First AG batch in 10 years

Hey gang...my brew buddy and I did my first AG batch in about ten years this past Sunday (I moved around quite a bit and was hard to travel with all my brewing equipment). Our recipe was based on BierMuncher's Outer Limits IPA. His recipe calls for primary fermenting for 2 weeks at 68 degrees. It started bubbling about 4 hours or so after pitching, and has been fermenting like gangbusters the past few days. Woke up this morning and there's a bubble maybe every 1 seconds and about 90% of the krausen has fallen. My question is should I let it sit in the primary for the entire 2 weeks the recipe calls for, or should I rack it to my secondary? My understanding is you shouldn't let it sit in contact with the trub too long because it will start to produce esters, thus affecting the taste.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions most welcome! :rockin:

Mark

On Deck: Mardi Gras Hefeweizen
Primary: Wood Duck IPA
Lagering: Tonginator Doppel Bock

You can leave it for a month, no probs. I only move mine to secondary when dry hopping. There's a crap load of threads on here regarding the secondary myth. I don't think it's at all necessary. Keep in mind that the more you rack it from one place to the other, the more you're increasing the risk of getting some nasties carried over.

Right...I'm planning on dry hopping, hence the secondary. So you're saying that leaving it in contact with what turned out to be about an inch and a half of trub for that long will not impart any off flavors or esters?

Thanks for your response.

Aquilegia said:

Right...I'm planning on dry hopping, hence the secondary. So you're saying that leaving it in contact with what turned out to be about an inch and a half of trub for that long will not impart any off flavors or esters?

Thanks for your response.

Click to expand...

nope. leaving it on the yeast will actually let the yeast clean up after it's self. so you'll actually get LESS off flavors by leaving it in primary for at least 3 weeks. just ask anyone around here. of course you need to ferment the yeast at the right temp. i like to ferment at the low end of the yeasts tolerance

I just dry hop in the primary. Dry hop at the 2 week mark, bottle at 3 weeks. Works great for me. I've skipped secondary on most of the last 35 batches except for strong ales requiring a lot of aging and it works very nicely.

I had a 7 year hiatus myself which ended in mid 2009. Welcome back! Cheers!

Ester formation is created during the active fermentation stage, the first 4 days or so, especially if your ferm temps are on the high side, like above 20-21C. Righlander is right. Yeast do clean up after themselves during the end. Wish my kids would do the same...

Thanks guys...I'll let her sit whilst I brew my Saison this Monday. Trying to stock up for Mardi Gras.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Dry hop in primary.. I'm a recent convert to this, anything to make less work and more beer!