First time bottling!!

Should I let my batch sit in my priming bucket for a couple days after transferring it from my fermenter? I didn't know if it helps to clear the beer before bottling.

You are better off leaving it in the primary longer to clear. How long has it been fermenting?

It has been fermenting for about 5 days.

I have heard a lot of people say 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, 3 weeks in bottles.

Your yeast hasn't even had enough time to finish its job. Give it another 2 to 3 weeks and it will be ready to bottle. Please do not consider bottling anytime in the next few days!

Secondary isn't necessary when first starting off. Just leave it in the primary 3-4 weeks and then bottle. No need to leave it in the bottling bucket.

Aye-listen to the Nurm. Did you take gravity readings? That's the only indication (realistically) that fermentation is done.

I did take gravity readings. I left a little of the fermenting wort in an empty bottle with a loose towel plugging it, so I can take readings without opening my bucket (I will take my final reading with the full batch though). I know it needs to sit longer. Is it ok to have it sitting on the sediment on the bottom for that long? I don't want any off flavors. Like I said, this is my first time brewing, and I would rather listen to all the expert advice!! Thanks for the replies so far!

Many people go 3-4 weeks with no problem. Some even longer, esp. with a big beer.

Brew_man said:

I left a little of the fermenting wort in an empty bottle with a loose towel plugging it, so I can take readings without opening my bucket (I will take my final reading with the full batch though).

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Actually that "satellite fermenter" idea will only tell you WHAT YOUR BEER WILL FINISH AT, NOT when your 5 gallon batch of beer will be done.

It's used to measure attenuation of the yeast, not rate of fermentation.

It will take yeast a lot less time to chew through 12 ounces of wort than it will 5 gallons.....so don't trust that silly thing that someone came up with because they are too afraid to take samples from their beer as being accurate.

If you do take that as "gospel" you more than likely are rushing your beer off the yeast way to soon. You know "bottle Bombs" or suddenly posting an "is my beer in secondary ruined?" thread because now that you moved it to secondary because the "satellite" said it was done, you now have this scary looking growth that you have never seen in your bucket (because the lid is one) that suddenly grew on top of your wort and is ugly as sin....which we of course will tell you to rdwhahb because that is just krausen and it formed because you racked too soon and the yeast is still trying to work to make beer for you.

The idea came from commercial breweries, but you have to realize when they are using in it a 3 or 7 or 10bbl fermentaion setup, that their sattelite looks like this.



And they are drawing off hydro sample out of that bucket just like we do.

And they are STILL going to be taking readings and tasting the REAL beer in the ACTUAL FERMENTER, before making any determination.

It's been adopted by some home brewers, and unfortunately gets perpetuated by people (mostly noobs scared of taking real hydro readings) but it's about as accurate as airlock bubbling, (and you know where I count that in terms of fermentation gauges- slightly below the astrological calender )

With proper sanitzation you can open up the bucket and take hydro reading with no fear....

Here's what I do....

1) With a spray bottle filled with starsan I spray the lid of my bucket, or the mouth of the carboy, including the bung. Then I spray my turkey baster inside and out with sanitizer.

2) remove lid

3) Draw Sample

4) fill sample jar (usualy 2-3 turky baster draws

5)Spray bung or lid with sanitizer again

6) Close lid or bung

6) take reading

It is less than 30 seconds from the time the lid is removed until it is closed again.

Probably less if you have help.

But don't be in such a hurry to rush your beer to bottles, it's only been 5 days, just becasue the yest may be done fermenting, doesn't mean that their job is done.

How To Brew said:

Leaving an ale beer in the primary fermentor for a total of 2-3 weeks (instead of just the one week most canned kits recommend), will provide time for the conditioning reactions and improve the beer. This extra time will also let more sediment settle out before bottling, resulting in a clearer beer and easier pouring. And, three weeks in the primary fermentor is usually not enough time for off-flavors to occur.

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It's no different than our non kit recipes, a beer is a beer, and as you might have read, many of us subscribe to the idea of not rushing our beers off the yeast for at least 3-4 weeks, and find out beers greately improved by doing so. It allows the yeast to clean up any byproducts they created during fermentation, which if rushed away from this process too soon, may lead to off flavors.

Theres' hundreds of threads on here discussing that. So don't rush it, and your beer will thank you for it.

So is there any needed benefits from using a secondary bucket before bottling, or should I bottle straight from the primary after a few weeks? My kit has a second bucket with a nozzle at the bottom for bottling. Also, do I add my priming sugar to the primary bucket right before I bottle, or add it to each individual bottle? I will make sure to leave my beer sit in the primary for about 3 weeks like everyone recommends.

Thanks for all the advice so far!! This is kinda fun

After the 3 weeks, boil up your priming sugar with a couple cups of water, add to bottling bucket. Rack your beer into bottling bucket and give it a gentle stir (don't splash) to mix. Then start bottling.

Brew_man said:

So is there any needed benefits from using a secondary bucket before bottling, or should I bottle straight from the primary after a few weeks? My kit has a second bucket with a nozzle at the bottom for bottling. Also, do I add my priming sugar to the primary bucket right before I bottle, or add it to each individual bottle? I will make sure to leave my beer sit in the primary for about 3 weeks like everyone recommends.

Thanks for all the advice so far!! This is kinda fun

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Secondary vs long primary is a long debated subject here, there are plenty of threads to peruse if you'd like to educate yourself more on the subject. Suffice to say...if you bottle after a 3-4 primary and don't use a secondary, you will have tasty beer. I'll let you decide the merits of the secondary or not, but get some basic experience first, make some beer, and enjoy yourself before you start worrying about stuff like that.

Secondary's are great if you only have one primary and want to start another batch.

If all you have is your primary and bottling bucket (the bucket with the spigot on it), then just leave it in primary for at least another week and the bottle using your bottling bucket. Longer in the primary would be better, but we were all excited and impatient when we did our first batch, so if you make it a week... we'll forgive ya

If you have another fermenter, you can do a secondary if you want. I do a long primary, but still do about a week in secondary before bottling just because it helps me get my beer juuuuuust a bit clearer. That's mainly because I'm a klutz when I siphon and usually suck up a little of the yeast cake.

So, primary only or use a secondary, it's all up to you. But give it another week or two before you bottle.

Thanks! I will have to get another primary to start something else.

Hey Brew man,

Relax don't worry have a decent beer (until you have a homebrew)

Check out this awesome thread by Revvy

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/re...-otherwise-94812/?highlight=tips+for+bottlers

It was a big help when I started.

Keep the questions coming, read up around here there is a ton of info, and most importantly keep brewing!

Prost!