Primary fermentation question

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creole_hops

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I just made my first batch, a simple American Brown Ale. Lurking around this forum has thoroughly confused me on the actual fermentation time. I have no intention of using a secondary fermenter. I plan on bottling after its done "doing its thing".

My question, however, is regarding the lenght of time I should wait before bottling. I have read some posts that say 7 days and others that state that 3 weeks is not enough. I presume that I should take a gravity reading after 7 days but that HUGE disparity in fermentation time has left me utterly confused.
 
Let it go 2 weeks in the primary which will condition it too. Then check FG. It should be finished. For hi gravity 3 to 4 weeks. Then bottle or keg.
 
Well you're going to get those of us who have been doing it for awhile suggest that you wait 3 weeks or more. You're going to get others way follow the directions....or somewhere in between.

I will say 7 days is not enough, because often fermentation doesn't even start for three days. (Hence the fermentation may take 72 hours to start sticky)

Generally we advise brewers to take a hydro reading on the 7th and then on the 10th and if they are the same then we recommend to rack to secondary...the thing about that is, OFTEN racking to a secondary kicks fermentation up again...that's fine in a secondary, but that could be bottle bombs if you bottle it and the reason the hydro readings stayed the same was because fermentation stalled a bit, or merely slowed down. That's why at the minimum it is a good idea to wait at least 2 weeks...

Me, I know from My experience that if I wait 3-4 weeks then bottle, my beers taste better to me, even in comparison to the same recipe where I secondaried after 10-14 days. And I entered a selection of my beers in competitions last year and the beers that score higher were the ones I long primaried....


You're going to have to make up your own mind on this..like you said you've been doing reading on this, so you've seen our opinions, the info we use to justify our opinions ad nauseum...There were three discussions alone on this yesterday, and one was quite testy...so you can't deny that the info and opinions are already here...

I don't know what else you are looking for, beyond what already been said by a lot of us.
 
There is really no set in stone rule (that I have read). But a general consensus is to not move it until your hydrometer confirms complete fermentation. At least, that gives you a minimum time. However, once fermentation is complete, there are advantages to letting it sit. Many of the experts here are recommending a longer primary fermentation (3 weeks). When yeast are done fermenting, they still have work to do. They need to clean up their byproducts.

Are there disadvantages to leaving it sit for so long? One thought is autolysis of the yeast. Many people here believe that is very overrated and not of a concern (at least for the first month). The biggest disadvantage is waiting. It sucks, but the end payoff can be worth it.

Maybe one of the experts can further clarify this for you. I am basically summarizing what I've read here.

EDIT - it looks like I was beaten to the punch.
 
Are there disadvantages to leaving it sit for so long? One thought is autolysis of the yeast. Many people here believe that is very overrated and not of a concern (at least for the first month). The biggest disadvantage is waiting. It sucks, but the end payoff can be worth it.

.

Here's what a lot of people seem to miss in Palmer's book in regards to autolysis...they read the scary passage (which is in the section on Lagers by the way, which tend to sit a lot longer than ales...some lager for 3 months in the cold) but they don't seem to see the last paragraph.

how to brew said:
As a final note on this subject, I should mention that by brewing with healthy yeast in a well-prepared wort, many experienced brewers, myself included, have been able to leave a beer in the primary fermenter for several months without any evidence of autolysis.


I think this is the biggest issue for the first time or new brewer more than anything,

The biggest disadvantage is waiting. It sucks, but the end payoff can be worth it.

The waiting issue...Most of us who do long primaries, didn't start off doing it, and sure has heck couldn't contemplate the idead...we wanted our beer now, dammit!!! Just as much as the new brewer today...we just discovered it on our own, usually by accident or heard about it on here and decided to try it. AND saw that the "conventional wisdom" has shifted on this subject.

It seems hard to wait now, but if you have a pipeline, it doesn't become a big deal...you'll have beers at various stages from just pitched yeast to lagering, to bottle conditioning, and what you are drinking now.

Right Now I have one beer lagering that I may bottle this weekend, another I brewed on Sunday and that is in the cold fermenting away. I have a Belgian strong that I have been boosting with belgian candi sugar, over the last 3 weeks (it's had 3 krausens) at some point I will secondary it to age it a bit...and I have 1 batch that needs about another week of carbing and conditioning, and 2 batches I am drinking now...And I am brewing next week...oh and I have a Choclolate Mole Porter, that I'm not sure of the status of...it may be time to bottle it as well..or decide to secondary it.

So for me waiting on a beer, especially knowing that they will be better for it, is no issue for me...I can't drink all at once anyway...
 
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