How long to Primary/Secondary

This may have been asked before and I missed it, but how long should you keep a brew in primary and secondary? I have seen recipes that specify it and ones that don't. If a recipe doesn't say, how long should you leave it?

Z.

it depends on the style and school.

I rarely do secondary except for brett beers. I leave it on the primary for about two weeks - sometimes it may need longer and sometimes a week is enough. A good rule of thumb is: when activity stops give it one week more (with slightly higher temp).

Good luck!

You''l find many folks on here rarely use a secondary for regular beers and just primary for at least three weeks. For a pro/con analysis, see the "This vs. That" sticky in the Beginner forum.

Whether you secondary or not, the longer it sits in a fermenter (up to a certain point, the better). It lets the beer clear and the yeast have time to consume some of their earlier by-products.

Many people use a secondary to minimize contact with dead yeast, which can impart off-flavors (autoliysis). However, many people now believe it takes several months for this to happen. Longer time in primary allows more yeast to clean up the by-products, as mentioned earlier.

As you've probably guessed, I attend the primary only school.

Four weeks in primary and if you want to secondary anytime up to a year or two. As you may have guessed, it's pretty much up to you, however, I would never bottle any beer under three weeks old.

Since I also make wine and mead I tend to simply leave it in the primary the entire time. It is less work that way and there is any autoliysis I can not tell. Really it takes quite a while for yeast to actually die.

The best way to tell if it is done is a hydrometer. I brew in a 12" cube that is actually meant for pet food storage. I do this because my kergator has a shelf (under which the compressor sits) that I really can do nothing with other then put some yeast harvests.

But really it is a matter of opinion if you want to secondary your beer.