How long can I leave brew in primary?

Check the gravity on the brew in the primary. If you are there or just above, then leave until this weekend.

As for bottling, you got the outline right. Just make sure the priming solution is around 70-80 degrees.

When you siphon, make sure the tube is on the bottom of the bucket and that it doesn't splash. You want a "quiet" siphon, not a siphon that is about half way up the bucket and slpashing on the bottom.

Leaving it for a few more days won't hurt anything. Most of the guidelines I have seen recommend getting it off the yeast cake within a month to prevent off flavors.

As far as bottling goes I think you have the right idea. Everyone seems to kind of have their own system. I like to get all my bottles sanitized while I'm making my priming solution to give it time to cool down to 70deg. Then I add the solution to the bottling bucket, siphon my beer into the bucket, and use a bottle filler to fill up the bottles.

Just be prepared for a bit of a mess and RDWHAHB!

You are not going to hurt anything by leaving it in there for a while. Off-flavors from autolysis won't happen for a long time - a few weeks anyway.

I've left a brew in the primary over 30 days once. Won Best of Show...

I don't bother dropping my primary solution to 70 degrees. Why risk infection? You start siphoning the beer over the hot priming solution. The first few ounces hit hot solution and the yeast die. the next few ounces hit warm solution warm and the yeast are stunned, and then the rest of the beer doesnt know the difference.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help. I'ver waited many years to start brewing because of grad school, career, wife, and now a child and the main reason was time! And with all that out of the way, I think I have less time! So my best laid plans on this have already gone by the wayside. I expect to spend Saturday morning bottling this and starting a new batch!

Gotta get a second fridge for the basement though!!!

zonabb said:

And with all that out of the way...

Click to expand...

What did you do with them?

Well, the wife and child are still around, amazingly but the over-hyped grad degree and career are boring me now!!!