Irish Stout

I just closed the lid on my second brew, a Brewer's Best all extract Irish Ale. The kit of course says leave in primary for a ridiculously short amount of time. Something like 5-7 days. Anyway, I was thinking 4 weeks then bottle.

Is 4 weeks long enough for a stout? And what is the rule of thumb on bottle conditioning for a stout? Certainly 3 weeks at 70 degrees is not enough?

2-3 weeks in the primary for a modest gravity beer should be fine. An Irish Stout doesn't require an extended fermentation or bottle aging. A couple weeks in the bottle should be fine. I prefer to carb mine on the light side so it doesn't take very long to get there.

Your timing sounds good. Most of mine are 4 weeks then bottle. I usually sneak a bottle at 1 week, but it is usually about 3 weeks before it is fully carbed.

PT Ray said:

2-3 weeks in the primary for a modest gravity beer should be fine. An Irish Stout doesn't require an extended fermentation or bottle aging. A couple weeks in the bottle should be fine. I prefer to carb mine on the light side so it doesn't take very long to get there.

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+1. Irish Stout is fairly low gravity, so it'll be fermented and conditioned relatively quickly. Give it 3 weeks in the bottle too, even if you carb it low. You'll have some carbonation after 2 weeks, say, but the extra week really makes a difference in terms of the beer absorbing the CO2 and having the mouthfeel you want, at least in my experience and those of others on this board.

Remember that a stout isn't necessarily heavier than a lighter colored beer- it's just got some highly roasted grain in it. Guinness is a session beer- low alcohol, highly quaffable. So, treat it like any other low to medium gravity ale, and you'll be fine. 3 weeks at 70F is perfect.