Exactly How long to I have to wait?? IPA full grain brew to keg to glass??

[boomtown25]

I've heard so many timelines, I just wanted to find out from everyone here. After I put my wort into the fermentor (I am only doing a primary), how long do I have to wait until I rack into my keg? I brewed on the 17th of February and this thing Blew up!!! It was AWESOME. Had to use my first blow off tube and it went crazy. It has now completely calmed down, no activity and all the trub/yeast has now cleared to the bottom and beer if looking great. I have not taken a gravity reading, but it is pretty quiet.
What is the time I have to leave it in the fermentor before racking into a keg?

Then, do I have to let it condition in the keg, or is it ready when I get it fully carbonated in a week?

 

[shoengine]

I brewed on the 24th, and it hit FG yesterday. Bottled it, and am hoping to carb by the 7th...

 

[boomtown25]

Nice! I may have to Keg her up tonight!!

 

[Blazinlow86]

As a very general response I typically dryhop a week after pitching my yeast and then cold crash 5-7 days after that. However I ALWAYS aerate with pure 02 and pitch minimum of a 6 litre starter into 12 gallons so my beers usually ferment very quickly. I think it takes about 4 weeks grain to glass for the smoothest flavor but I'm usually drinking them sooner than that

 

[shoengine]

I was able to go so quickly as mine is malt-forward and I don't need to dry hop.

 

[Blazinlow86]

You "should" probably be ok. But tec

 

[Blazinlow86]

But technically you should be taking a gravity reading to ensure your fermentation is complete as if you did not aerate well or pitch lots of healthy yeast its possibly not finished

 

[BrewInspector]

No one can dictate what is right. There are many ideas on what is needed, expected or required. If it has reached a stable gravity reading then fermentation is complete. Beyond that are variable opinions on best practice. You decide what works for you.

I have gone grain to glass in 8 days more than once. They all improved over time in the keg. Could it have been better sooner after kegging had I extended some other portion of the process? Sure... but is it really sooner?

I would keg that one now and dry hop in the keg if dry hoping was wanted or needed assuming a stable FG.
But that is just me.

 

[passedpawn]

2 weeks fermentation, 2 weeks in keg.

It'll be drinkable after 1 week in the keg, but it takes another week for it to clear up and be "good". All subjective, of course.

 

[waldoar15]

It's ready when it tastes ready.

 

[Yooper]

For IPAs, I generally dryhop at about day 10 or so, and keg about day 13 (usually dryhop for 3-5 days).

I start drinking within a week after kegging usually.

My schedule, if it is one I guess, is pretty close to Passedpawn's.

 

[JohnSand]

I have often used clearing as a sign of complete fermentation. You are almost two weeks in, which is plenty of time. As others have mentioned, I often find my IPAs want a week or two in the keg to smooth out. I would keg, carb, chill and taste. Keep notes.

 

[mattdee1]

I have often used clearing as a sign of complete fermentation. You are almost two weeks in, which is plenty of time. As others have mentioned, I often find my IPAs want a week or two in the keg to smooth out. I would keg, carb, chill and taste. Keep notes.

I use "visual inspection" all the time to verify that fermentation is done. I fully acknowledge it is a sloppy/lazy method, but I find it's pretty much foolproof if:

- If it has been over a week in a temperature controlled environment
- the beer is low-to-moderate gravity
- you're familiar with the yeast you're using
- you know you pitched an appropriate amount of said yeast
- you see a "high krausen mark" in the fermenter
- the krausen has dropped and the top of the beer is mostly clear

As for actual drinkability, you can start skimming samples as soon as you can get the fermented beer packaged, carbonated, and chilled, which with kegging can be as soon as 7-8 days after brew day. But the beer is almost guaranteed to gradually improve over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, so it's good to have patience and not drink too much of it before it reaches its potential. It's really up to the individual to decide where on that continuous spectrum the beer passes the threshold of "good enough to start drinking."

 

[seatazzz]

I will usually dry hop within a day or two after the krausen has dropped. The yeast still have some work to do, and in moving around will help disperse the dry hops into the beer (at least that's my opinion). Once your OG is steady for 3 days in a row, you're done. Cold crash for 24 hours then keg, then force carb. Let it sit for 5-7 days and you should have something spectacular.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I just dry hopped during active fermentation for the first time, It worked out well and saved time.
At day 3 dry hop
3 day dry hop
crashed 2 days = 8 days
Kegged and carbed @40 psi for 24 hours

Had some carbonic bite for the first couple days as usual but drinkable. Great beer at 2 weeks

 

[kh54s10]

My present one was 10 days fermenting 10 days because life got in the was for dry hopping. They have been bottled for 4 days. Can't keg at the moment. My kegging equipment is in storage.