
That hefe yeast at 75 will probably give off some banana flavors but I don't think your beer is ruined. You should be fine, most hefe yeast give off banana clove fruit flavor, yours may just be a little stronger. RDWHAHB! Sounds like that brew store just wanted to make a couple extra bucks off of you. But now you can ferment somewhere in your house that is colder and use the belt to bring the temp up :)
 
hmmm.. do you think my beer might be ruined? should i remove the belt? what would happen to my beer if it's been around 75 degrees?

I think it will be fine at that tenp but would be better to get it about 69.

Roger
 
...I totally screwed up with one of my brews, an attempt at a Vienna lager; it was suppose to ferment at low 60's. I had it in a water bath at 75 for 4-WEEKS!! I was horrified when I realized what I had done. When bottling I didn't notice any off flavors/smells and overall it tasted 'ok'. I was certain it was ruined! It's only been bottle conditioning for one week, but the suspense was killing me so I tried one over the weekend and I'm delighted to say it's pretty darn good! Blind taste-tested to the Dos Eqius Amber I was trying to clone and I actually liked mine more - looking forward to it only improving with time :)
 
My fermentation temp is 68 degrees; exactly one month in primary bucket (with no cold crash) and straight to bottling; so far so good......
 
My last two beers I have bottled after 10 days and they were the best I've had to date. I feel that as long as you have reached your final gravity and the beer tastes good, why not?
 
Your beer will probably be fine. Contrary to popular belief, I have found that Hefeweizen produces the best flavors at 62-64F.

As far as how long, I keep them in primary for a minimum of the following equation:

Days until krausen falls x 2 = minimum days before kegging

This means that my house ale is usually ready at 6-8 days, pale ales at 10-14 days, etc. Sometimes I keep it in for longer, but this time frame works pretty well for me.

Eric
 
I think it will be fine at that tenp but would be better to get it about 69.

Roger

how do you guys keep your beers at a constant temperature? my house is pretty cold these days, and my first beer (the amber) bounced around from 57 to 64 degrees (and that was with a blanket around it and raised off the cold floor). that's why the people at the brew shop recommended the belt... to raise the temp. so, how would i get the beer to 69 and keep it there?

by the way... thanks for all the great replies! this is very helpful!
 
so.... anybody have any ideas for how to keep the temp constant?

use a water bath for your fermenter

i just got a large rubbermaid type storage bin that fits 2 ale pails in it. i have that bin filled with water about to the level of the beer and it keeps it at 68deg constantly
 
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