How long is too long for Belgian Strong Ale (1.072) in Primary?

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redalert

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Just wanted some feedback on how long do you guys keep your bigger Belgians in primary for? What was the longest and how did your beer come out?
 
Mine was 3 weeks (took 2 to hit final gravity)
then spent 4 more weeks in secondary, and 3 months bottle conditioning.
 
i had a belgian dark strong in primary for 5 mos. once by accident. just forgot about it until right before Christmas. transferred it to a keg, carbed it, served it for the holidays. was perfect.
 
i had a belgian dark strong in primary for 5 mos. once by accident. just forgot about it until right before Christmas. transferred it to a keg, carbed it, served it for the holidays. was perfect.

5 months in primary?! and there was no yeast bite to the beer?
 
Why do you ask? I take my beers out of the primary when they're done fermenting. Is there a reason you would leave it there for some extended period of time?
 
Why do you ask? I take my beers out of the primary when they're done fermenting. Is there a reason you would leave it there for some extended period of time?

Like any homebrewer I want the best tasting beer possible. From what I've read and inquired many seasoned homebrewers admitted to leaving big Belgians in primaries for 3-5 weeks. I have a 1.072 that's been in primary for 3 weeks.

-2 week hydrometer reading=1.011.
-3 week (yesterday) hydrometer reading=1.009

I was just wondering whether 2 let it sit 1 or 2 more weeks before I rack to secondary to condition further.
 
Like any homebrewer I want the best tasting beer possible. From what I've read and inquired many seasoned homebrewers admitted to leaving big Belgians in primaries for 3-5 weeks. I have a 1.072 that's been in primary for 3 weeks.

-2 week hydrometer reading=1.011.
-3 week (yesterday) hydrometer reading=1.009

I was just wondering whether 2 let it sit 1 or 2 more weeks before I rack to secondary to condition further.


Take a reading every few days until they stop changing. When it's steady transfer it, unless there are off flavors that the yeast need to clean up. There isn't any benefit to leaving it in there for 5 weeks if it's done in 10 days, if that's what you're asking.
 
Take a reading every few days until they stop changing. When it's steady transfer it, unless there are off flavors that the yeast need to clean up. There isn't any benefit to leaving it in there for 5 weeks if it's done in 10 days, if that's what you're asking.

There's also no benefit in transferring it even if it is done in 10 days.
 
Take a reading every few days until they stop changing. When it's steady transfer it, unless there are off flavors that the yeast need to clean up. There isn't any benefit to leaving it in there for 5 weeks if it's done in 10 days, if that's what you're asking.

Yes that's what I was asking. Thanks.
 
I thought leaving the beer on top of the Trub could produce some off flavors. Am I missinformed?

In principle yes. But this issue is controversial. And how long would off tastes develop is not known. It is probably some complex function of the yeast strain, gravity and temperature, etc. Some brewers leave it for months with no off flavours whatsoever while others swear that racking to a secondary is absolutely necessary.

Reading books on this issue doesn't seem to help as there seem to be strong supporters from both camps.
 
I havn't made many big beers but the one, two, three mantra has worked well.
Small beers : One week primary, two weeks secondary, three weeks bottle
Big Beers : One month primary, two months secondary, three months bottle.

Saying that lately Ive been doing two weeks primary and two weeks bottle for the smaller beers.
 
I just bottled this Belgian (Jamil's Belgian Blonde) after 6.5 Months in secondary. I was kind of dissappointed. The Beer seemed to have a moderate cider aroma but wasn't too detectable upon tasting. I attributed the taste to the 7% Candi Sugar I used in the recipie. Seemed to have that homebrew twang in the finish. I'm hoping the carbonation will hide some of the off flavors. Although from a smoothness standpoint even at 8% it doesn't taste solventy. Oh well live and learn I guess.
 
My belgian strong 1.104 OG is on its 3rd week in primary, the yeast has pretty much flocced out and I am at 1.018....potent beer. I am going to bottle this hog after 4 weeks in primary with fresh yeast and bottle condition for as long as I can wait! Hopefully at least 3 months before I open one.....

I think the monks bottle condition theirs as opposed to using brightening tanks or secondary fermenters for the most part....food for thought.
 
My belgian strong 1.104 OG is on its 3rd week in primary, the yeast has pretty much flocced out and I am at 1.018....potent beer. I am going to bottle this hog after 4 weeks in primary with fresh yeast and bottle condition for as long as I can wait! Hopefully at least 3 months before I open one.....

I think the monks bottle condition theirs as opposed to using brightening tanks or secondary fermenters for the most part....food for thought.

After only one month in the primary are you sure you need to pitch more yeast at bottling? I certainly understand doing it as a precautionary but I think it would still carb up nicely with just the priming sugar. BTW what's your recipe for something like that and is this the first time you've brewed this one? Thanks and I hope it turns out fantastic!
 
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