Any benefit to leaving beer in fermenter longer?

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ValTrum

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Hi,

This is my first post on this forum, as I have just started brewing..

I have put down a coopers european larger, and have it in the fermenter I got as part of a kit (Brigalow Complete Home Brew Kit).

I forgot to take a measurement with the hydrometer.

Its been 2 days.. Should I just leave it. and take a reading in a day or 2 more.

Is there any benefit to leaving the brew for 2 weeks, adding the finnings/clearing agent, and leaving it for another week. Put it into the keg, Cool it down to 4 degrees, force carbonate it, and leave it for another week?

Or should I just wait for fermentation to finish, then proceed with cooling, carbonating.

The first brew I have done, tasted much better waiting 4 days after force carbonation. ( I read something about the bubbles getting smaller ... carbonic-acid?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
ValTrum said:
Hi,

This is my first post on this forum, as I have just started brewing..

I have put down a coopers european larger, and have it in the fermenter I got as part of a kit (Brigalow Complete Home Brew Kit).

I forgot to take a measurement with the hydrometer.

Its been 2 days.. Should I just leave it. and take a reading in a day or 2 more.

Is there any benefit to leaving the brew for 2 weeks, adding the finnings/clearing agent, and leaving it for another week. Put it into the keg, Cool it down to 4 degrees, force carbonate it, and leave it for another week?

Or should I just wait for fermentation to finish, then proceed with cooling, carbonating.

The first brew I have done, tasted much better waiting 4 days after force carbonation. ( I read something about the bubbles getting smaller ... carbonic-acid?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Don't worry about the hydrometer reading til it's done fermenting. If you didn't take one when you put it in be fermenter, getting one now isn't going to help any. What kind of clarifying agents are you talking about using? The only thing I have used is Irish moss, and you put it in be brew kettle while you are boiling. Maybe someone else can chime in with instructions on the one you are using.

When I do a batch, I ferment for two weeks and keg. It will take a few days before it is carbonated just right.
 
Are you lagering this beer or doing it at ale temperatures?

I keep mine in the fermenter usually three to four weeks because I put off bottling day. A few went as far out as five or six for similar reasons.

I didn't really experience any problems with them though people say keeping it on the yeast bed for too long (months) will give it a yeastier flavor unless you keg or rack to a secondary.
 
if your beer has been in primary for only 2 days it is NOWHERE NEAR READY for racking. You said it is a `lager` what temperature are you fermenting at????
No hydro reading???? no big deal....don't touch the beer for at least 3 weeks (that would be for ale yeast and temps) if you are using a lager yeast and cooler temps then make that 3 weeks more like 6 weeks if not longer. To give a breif explanation of the benefits.
1 - at 2 days your beer is not finished fermenting the sugar into ABV
2- diacetyl is made from fermentation but yeast will clean it up
if you give it time to do so (hence why many primary for 3-4 weeks for ales)
That's just a fast-n-dirty explanation but do yourself a favor and let the yeast do it's thing. You wouldn't pull frozen french fries out of the deep fryer after only 3 seconds,don't treat your beer the same way.
 
Paps said:
1 - at 2 days your beer is not finished fermenting the sugar into ABV
2- diacetyl is made from fermentation but yeast will clean it up
if you give it time to do so (hence why many primary for 3-4 weeks for ales)
That's just a fast-n-dirty explanation but do yourself a favor and let the yeast do it's thing. You wouldn't pull frozen french fries out of the deep fryer after only 3 seconds,don't treat your beer the same way.

Agreed! Also, I don't typically take an initial gravity reading, mainly because I always leave the beer fermenting in the primary for 3-4 weeks. As Paps said, this gives the yeast a chance to clean up after itself as we'll as settle to the bottom. Some people rack to a secondary vessel after a couple of days fermenting, but I prefer the primary. Never had a problem, yet! The hardest thing about brewing is being patient, but the longer you let things sit the better your beer will taste.
 
Hi All,

Wow, thanks for all your comments, and making me feel welcome :)

What kind of clarifying agents are you talking about using?

I just bought finings from Big W, (gelatin?). Mix in a cup of boiling water, then while stirring the brew slowly, pour it in gradually.





Are you lagering this beer or doing it at ale temperatures?

I keep mine in the fermenter usually three to four weeks because I put off bottling day. A few went as far out as five or six for similar reasons.

I didn't really experience any problems with them though people say keeping it on the yeast bed for too long (months) will give it a yeastier flavor unless you keg or rack to a secondary.

I am guessing from your first question, that largering is done at lower temps, and ales are done at higher temps?

The brew initially started at 28 degree's and slowly dropped over the last couple of days to 24 degrees.
I have the brew fermenting in a unused (switched off) fridge in the garage.

So leaving it in the fermenter longer can help improve the flavour of the beer? It doesn't just stop once fermenting is complete?

You said it is a `lager` what temperature are you fermenting at????

2- diacetyl is made from fermentation but yeast will clean it up
if you give it time to do so (hence why many primary for 3-4 weeks for ales)

It started off at 28, and slowly dropped to 24 over the past couple of days.

I don't know what diacetyl is, but google is my friend :)


The hardest thing about brewing is being patient, but the longer you let things sit the better your beer will taste.
Waiting isn't a problem, 23L of beer should last me 3-4 weeks :) Enough time for another batch to brew. (although the first batch was hard to be patient).
 
Hi,

This is my first post on this forum, as I have just started brewing..

I have put down a coopers european larger, and have it in the fermenter I got as part of a kit (Brigalow Complete Home Brew Kit).

I forgot to take a measurement with the hydrometer.

Its been 2 days.. Should I just leave it. and take a reading in a day or 2 more.

Is there any benefit to leaving the brew for 2 weeks, adding the finnings/clearing agent, and leaving it for another week. Put it into the keg, Cool it down to 4 degrees, force carbonate it, and leave it for another week?

Or should I just wait for fermentation to finish, then proceed with cooling, carbonating.

The first brew I have done, tasted much better waiting 4 days after force carbonation. ( I read something about the bubbles getting smaller ... carbonic-acid?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I just bottled my Coopers Lager after 10 days in the fermenter. My OG was 1035 and my FG 1011. I fermented at 24C on the thermo strip that came with the kit. My gravity was consistent for 2 days and my brew was clear, no clarifier necessary. Will find out in 13 days how it tastes. Cheers!
 
I just bottled my Coopers Lager after 10 days in the fermenter. My OG was 1035 and my FG 1011. I fermented at 24C on the thermo strip that came with the kit. My gravity was consistent for 2 days and my brew was clear, no clarifier necessary. Will find out in 13 days how it tastes. Cheers!

So the main reason you wait after bottling is for the 2nd fermentation process, to carbonate the beer. So as I am using a keg, I can force carbonate it and just wait 4 days before drinking?

Is there any benefit for me to put it in the keg and leave it at room temp for a few days, then cool it down to 4 degree's and force carbonate it? Or just cool it and force carbonate it straight away?
 
Just as a side note, I rushed out last night before the brew shop closed, and bought my house mate a setup for his b'day. With enough stuff to do his first brew. In total $73.

Just picked a beer of the board, "Tooheys old" and the guy in the shop got everything for me.

1 thing he got was a little packet of hops? That my mate will need to put in boiling water and add the the brew just before pitching the yeast.

Should I be getting some hops for my current European larger, or it's too late, or doesn't need it?
 
For the most part, beer without hops is a malt beverage. Did you not use hops in your lager? Also, lagers are typically brewed in the 50-65 F range. 60-75 F is ale territory. You may be making a hybrid or steam beer by fermenting a lager yeast at ale temps.
 
For the most part, beer without hops is a malt beverage. Did you not use hops in your lager? Also, lagers are typically brewed in the 50-65 F range. 60-75 F is ale territory. You may be making a hybrid or steam beer by fermenting a lager yeast at ale temps.

Okay.

Should I be turning the fridge on and cooling it down, or leaving it at it's steady temp?
 
I'm impatient, so I have yet to do a lager. I finally have a setup where I can do one, so I may do one soon. See what others say about this one. I would say drop to lager temps ASAP. Someone else may have done it this way before an have good luck. Still need hops though.
 
Another question I have is ->

I brew 23L of beer, My Keg only holds 19L.
I emptied the remaining beer into a 5L container and put it in the fridge.

What should I do with it?
Is it too late for the 2nd fermentation process if I put it into bottles, and add sugar?
Or should I just wait til my keg is empty, and force carbonate the remaining 5L on it's own?
 
I just dry hopped my ipa yesterday after it has been fermenting for a week, so it definitely can be done after the yeast is put in. I doubt you will get much bittering from a dry hop in your lager. I suppose you could use a little DME to make a super hopped addition to put in your wort. Never tried that myself though. Couldn't be worse than a beer without hops though.
 
I just dry hopped my ipa yesterday after it has been fermenting for a week, so it definitely can be done after the yeast is put in. I doubt you will get much bittering from a dry hop in your lager. I suppose you could use a little DME to make a super hopped addition to put in your wort. Never tried that myself though. Couldn't be worse than a beer without hops though.

Okay, so I didnt know what DME was. So i looked it up (Dry Malt Extract).

When I did the brew, I used a malt sugar, not just plain dextrose.
Is that what you mean?

So hops is not required, but certain hops would compliment certain beers?
Or you would always add Hops?

Are there no hops in the Beer Syrup you use to make the wort?
 
Aha! I missed that. I guess the coopers extract has the hops in it. You should be good then. I've never done one like that. The extract kits I did had Liquid malt extract, specialty grains, and hops.
 
The malt sugar you used is dry malt extract. Hops are always used. There are dozens of types of hops; each with their own flavor profiles. If you use the extract that isn't pre-hopped, you can experiment with different hops to see what you like best.
 
Hey ValTrum, don't they have books in Brisbane? Not to be a wanker but you really should read a decent home brewing book before brewing ANY beer, let alone a lager...
 
AH, right.. so some can's (extract kits?) come with and some without hops?

So I could buy all the parts (Grains, Hops, malt) that are in the can separately, and mix them all together instead of using one of these can's (extract kits?) ?
 
Right. You can buy the parts and have a little more control of your beer. I've been brewing for a few years. I do a grain now, but still haven't done a lager. They take months to do correctly. I also second the notion that you need to read a book. I started with a Midwest extract kit. They have good instructions, so that got me headed the right direction. I read everything I could find online about brewing. It would've been easier to just get a book though.
 
Ooops!

I just found out that I have not used the AirLock Correctly.. (if at all).

I had no idea, you needed to put water into it.

When I get home, I will add water to it. Apparently it might not be too much of a problem if it's still fermenting, and pushing CO2 out.. but if it stops, then air will get in.

I must have missed a page.
 
Hey ValTrum, don't they have books in Brisbane? Not to be a wanker but you really should read a decent home brewing book before brewing ANY beer, let alone a lager...

This. Please, please, please, this.

The OP really needs to spend a little time researching and reading up on the brewing process. Not understanding what DME is is one thing... not understanding that hops are always used in beer is a big problem.

Try reading this site:

www.howtobrew.com

Read the whole site twice, THEN try to brew a beer.
 
Thanks guys for all your help.. I am reading that site right now.

When I get home, I will add water to the airlock, and cool the beer down to around 16 degree's Celsius.
 
Who's a Troll?

Put down another batch (Tooheys Old, equivalent) yesterday.. Did it slightly different. I don't have a container to hold the filtered water, that i pour into the fermenter once i've put the extract, sugar and boiling water into the fermenter..

So I filtered the water into the fermenter, boiled water on the stove, and mixed in the extract and suger into the pot. Then poured that into the fermenter. Mixed, and pitched the yeast.

I thought all was good, until 12hrs later and the brew has overflowed through the airlock.

I didn't account for the ingredients taking up 3L. So the fermenter had 20L of water, Pot had 2L of water, + 3L (Exract, sugars/malt). filling the 25L fermenter pretty full.

I've wiped up the over flow this morning. lucky it didnt go onto the floor.

Will monitor it over the next couple of days.. But I guess there is nothing I can do now.
 
When I get home, I will add water to the airlock, and cool the beer down to around 16 degree's Celsius.

So soon after I cooled down the fermenter, it stopped bubbling all together.

Unless it's bubbling that slowly, that I don't see a bubble for like 30-60 seconds.

The brew has been in there now for 9 days. Sitting at roughly 18 degrees. (better than the 24 degree's?)

2- diacetyl is made from fermentation but yeast will clean it up

Any idea on roughly how long this process takes.. @ 18 degrees Celsius?

Would I be right to keg it after 14 days, cool it to 4 degree's, then force carbonate it, and let it sit for 4-5 days after that?

What are peoples opinion on using a clearing agent / finnings?

If the beer has been sitting in the primary for 2-4 weeks, won't all of the gunk have fallen to the bottom of the fermenter?
 
So soon after I cooled down the fermenter, it stopped bubbling all together.

Unless it's bubbling that slowly, that I don't see a bubble for like 30-60 seconds.

The brew has been in there now for 9 days. Sitting at roughly 18 degrees. (better than the 24 degree's?)



Any idea on roughly how long this process takes.. @ 18 degrees Celsius?

Would I be right to keg it after 14 days, cool it to 4 degree's, then force carbonate it, and let it sit for 4-5 days after that?

What are peoples opinion on using a clearing agent / finnings?

If the beer has been sitting in the primary for 2-4 weeks, won't all of the gunk have fallen to the bottom of the fermenter?


This site has a very helpful search feature that will answer pretty much all of your questions.

I second some other people's opinions that you should do some thorough research and process orientation before trying to brew again.

Most all kits have directions on them, albeit most are vague and partially incorrect, so use them as a starting point.

Make sure you are using hopped or unhopped extract (most all hopped extract used in kits is liquid, but not all), make sure you have all your volumes right or at least a way to heat and cool your wort properly, and pay attention to your fermentation temps.

You were never going to make a lager at 24C or even at 18C. You must ferment at closer to 10-13C and then store it at 0-2C for an extended period after certain rests and so on.

Stick to ales for now man....

Ask the guy at your LHBS for some advice or have him build you a recipe complete with step-by-step instructions for cooking, storing, and kegging or bottling.

Good luck.... :tank:
 
Unless it's bubbling that slowly, that I don't see a bubble for like 30-60 seconds.
The brew has been in there now for 9 days. Sitting at roughly 18 degrees. (better than the 24 degree's?)
Any idea on roughly how long this process takes.. @ 18 degrees Celsius?
Would I be right to keg it after 14 days, cool it to 4 degree's, then force carbonate it, and let it sit for 4-5 days after that?
What are peoples opinion on using a clearing agent / finnings?
If the beer has been sitting in the primary for 2-4 weeks, won't all of the gunk have fallen to the bottom of the fermenter?

ok...listen closely
from the moment you pitch your yeast,let your beer sit for a month at 20 celsius. Make ONLY ALES until you do more research.
After that month,rack to 2ndary if you plan on using a fining agent.Let it sit for 4-8 days and then rack to keg/force carb for another week or 2 at the same pressure you serve/pour the beer at.

Hope this helps.
 
I will be going out and buying another fermenter, so I can rack it off of the yeast sludge/cake.

Thanks Paps.
 
ok...listen closely
from the moment you pitch your yeast,let your beer sit for a month at 20 celsius. Make ONLY ALES until you do more research.
After that month,rack to 2ndary if you plan on using a fining agent.Let it sit for 4-8 days and then rack to keg/force carb for another week or 2 at the same pressure you serve/pour the beer at.

Hope this helps.

If you're going to wait a whole month before racking, why do it all? I say keep it simple, stick to ales and focus on keeping them cool like you say, but save your second fermentor for another batch. It's alot easier to be patient if you've got more beer in your pipeline!!
:mug:
 
I'll be playing musical fermenters.

I'll move the european larger from primary to secondary. Clean the primary.
Move the toohey's old from primary to the now clean primary.
Clean the toohey's old primary, and start the "strawberry and pear cider".

I'm not in any rush, as I have 2 kegs with beer in the kegerator (1st home brew, Mexican [almost gone], 2nd is a professional brew - a london porter [about half left 10L].

The Kegerator holds 3 kegs, and has 3 taps, so Plenty of room.

Should be able to keep a steady brew cycle going, between the 3 fermenters and the 3 kegs :)

Gotta love doing your own brewing.. It'll save me a bundle in the long run, and there isn't much effort.. considering I don't need to clean bottles.
 
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