Suggestions on how to proceed...

I am currently brewing a Chimay Grand Reserve clone. This is my 4th batch ever. the first three are all good, but i think they would be better if i had been more patient with them. so, i have vowed to be very patient with this batch being a 9% ABV brew. It has been in primary for about 9 days and is about done fermenting. Without starting a whole "to secondary or not to secondary" debate, i was planning on going another week in primary, then transferring to secondary for at least a month. my understanding is that leaving it in secondary for a long time would be recommended for such a high ABV brew. Please give me suggestions on what is the best way to proceed and end up with the best tasting brew. BTW, i was also planning to let them sit in the bottles for a couple of months also. Not sure if that is best either. Thanks in advance for any input!

With a brew over 8%abv I wait at least a month in the primary.

Doing that, I have noticed, a cleaner product in the end.

With many styles of beer a longer wait helps the flavors meld.
If you find yourself wanting to mess with your beer, Brew another one !

Procrastination is the Homebrewers friend !!!!

@cheeto
so, you go 1 month in primary and straight to bottles or keg?

I go at least a month, then in to bottles or kegs depending on what I am going to do with that brew.

I have a Barleywine I brewed in DEC that is still sitting in a secondary. I plan on bottling that one in Sept.

I had an oaked monster that sat in the primary for about 2 months.

But I have 5 fermentors and have several batches laying in wait for a day when I feel the need to brew or even mess with my beers....


I use these and love it, no need for a blow off tube
http://cgi.ebay.com/Beer-Fermenter-Plastic-Drum-Barrel-Keg-Water-Storage-/350359704635?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519310d43b

those plastic buckets look great, but how do you get the airlock on it and sealed properly?

Drill a hole that your stopper will fit in to and then cram an airlock in to it.

with that high an alcolol beer, you're going to have to wait a couple months just for it to carb anyway. I did a 9 percenter and it didn't carb for 4 or 5 months. And it wasn't drinkable for that long either. 4 weeks primary is my norm for anything, but I've only really done 1.060 beers and above. Helps to mature a bit and clears well in that time. Also no secondaries for me.