does longer fermenting = less bottle conditioning

i have a beer that has been in the fermenter for about 7 weeks now and i'm wondering. if leaving it in the fermenter longer then 4 weeks will have the same result as having it in the bottle for 3 weeks and the fermenter for 4 weeks.

No. The time in the bottle is for fermenting the priming sugar and the absorption of the CO2 into the beer.

You need two to three weeks for carbonation. Otherwise time in the fermenter is counted as conditioning in the overall scheme of things.

For example if I have a 1.050 beer, I will allow 5 weeks grain to glass for adequate conditioning. So if I do two weeks in the primary and a week secondary, after two weeks in the bottles it will be good as long as it is fully carbonated. Carbonation can take up to three weeks (or even longer for high gravity ales since the yeast are literally ).

Unfortunately no.

i was referring more to the conditioning not the carbing. so if i bottled that beer today in 3 weeks it will be fully carbed and probably about drinkable. normally i would leave beer in the bottle for at least 2 months.

squeekysheep said:

i was referring more to the conditioning not the carbing. so if i bottled that beer today in 3 weeks it will be fully carbed and probably about drinkable. normally i would leave beer in the bottle for at least 2 months.

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Then yes, time spent in the carboy is still age. AFAIK, age in bulk is equal to or maybe better than age in bottles.

Correct, all time from the end of fermentation to consumption is aging time. If you kegged, you could take that batch, force carb and drink it this weekend.

sweet.....

going to bottle this in the morning i was cleaning all day today so didn't have chance. then i can use the bucket for my second all grain.

Like david_42 said, the time in the fermenter will count towards aging time, but the amount of time to reach proper carbonation will not change.