2 extra weeks on yeast cake make a tastable difference?

In a dark beer like a stout....do you think a human can taste the difference in a 2week primary vs a 4week primary?

As in keg the beer after 2 weeks instead of waiting 4 weeks than keg

I sure can and I can taste the difference in a stout that spent 8 weeks in the primary instead of 2 or 4. The difference to me is how quickly it matures for good drinking. By the time it has been in the bottle for 6 months, that difference is mostly gone though as it will mature in the bottle but much slower. It would be particularly noticeable if you keg and chill right away as the maturing process is chemical/biological and when you chill it the maturing process nearly stops.

bump?

Every beer is different, but for me: yes. I usually let my beers stay in the primary for 3-4 weeks; depending on style, gravity, etc. I typically make rather large beers, so 4 weeks works for me. If you're making a smaller beer (whether if it's 'dark' or not) 2 weeks can work just fine.

-Mike

You mean can I tell the difference between a beer with a gut load of fusel alcohol, phenols, diacetyl and acetylaldehyde and one that tastes good? Yep.

taking it off after 2 instead of four, ur gonna have more byproducts that the yeast haven't cleaned up. To the point that i def think someone with a decent palette would recognize. Some stouts can go to keg in as little as ten days. I haven't done it but ive read about it here and elsewhere even from master brewers who went pro.

Personally i'd rather let it stay on the cake at least three weeks just to clean up and then let it age for a bit.

I still don't understand how some people can keg after 10 days and say it tastes good shortly thereafter. Personally I have tested this and can definitely tell a difference leaving it in for 3-4 weeks. Anything shorter seems to need much more time to mature. And as the previous poster stated, once it's cold, it takes longer to mature. However, cold conditioning in the keg definitely helps drop out g the remaining particulate matter.

Quaffman said:

I still don't understand how some people can keg after 10 days and say it tastes good shortly thereafter. Personally I have tested this and can definitely tell a difference leaving it in for 3-4 weeks. Anything shorter seems to need much more time to mature. And as the previous poster stated, once it's cold, it takes longer to mature. However, cold conditioning in the keg definitely helps drop out g the remaining particulate matter.

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I've also tested it- and prefer the flavor of a shorter (10-14 days) primary. A well made beer doesn't take weeks and weeks on the trub to "clean up".

Some people prefer the flavor of beers left on the yeast for 3-4 weeks (or longer), but I prefer a "cleaner" flavor. I'd suggest to anybody to try it. Make a batch, and split it in half. Leave one in the fermenter for 10 days and package when clear, and leave one in the fermenter for 4 weeks and package. Taste them side by side and see if you notice a difference, and if you do, which one you prefer. I prefer the shorter time in the fermenter.

So do you cold crash your beers once signs of fermentation are complete? I was doing that but think I'll stop and try to keg after 10 days. I've got a chocolate hazelnut porter that's been in primary for 6 days now and am wondering if I should keg it at 10 days or let it sit for another 2 weeks.

Quaffman said:

So do you cold crash your beers once signs of fermentation are complete? I was doing that but think I'll stop and try to keg after 10 days. I've got a chocolate hazelnut porter that's been in primary for 6 days now and am wondering if I should keg it at 10 days or let it sit for another 2 weeks.

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For most ales, I wait until signs of fermentation are complete (usually about day 5-7ish), then wait about three more days (or so) and check the SG. I do that to make sure it's finished, not stuck, and to check clarity. If the beer is starting to clear or not clear, I wait a few more days before kegging. If it's totally done and it's clear, I package or dryhop at that time (if it's to be dryhopped).

I don't think I've ever cold crashed in the fermenter, but I would if the beer wasn't clear by about day 15-20 probably.

I like that Yooper has contradicted the tendency to brew by the calendar. A lot of people are brewing by the numbers - and that’s OK - but it’s a bit limiting.

Instead of focusing on the age of the beer, let’s be more creative and ask different questions:

1. What does it taste like? You can drink it at any stage. If you’re going to take a sample, might as well drink it. Good data points.

2. What does it look like? Is it cloudy, clearing, clear? Airlock bubbling?

My pales usually go a week in primary, a week in secondary, and a week in the bottle. Recently I had one that only needed three days in secondary and five days in the bottle. I was drinking it on day 16 and it was fine. Sometimes it’ll go to day 28. Three weeks is average for me.

When it’s done, it’s done. Most beers are better fresh. Instead of relying on the yeast to clean up, concentrate on making clean fresh beer. Enjoy them at their peak.

To the OP...


YES.


Better or worse?

95% of the time better, but not always.

1 month on yeast will not worsen a beer.

Taking the beer off the settled yeast does not impact the removal of undesirable fermentation by products. The yeast that have settled out are old and tired and not terribly active (if at all). It is the yeast that are still in suspension that do the clean up job (and carbonation!). As far as clean up (bulk aging) is concerned, once active fermentation is complete, you can safely move it to another vessel (keg in my case) without having any affect on the removal of byproducts by the yeast.

Looking to get better clean up is not a reason to leave the beer on the yeast cake longer. Being lazy is a perfectly fine reason (guilty myself on occasion)

To the OP, it is hard to say. You really need to learn this for YOUR taste buds. I'm sure there are folks who could taste the difference two extra weeks on the yeast for a stout, but on the other hand, plenty who could not. Of course the lighter the style, the more noticeable it is.