just took a 2 week gravity reading

Well I was planning on either transferring to secondary today, or conditions permitting bottling. So I popped the lid off, took my sample and tested it and it was at 1.010 (expected to be between 1.010-1.012) but it was still pretty cloudy. I poured my sample into a glass and stuck it in a fridge for a bit so it can settle out some and then I'll pull my first taste test on it I'm probably going to transfer to secondary for a week just so I can free up my bucket and give it a little more time to clear up, but dunno if I'll be able to do it tonight. if I end up not racking tonight, any reason why it can't stay where it's at for another week?

I'm really ecstatic about this, cuz it looks like beer, smells like beer.. as much as it surprises me to say it, I think I actually made beer

Damn, Dave, you may have just made beer.

No problem leaving it in the primary for another week.

That... looks like beer to me, and a damn good one!

I agree that if you are pretty busy just go ahead and leave it in the primary until it clears up, even if it's a week or two. The last amber ale I made I did 3 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary or so. I was carbed in the keg after a week but was only so-so. The flavor by the end of the keg, which was about 3 weeks later, was amazing. My point is that I would leave the beer in the primary/secondary for at least a week, possibly two. Then don't touch a bottle until 3 weeks after you bottle it.

Of course I know this is F'ing impossible on your first beer. I think after a few days I started cracking them open every other day or so and checking on the progress. Good luck either way!

If you are going to have it three weeks in primary there is absolutely no point to secondarying it at all. Just bottle it next week...

The purpose of a secondary is to either add stuff to it, or to let the beer clear. Leaving it for 3-4 weeks in primary is going to clear it up as much if NOT MORE in my opinion as racking to a secondary after 2 weeks for another 2 weeks would.

So there is really no point if you have been letting it clear, and letting the yeast clean up the beer, in letting it further sit in another vessel....it really isn't, after three weeks in primary, going to contribute any more to the clarity and flavor of the beer, it's just going to delay drinking it further.

Many of us opt for the long primary No Secondary method...3-4 weeks in primary, then to keg or bottle.

...and get back to Quattroworld, while you're at it!!!

The flavor by the end of the keg, which was about 3 weeks later, was amazing.


WTF!!!!? A Keg lasts you 3 weeks! I get 3 days to a week, maybe!

Revvy said:

If you are going to have it three weeks in primary there is absolutely no point to secondarying it at all. Just bottle it next week...

The purpose of a secondary is to either add stuff to it, or to let the beer clear.

Click to expand...

Revvy, you must learn to think outside the box.
Secondarying may not be necessary for the beer to be secondaried, but it frees up a primary and allows another brew to be started.


-a.

Just tasted it, was a lot different than I was expecting, I can def say that. Had a very smooth mouthfeel, went down smooth, and was incredibly well balanced. In a way, a little more bland than I was expecting too, but being is this is my first taste of green uncarbed beer, I don't have much to compare it to. Man, I can't wait till I can pop open a bottle of this....

ajf said:

Revvy, you must learn to think outside the box.
Secondarying may not be necessary for the beer to be secondaried, but it frees up a primary and allows another brew to be started.


-a.

Click to expand...

No, you must think outside the box...get more fermenters. I have 9 of various sizes....Besides, buckets are cheap.

What are they 10-12 bucks these days?

And as much as I am not a worry wort, racking to secondary un-necessarily, could be a point of over oxydation/and or infection. Plus it is one more piece of gear that needs to be sanitized and then cleaned after use, along with the autosiphon, etc.

Plus it is one more piece of gear that needs to be sanitized and then cleaned after use, along with the autosiphon, etc.

Click to expand...

And us non-bottlers are supposed to be lazy.

ajf said:

Revvy, you must learn to think outside the box.
Secondarying may not be necessary for the beer to be secondaried, but it frees up a primary and allows another brew to be started.


-a.

Click to expand...

what are you using for secondary that cant be used as a primary? I have 4 carboy's any of which are used for secondary or primary so unless all 4 are full there is no issues!

nvr2low said:

what are you using for secondary that cant be used as a primary? I have 4 carboy's any of which are used for secondary or primary so unless all 4 are full there is no issues!

Click to expand...

YUP!!!! I don't have dedicate primaries or secondaries...I have everything from an old mr beer keg which is great for test lager small batches in my fridge, a 3 gallon betterbottle, 2-3 gallon water bottles, 1 glass 5 gallon, 1 5 gallon better bottle, 1 6 gallon better bottle, and 2 ale pails.

They all have been primary fermenters at one time of another...

nvr2low said:

what are you using for secondary that cant be used as a primary? I have 4 carboy's any of which are used for secondary or primary so unless all 4 are full there is no issues!

Click to expand...

I have 4 * 5g carboys and 2 * 6g. None of these can be used for a 5.5g batch primary without a blow-off tube, and a blow off tube just wastes too much precious wort.

-a.

ajf said:

I have 4 * 5g carboys and 2 * 6g. None of these can be used for a 5.5g batch primary without a blow-off tube, and a blow off tube just wastes too much precious wort.

-a.

Click to expand...

hmm, i use a 5 gallon with a blow off tube and loose hardly and wort at all. must be one of us is doing something wrong!

nvr2low said:

hmm, i use a 5 gallon with a blow off tube and loose hardly and wort at all. must be one of us is doing something wrong!

Click to expand...

The only thing that I have ever had blow off out of a blowoff tube was a little bit of krausen.

Well, you are cleverer than I am if you can get 5.5g in a 5g carboy and still not lose anything to blow off.


-a.

ajf said:

Well, you are cleverer than I am if you can get 5.5g in a 5g carboy and still not lose anything to blow off.


-a.

Click to expand...

well, i do 5 gallon batches not 5.5, but like revy says, the only thing that comes out is krausen.