These directions suck

Hello and thanks in advance for everyone's help (This site kicks ass),

I'm doing my first real batch right now (I scrapped the Mr. Beer kit and got the real equipment) and I have a couple of questions. I'm using a True Brew Beer Kit for an All Malt Porter, an extract batch. The directions really suck so I'm bringing my concerns to this great forum. I placed my wort in the carboy on 6/2 and it began fermenting a couple of hours later. The airlock stopped bubbling on 6/8 which I believe means fermentation has ended. Now the directions say to let the beer settle for 3-4 days after fermentaion has ended and then it's ready for bottling. From what I've read on here, this doesn't seem like nearly enough time to let the beer sit, especially a Porter. I'm not planning on using a secondary because the clarity isn't important to me for a porter, but I figured that I should let the beer sit in the primary for at least 3-4 weeks before bottling. Is that too long, too short, or just right?

Seems to me to be too long. I just got started as well, so I' sure someone will jump in with a little more knowledge and/or some corrections, but once the beer is done fermenting, it's pretty much done. Don't trust the airlock, use your hydrometer, but 10-14 days sounds about right for a primary (to me).

Jeryet said:

I figured that I should let the beer sit in the primary for at least 3-4 weeks before bottling. Is that too long, too short, or just right?

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Sounds good to me... 4 weeks in primary should work nicely... Personally, for a stout or porter, I would rack to a secondary after two weeks and leave it there for at least two more weeks, but you would be ok with a primary-only ferment too...

foxual said:

Seems to me to be too long. I just got started as well, so I' sure someone will jump in with a little more knowledge and/or some corrections, but once the beer is done fermenting, it's pretty much done. Don't trust the airlock, use your hydrometer, but 10-14 days sounds about right for a primary (to me).

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There is a log going on in the fermenter after you see the bubbles in the air lock trickle to a stop. On that note, you CAN go ahead and bottle your beer after the gravity readings have been consistent for a couple days, but I think you will see a nice improvement in the beer if you let time and patience have some control in the process

Technically, if your hydrometer doesn't change in 24 hours fermentation can be considered "done".

However, it's said that the yeasties will continue to "do something" and make the beer taste better for a while after the fermentation part is done. I"ve been leaving mine for 3 or 4 weeks in primary, and then bottling, with success. I don't use a secondary.

No one right answer here. But in the bottle after 7 days seems way too early for me.

My first batch was also a True Brew kit. I let it sit for 29 days in the primary (no magic to that number, that's just what my notes say). It turned out fantastic. I have a friend that is a certified home brew judge try it--he agreed. I truly believe that the long ferment had a lot to do with how that beer turned out... Let it ride.

I routinely plan 3-4 weeks for beers that I don't intent to dry hop or use an extended secondary. I have not noticed any off flavors from that time even in lower FG brews.

+1 to a possible secondary for this depending on the OG. If it is a really big beer it would probably benefit from bulk aging. Secondary is not necessarily just for clearing, bt also to allow the flavors to come together while still in a large volume. Just seems that it takes longer in the bottles.

Edit: Wow I type too slowly

do a search for threads regarding the need for a secondary fermentation, there are lots of them.

Most see no need for secondary, especially on a style like a porter. I just did a brown ale and had it in the keg in 14 days, another three weeks and its fantastic.

I also just bottled my honey ale after 14 days and am waiting for it to bottle condition (I might sneak an early on tonight though)

10 days seems a little short though. I would probably let it go another couple of days. The best test is to use a hydrometer. If you took a Original Gravity reading you will be able to tell how far the beer has come and if it is finished. Even without a OG, you can take a reading a couple of days in a row and tell if the yeast has finished up.

If you go longer than 3 weeks I would rack to a secondary, but thats JMO

In my experience boxed kits bought from the LHBS come with directions that set up to give you good-ish beer in the least possible amount of time. My first kit said to bottle after 7 days so we did. It was a Brewer's Best Imperial Blonde. My FG was 1.020 when we bottled and that beer would have been 1000x better if it had rested for a couple weeks.

You can't really blame True Brew, they just want to sell kits that they can market as ready to drink in under a month. Truthfully though, all brews benefit from a more patient process.

I remember when I bought that kit the LHBS guys told me "Directions with your equipment or from the internet might differ from the ones in the kit, always follow the kit directions!" Turns out he was wrong. HBT has much better information.

Even after fermenting is done, letting it sit is called "conditioning" and is good for your beer.

Smaller beers, shorter time. Larger beers, longer time, as a rule of thumb.

+1 to following the popular wisdom on HBT instead of kit directions, and +1 to leaving in primary for 3 weeks.

I followed kit instructions on my first beer, 1 week in primary and 2 weeks in bottles. It was technically "beer" but not enjoyable until after I had aged in bottles for 2 more weeks. Even now (4 months on, I still have 6 bottles left) it's not great. I think conditioning in bottles can only do so much, and if you take it out of the fermenter before the yeasties have a chance to clean up after themselves, you're stuck with messy flavors.

My second and third batches spent 3 weeks in primary, 3 weeks in bottles ... unanimously preferred over my first. My fourth is in primary now and has 10 days to go. 3-3 rule is working great for me.

My first batch was in the fermenter for 14 days, and I wish I'd left it longer.

Since then, except for the Hefeweizen that I brewed (which is better younger and therefore also got 14 days), I haven't bottled a beer in under 4 weeks. I've got one going now that I wanted to bottle this past weekend, but couldn't. It'll be on 5 weeks when I bottle it this weekend.

Patience is a virtue. Leave it in the primary as long as you can stand it; 3 months is kind of the upper limit, and it's a pretty soft limit. Time will only help in the vast majority of cases.

+1 to hang glider for the small beer, big beer advice.

The yeasty beasties go through four phases lag/reproduction, growth, fermentation, and hibernation/sedimentation. In each of these, yeast converts compounds in your wort/beer into by products of the given process. To make the best beer, these phases must be done under optimal conditions and given time to complete. The final phase is often under appreciated and cut short. Give your beer that extra week after the fermentation phase is done and you'll get a superior brew.

Check out this link - Yeast Life Cycle