Should I make her wait?

I know we all toss out those numbers, "Wait 3 weeks minimum before kegging/bottling!"

But recently I'm reading up on yeast/ferm and it seems that after stable FG has been reached only a few days at optimum ferm temps are needed to clean up any byproducts, ie. diacetyl.

Is there really benefit to waiting another two weeks if a beer finishes in 7 days? Are there things that will be cleaned up or drop-out beyond 48 hours after stable FG?

I'm asking the question: If beer was brewed right, fermed right, can it be great in under 3 weeks?

Try it and see if you like the results. I recently went grain to glass in 4 weeks for the first time (I keg everything) and the results were okay.

Great? I'm not thinking so but ok and drinkable? Probably.
But, I do pretty much adhere to the 3 plus weeks rule and have always been happy. I try to keep the pipeline going so that I don't have to rush any beer but it is hard at times.

A lot of people have had success with shorter fermentation schedules, from what I have been reading here.

It seems to depend on proper pitching, proper fermentation temperature control, and how big or complex the beer is.

I think Yuri Rage posted a thread on this topic that was quite good, and there was another thread called "Is patience really a virtue" that had a good discussion about this, and why people tend to recommend 3 weeks to begin with.

I've gone from Brew to Drinking in 6 days on a Pale Ale using Ringwood Yeast. Brew pubs use this yeast for that very reason.

Links to the threads I referenced

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/aging-beer-facts-myths-discussion-84005/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/patience-really-virtue-331233/

If you're bottling, I think you still need the additional 3 weeks of conditioning at 70*F.

I'm kegging. Thanks for the links! I'm just wondering what specifically cleans up or falls out of flavor profile in that additional time. Will read-up!

tre9er said:

I'm kegging. Thanks for the links! I'm just wondering what specifically cleans up or falls out of flavor profile in that additional time. Will read-up!

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You'll be fine. If you pitched properly and controlled temps, there's little clean up to be done. And whatever cleanup there may have been, it happens in a couple few days, not a couple few weeks. When kegging, I regularly package a couple days after FG is stable.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

You'll be fine. If you pitched properly and controlled temps, there's little clean up to be done. And whatever cleanup there may have been, it happens in a couple few days, not a couple few weeks. When kegging, I regularly package a couple days after FG is stable.

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That's what I'm after. I have an ESB I did almost 2 weeks ago with chico. Two base malts and 0.9oz toasted aromatic, simple EKG hop schedule, temp controlled the whole time in low 60's, this last week it's been brought up to room temp (68-70). I'm taking FG readings next two days and if ready by Saturday I'm kegging :rockin:

tre9er said:

That's what I'm after. I have an ESB I did almost 2 weeks ago with chico. Two base malts and 0.9oz toasted aromatic, simple EKG hop schedule, temp controlled the whole time in low 60's, this last week it's been brought up to room temp (68-70). I'm taking FG readings next two days and if ready by Saturday I'm kegging :rockin:

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Oh man, you'll be good for sure. Almost every time I use 05 yeast I'm good to package inside of two weeks. 05 won't kick anything at those temps that needs that 'clean up' time, and if it's been at ~68 for a week now, it's clean... probably clearing out a good bit by now too. 05's my go to when I want to turn a brew around fast, I've gone as little as ~16 days grain to glass when kegging and fast carbing (35 psi for 3 days). :rockin: :rockin:

Oh, it will be carbed in 24-48 hours. I use the "30psi, shake, put away for 24 hours, bleed, set to serving" method.

I just kegged Cream of 3 Crops, too...smells like corn and rice, so I guess that's the point eh? Pretty damn clear after 48hrs. cold crashing too. Should be able to pull sample tonight but it won't be fully carbed (just ran out of gas after I put 10psi and was shaking.)

I always suspected that all the "anecdotal data" on this board about fermentation time tends to exaggerate the time needed for some reason.

truebe said:

I always suspected that all the "anecdotal data" on this board about fermentation time tends to exaggerate the time needed for some reason.

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Me too! I just played around with my brews and I've learned if you do the right things the right way, and can keg, you can be enjoying your beer in the time some say it takes to 'ferment' your beer. Some styles do take a long time, but most light ales are ready to bottle in ~10 days or so. FWIW, I just took a FG reading on a 11 day old pale ale, not only is it at FG, it's bright and very tasty. I'll dry hop for ~5 days and keg, I'll be drinking it in a week, so ~18 days grain to glass and I wasn't trying to turn this around quick.

If I can get into kegs inside of two weeks, I can deal with that. Reason being is that kegs last me 2 weeks. So that keeps pipeline going.

Go for it

truebe said:

I always suspected that all the "anecdotal data" on this board about fermentation time tends to exaggerate the time needed for some reason.

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One of the reasons that people recommend a 3-4 week fermentation time is for new brewers who try to turn around a beer in just a few days with out having proper temperature controls, aerating techniques, pitching rates, etc...

And to caution them against rushing things according to an arbitrary schedule, such as what is commonly dictated by kit recipe instructions.

i dont really read the beginners forum all that much. it just seems that in the threads where people talk about the aging time needed for their beers they seem a little excessive. Although a lot of people brew much more often than me just judging from their little brew schedule under their post. i guess if i had that many beers going i would do it the same way.

It doesn't take three weeks for beer to be good or finished. I've talked to several head brewers at prominent breweries who laugh when I tell them that internet forums always recommend 3-4 week primaries. I've never read anything that supports the theory that it takes the yeast 2 weeks to re-uptake diacetyl produced in pre-fermentation activities.

Almost every one of my beers is packaged by two weeks.

If the proper amount of yeast is pitched and fermentation temperatures are properly controlled, the beer should be at FG within 5 days. In about 24 hours, the "clean up" by the yeast is complete, but going 48 hours is probably safest to ensure it's done. After that, the beer will start to clear. In other words, a well made beer will start to clear by day 7.

I can think of no reason to keep a beer in a primary for 3-4 weeks, unless the brewer likes the flavor imparted by the yeast.

mooshimanx said:

It doesn't take three weeks for beer to be good or finished. I've talked to several head brewers at prominent breweries who laugh when I tell them that internet forums always recommend 3-4 week primaries. I've never read anything that supports the theory that it takes the yeast 2 weeks to re-uptake diacetyl produced in pre-fermentation activities.

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Just keep in mind that "head brewers" at prominent breweries have a lot better equipment at there disposal, perfect temperature control, laboratories, and recipes that they have perfected over the years. They can set their controls to precisely where they need to be to get the same results. I am not saying this can't be accomplished by a homebrewer but we do not have the same tools as breweries.

I agree. I brew a pale ale three weeks ago, fermentation was done in 4 days (most of my beers are done fermenting in 4 days), I racked to secondary at day six and dryhopped for one week, cold crash an bottled, it´s been in bottles for 7 days now, not ready yet but i crack open one to see how it was doing... and it was great... I don´t see a reason to leave it in primary or conditioning in secondary for longer, even SOME bigger beers don´t need months in secondary, the aging and condiotining can be done in the bottle or the keg.