two thoughts about when to bottle/keg?

hey everyone,

i have been doing a lot of reading on this forum in order to improve some of my brewing techniques, and i feel like i am seeing two different opinions about when to bottle/keg beer:

opinion #1: leave beer in primary 3-4 weeks for an average size beer, then keg or bottle. this allows plenty of time for beer to reach final gravity and yeast to clean up after themselves.

opinion #2: keg or bottle as soon as final gravity is reached and stable, as indicated by hydrometer readings.



which do you do?

I suggest you read THIS thread, it's become the "uber discussion" on this topic thread.

To Secondary or Not? John Palmer and Jamil Zainasheff Weigh In .

Most everyone on this forum has already ventured their opinions on the subject many many many many many many many many many many times, and most of them have ended up in the above thread. If you really do want opinions, and even some facts and citations, and articles, podcasts and other things on this topic, hit that thread, then make up your own mind.

We've covered this to death on here. At some point you're just going to have to try it whatever way, and try it the other way next time and see what YOU like best. Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has them, and most of them are full of ****. Ulitimately you just have to make your own mind up for yourself. We've all pretty much said what we do. Hence your seeing that there's two different opinions. How much more do you need? Just choose and do....

Like Revvy said, its really up to you. I have done both. My preference is to primary for 3 weeks and then bottle/keg, however, recently I have been forced to try and turn beers around in a quicker timeframe so I have been primary for 10 days - 2 weeks and force carbing in a week to be grain to glass in 3. But thats what happens when your wife says "Hey, lets have this party in 4 weeks and serve your homebrew!" haha

fair enough. revvy, reading that thread (among others) is what prompted me to ask the question more specifically, to get an idea of which is more popular around here. but i get the "no right answer" sort of answer, its more of an art than a science. i can live with that!

Typically I give my beers 4-7 days on the yeast after FG is reached (meaning, after the second consecutive identical hydrometer reading). Then I package, or dry hop if I'm doing that.