Need advice-leaving town for work

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JBrady

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
964
Reaction score
4
Location
Panama City, FL
Hello I have to leave for PA tomorrow morning and I have a IPA in the primary as we speak, it was supposed to go 10 days in the primary, then go to the secondary for dry hopping. Its one of Edworts recipes. Heres the deal, its been in the primary for 7 days and its still bubbling just a little bit, maybe bubbles every 4 to 5 minutes but if I don't move it to the secondary now its going to have to stay in the primary on top of the trub for another month at least that I will be at work. If I move it now to the secondary will it finish fermenting there? What would be better leaving it on top of the trub in the primary for another month or racking to secondary and dryhopping while still fermenting for a month? thanks for any info.
 
I'd leave it on the trub and let it finish out and condition. When you get back, transfer it to secondary and dry hop it. Just make sure someone checks and tops off the airlock in your absence.
 
ive got a blow off rig on it and its pretty full so Im not worried about leaving it for awhile in that aspect.
 
I use a kegerator with a Johnson temperture controller on it so I think I'll be ok there too. So an extra month on the trub isn't gonna hurt my beer that bad? Guess I don't have a choice, unless I take it on the road with me, lol.
 
First off, what is the FG? Is it close to what you expect? If not, then leave it in the primary. If it is you can rack it to the secondary, but most people will tell you to leave it on the trub so the yeast clean up after themselves. I wouldn't worry about.

What do you do that you are leaving for a month? Where are you going?
 
Im a boilermaker and the majority of my work that I do is in the northeast, this stint will be about a month in PA between the poconos and lancaster, and then over to bridgeport, CT for 6 weeks but I think we will come home for a few days inbetween PA and CT. Thats when I'll rack to secondary and then bottle when I get home from CT.
 
I would move it to secondary. Sitting on a yeast cake for over a month could give it some off flavors.
 
Leaving your beer in primary for a while is not a problem. Longer primaries are becoming more popular (the yeast clean up diacetyl and other off flavors, and autolysis - the boogie man that people worry about with long primary fermentations - takes a long time to develop.
 
Cool thanks, with my work schedule I could be the king of long primarys, lol

Nothing wrong with a long primary, but for an IPA I would not go over two months, but you most likely could go four months+.
Personally, if it is slowing down I would rack it to secondary and scrap up some of the yeast bed during racking. Then I would not worry up to four months. But that's just me.
 
Its still bubbling and it won't be sitting there longer than maybe 1 more month so I think im gonna try leaving it in the primary this time. Lets see its Sept. 13 now, I should have a few days off at least in mid november and I know that we will get a few days off for Thanksgiving for sure, I'll rack it over to the secondary then, how long will it be ok to leave it dry hopped in the secondary before bottling?
 
That could be a problem. In my experience, much more than two weeks of dry-hopping makes for "blech", not "yum". That said, there are blokes who dry-hop in the keg and rave about the flavors over the month they take to kick the keg.

Your work situation is a recipe for experimentation. ;) Just take good notes!

Cheers,

Bob

P.S. Where are you gonna be in the Poconos? Maybe I can recommend a couple of places to receive beery sustenance.
 
yeah thats even more reason to stay primary right now, if I go secondary and dry hop I'll be looking at a month/month and a half dry hop which i don't want to do.
 
I'd wait to dryhop until you can bottle within a week or two max. I don't dryhop my kegs until two weeks before tapping.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top