Can I leave my beer in the Primary Fermenter?

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jmgekeler

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Hello.

My name is Jason and I am new to brewing beer (I've made about 20 gallons so far). Seems like there is a lot of good info here and I am looking forward to learning!

My question is, how long can I leave my beer in the primary fermenter? I am brewing a porter and my primary is a plastic bucket. I pitched the yeast on 8-17-08. According to the instructions, I should let it set in the fermenter 10 to 12 days. Problem is, I'll be away and unable to bottle. So it will be in the fermenter for at least 2 weeks before I can bottle it. Also, I do not have a secondary fermenter to rack to.

Will leaving the beer the primary for 2 weeks cause problems?

Thanks!
-Jason
 
Absolutely not. Many of us skip the secondary and keep beer in the primary for up to 1 month, then bottle or keg. Here is a related thread.
 
Welcome!

First off. excellent name ;)

Yep, you can leave it in primary for that amount of time. I regularly leave my beers in primary for about a month. While active fermentation is finished by that time, it gives the yeast time to clean up after themselves.
 
Thanks for the reply guys!

I also called the local supply store and was told that I DO need to bottle before I leave since my primary is a plastic bucket. The reason being that the plastic bucket could leak air and cause contamination. I'm not sure I agree with this statement as the lid is pretty darn tight. What do you think?

-Jason
 
That doesn't make sense. Why would it leak air and cause contamination after 2 weeks but not during the original 10 - 12 days? Just make sure your airlock is full before you go, maybe overfill it just a tiny bit to make sure it doesn't dry up and allow air in.
 
I ferment all of my beers in plastic buckets and always leave them in primary for a minimum of two weeks and usually longer. I have never had a problem with my beers, the flavor is good and I have never had one get infected. There is no reason to get in a hurry to bottle or keg, just relax and have a nice trip.
 
Thanks for the reply guys!

I'm not sure I agree with this statement as the lid is pretty darn tight. What do you think?

-Jason

I think you should trust us. Your beer will be fine in the bucket for that long. :mug:
 
I agree with the others. In fact, I ferment in plastic buckets, and I have a batch still in primary since 8/1/08. I'm planning on kegging it this week, sometime.
 
Thanks for the reply guys!

I also called the local supply store and was told that I DO need to bottle before I leave since my primary is a plastic bucket. The reason being that the plastic bucket could leak air and cause contamination. I'm not sure I agree with this statement as the lid is pretty darn tight. What do you think?

-Jason

Sounds like someone wants to sell you a glass carboy!
 
2 weeks in primary is pretty standard, and even longer is perfectly fine especially if you're not going to use a secondary... i'd say up to a month is perfectly fine in primary. and yeah, i agree, it sounds like your LHBS just wants you to buy a glass carboy from them
 
Well, your post did remind me to get off my butt and go keg the beer I made on August 1! It's beautifully clear and it tastes great. The yeast (nottingham) made a super compact and thick yeast cake, so I racked off only clear beer. That went so well, I racked another beer I made on August 6.
Thanks for motivating me! (But trust me, the beer would still be fine in another week or even two!)
 
YooperBrew - Glad I could be helpful! :) Where in the UP are you from? I'm originally from the lower part (Tawas City) but I have spent a good deal of time in the upper.
 
I'm kinda having the same problem with my Russian Imperial Stout. I was going to rack to seconday after it was in the primary for 6 days. But I've heard a lot of people have success with not racking to seconday and just leaving it be for 2-4 weeks in the primary. I'll try that this time and hope I'll get good beer, thanks for the info.
 

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