Belgian Stout Fermentation Question

[srob18]

I just brewed a Belgian stout that I'm very excited about but have some questions about the style itself and just general questions about what to expect from the beer.

The recipe looks like this:

3.5 Gallon Batch
BIAB partial brew with a little extract added for the boil

Grain Bill:

(BIAB Mash @152F for 60min)
8 lb Maris Otter
1 lb Flaked Oates
.625 lb chocolate
.5lb crystal 80
.5lb roasted barley

(Boil 60 Min)
2lb light or pale LME

(Hop Bill)
Boil 60min: 1 oz mt hood hops 5.4%AA

Belgian Stout Yeast

*My biggest question is about recommended fermentation time for the beer. I guy I talked with at my LHBS said it should be ready in a couple of weeks but I think he meant to start bottle condtioning. Like I said I'm not very familiar with the style so any help would be appreciated!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[saluki_brewer]

What was your OG? Usually bigger beers take longer to ferment/condition.

Ultimately, if you get a stable gravity reading for a few days in a row, you are good to bottle, but I usually try to wait at least a month before bottling to give the yeasties more time to do their thing and condition the beer.

 

[srob18]

OGs Predicted are:

1.089 ---->1.021 = 8.8%

Not sure if that's 100% accurate. I think the guy upped my grain bill due to a worry of a lack of efficiency.

I was at least planning on 2/3 weeks in the primary 1 in the secondary then bottling for 2/3 weeks. since its a stout i might just avoid the secondary though and go straight to bottling since it won't be a very clear beer anyways.

 

[saluki_brewer]

Yeah...I would definitely give it at least 3-4 weeks before bottling since it's a pretty big beer. I usually don't secondary unless I'm adding something like fruit or oak, but that's a whole 'nother topic.