Is Yeast Active after 4 weeks

Well I know this has been talk about a lot but I just wanted to make sure I do the best thing for my beer. Well I know that most people here say that it is best to leave the beer in primary for about 4 weeks. I am planing on doing this with my Canadian Ale. Here is the question, How long will the yeast live and be active so the bottles will get carbonated after bottling. I ask this because a friend of mine said that I should not wait this long to bottle because after 4 weeks the yeast will not be active enough to carbonate the bottles. Well what do all of you think. Will the yeast be active longer then 4 weeks?

Thanks Roger

The yeast will be more than active enough to carbonate the beer once it is bottled/kegged. I've done it many times (currently have a Bitter that's going on 6 weeks in the primary) and never had an issue. If you are really worried, when you get to the end of the transfer to the bottling bucket, just dip your siphon down into the trub and suck a little up into the bottling bucket. That will ensure that you have enough yeast to carbonate.

You're friend is FOS...

I bottled a batch of beer that was in primary for 5.5 months and had no issue with the beer not carbing up whatsoever. Think about it this way, we can harvest yeast from bottles of commercial beer that may have been on the shelves for years without issue, so why should a mere month be any problem? Yeast tends to go dormant, NOT die, so in the presence of fresh sugar it will wake up and start reproducing and eating....

The one thing to do, like Ace club suggested, just make sure you get enough yeast out of the trub when you rack over. They will take care of the rest.

Thanks so much!!!!!


Roger

I've carbed a 4 month old Apfelwine at a really high %alc with no trouble.

I'm from your area--I assume that canadian ale is the kit that B&S sells.

Ravenshead said:

I've carbed a 4 month old Apfelwine at a really high %alc with no trouble.

I'm from your area--I assume that canadian ale is the kit that B&S sells.

Click to expand...

Yes you are right. I go to B&S all the time. Mabby we could meet there some time.

Roger