How long is too long in the carboy?

My beers have been under for 11 and 10 days, respectively, two 5gallon amounts, and I'm thinking I want to bottle them on Sunday, so that would be 15 and 14 days. Basic stuff, didn't add any corn sugar, one brew had double malt extract (syrup) and the other was half and half with dry malt extract.

Do I have to worry about them sitting too long? I work mon-fri out of town so I can't go sooner or if I go later I have to wait another week.

Just curious is all. I plan on combining with the priming sugar and bottling Sunday, though.

I'd say you're going about the minimum. Another week or two will make them even better. No need to worry until you're measuring in months rather than days.

I've seen some recipes that call for 3-4 weeks in the secondary. If you're using the carboy as a primary fermenter, then I wouldn't let it sit in there more than 2 weeks or so. The yeast may die and start decaying in your beer.

I regularly primary in a bucket for at least 3 weeks, I have one going for 5 weeks right now. So yes you will be fine and no the yeast won't die that quick. 6 months maybe but not 6 weeks.

Ah, the autolysis bugaboo again. You can most certainly leave them in the primaries for four weeks with no worries. Many posters on this forum do not secondary and go with a long primary. If you search the forums for autolysis, you will find that while many fear it, few if any have any first-hand experience with it. The likelihood is highly overstated.

+1 to not being afraid of autolysis. Longer primaries make better beer in most cases.

Then screw it - I'm not bottling until after Thanksgiving. That will put me between 3 and 4 weeks. I'm anxious

forces said:

I've seen some recipes that call for 3-4 weeks in the secondary. If you're using the carboy as a primary fermenter, then I wouldn't let it sit in there more than 2 weeks or so. The yeast may die and start decaying in your beer.

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What the? Did you make that up?

mackinskor said:

Then screw it - I'm not bottling until after Thanksgiving. That will put me between 3 and 4 weeks. I'm anxious

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Your beer will thank you for the extra time.

Stickshaker said:

What the? Did you make that up?

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Yes, yes he did. Let's see, my last beer fermented for 3 weeks then sat for 2 months, must be bad, I'll have to throw it out.