True Beer Ingredient Kit for Belgium Ale

I just made a Belgium Ale with a True Beer Ingredients Kit. The instructions basically say fermentation will start in 24hrs. It will continue for 48-72 hours. Allow it to settle for 3-4 days after fermentation ceases. You'll be ready to bottle a week after beginning fermentation. Rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, bottle, age for 3 weeks. Does this sound right? I thought it would spend longer in the primary. Thanks

No fermentation is exactly the same. To know for sure if fermentation has finished, you have to take a hydrometer (or refractometer) reading each day -- when they are the same two days in a row, fermentation is done.

Or do what I do and wait at least 2-3 weeks.

+1 on SG telling you when fermentation is done. Your beer will also benefit from sitting after fermentation is done while the yeast clean up after themselves. They basically just had a massive orgy and made a mess. 2-3 weeks later they clean it up some.

VTBrewer said:

They basically just had a massive orgy and made a mess.

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-1 on the orgy mess... Eww.

I do have to say that after making my first batch and smelling the hops, grain, and malt I have no idea how its going to taste like beer. Thanks for the info.

I always allow it to sit on the cake a min. of two weeks after fermentation is done. I have went as long as six with no bad effects. There is no way I would rack 1-3 days after fermentation ends (proven by hydrometer reading in all cases), unless I was doing some type of experiment.

BillTheSlink said:

I always allow it to sit on the cake a min. of two weeks after fermentation is done. I have went as long as six with no bad effects. There is no way I would rack 1-3 days after fermentation ends (proven by hydrometer reading in all cases), unless I was doing some type of experiment.

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I always let mine sit for at least 3 weeks, I did notice that Wit's I kept for 5-6weeks in primary had a little more of bitter taste than those that were kept for 3 weeks.