Irish Stout Extract in Primary - how long?

ok so I brewed an Irish Stout extract kit earlier this week. The kit instructions say that only 6-7 days of primary is necessary and then bottle. Everything I read here says around 3 weeks for a Stout. I was hoping to have this done by March 5 so I was going to bottle half next Thursday (9 days) and then throw the other half in a 3 gal carboy for secondary. Is that too short for primary? Will it make that much of a difference?

Check your gravity, check your gravity, check your gravity. Yeast is alive and does not conform to your time schedule. That said, I typically primary for 1-2 wks, but all depends on gravity, general rule of thumb is 3 consective days without a reduction in gravity.

Patience makes the best beer. Instructions are worthwhile, but patience still makes the best beer.

i did mine 1 week primary and 1 week secondary. bottled for 2-3 weeks and i will tell you to wait. I would now go back and do 2 primary, 2 secondary and 4 bottles.

I have a partial-grain stout in my primary right now. The instructions said about 10 days but I checked the gravity last night after 2 weeks and am going to leave it an extra week since it's not quite there yet. So basically, check the gravity and decide.


My first brew, an amber, I followed the instructions word for word and last night was the offical night that I could drink the first brew (according to the directions at least). Turns out that I probably could have gone at least a week longer in primary and I'd be much happier with it, live and learn.

I'm learning fast that you should do your due dilligence with gravity readings and not rely solely on the printed directions since every brew can be different.

My first brew was an Irish stout, and I just left it alone for a month and then bottled. Simple.

My first brew was an Irish Stout extract kit. I did primary for 2 weeks and then Secondary for 2 weeks. I hit the target final gravity at 7 days but left it anyways. Turned out pretty good