First brew now fermenting! But a question remains....

[Moshmeister]

Hi all,

I've just today started with my first ever homebrew... the wort produced from my Coopers Stout kit is sitting in the FV at the start of fermentation.

I have a question though... I've read completely conflicting advice about when to bottle. Some say after fermentation you should bottle straight away as the risk of infection is high (this is Coopers advice too) and some say leave it for another week or so for better end results.

Please can someone help and perhaps give a more definitive answer based on experience?

Thanks in advance!

Mosh

 

[Math0]

I would let it sit for about 5 days primary then 2 weeks secondary and then bottle

 

[Mozart]

If the brew stays in an airlocked fermentation vessel I see no reason why one can't leave it in primary. A lot of brewers primary their beers for a good while.

 

[benzy4010]

When it's done it's fine to bottle but leaving it won't hurt anything as long as your careful to sanitize everything that will come in contact with the beer. Some leave their beer in the primary for a month before even touching it. I've gotten lazy and left a beer for over a month with no problem

 

[GrogNerd]

you CAN bottle any time after fermentation is done. and the only way to tell that fermentation is done is successive readings 1 or 2 days apart remaining constant. your beer will be good.

but there are other things the yeast are doing after fermentation that take a couple days/a week to do, so it's OK to leave it in the primary for another week. your beer will be better

it's really the opening/closing and taking samples that increase the chance of infection, not from letting the beer sit for another week.

for normal-sized beers, I like to let them sit for 3 weeks, take one gravity reading as Final and bottle from there. never an infection, no bottle bombs, tasty beer

 

[Queequeg]

Risk of infection does not increase in the fermentation vessel unless it is opened. Bacteria can't spontaneous generate, if you had a contamination issue it would be there from the begining.

Giving it extra time in the fermentor doesn't hurt, infact it will in most instances benifit the beer in both taste and clarity.

 

[kh54s10]

There is really no need to secondary unless you are doing an extended bulk age of adding fruit etc. Then it is often better to do that in secondary.

If your vessel is sealed and you were sanitary during your brewing process there should be little risk of infection.

I do most of my brews in primary only for 2-3 weeks then package.

When you bottle your beer keep them at room temperature for 3 weeks then chill one for a couple of days and test it. If it is not properly carbonated wait another week. I had a couple that carbonated at 2 weeks but ALL of them tasted better at 3 weeks or longer.

 

[Moshmeister]

Great answers, thanks guys.

I think I'll wait around 1-1.5wks after the final gravity is stable, then bottle. Seems to be a good compromise.

 

[jrgtr42]

My beers generally are good to go about 3 weeks after brewing. Figure a week (usually a little less) for actual, active primary fermentation, then 2 weeks and whatever is left to let the yeast clean up after themselves. Unless bulk aging for sours, oak etc, don't bother secondary. It increases chances of oxidation and infection, and doesn't really do anything good for most beers.

 

[Hello]

As a new brewer I can tell you this, lots of the directions provided when LHBS package kits are lacking. In the case of my second beer brewed, had I followed the instructions from the same place I got the first kit, I would have completely skipped a couple crucial steps and boiled my wort while steeping grains. That's a no no.

Adding beer to a secondary carboy or bucket increases risk of infection and oxidation and shouldn't just be done "because". If people do it and have never had an issue then hooray, but there is no reason to do it unless you intend to age for a longer time or add things like fruit. I'll be racking to a secondary to add coconut, for example.

I say minimum of 10 days in primary for any beer. I intend on keeping my 6% Christmas in primary for 3 weeks and the stout I have will be 7 days in primary and at least 14 in secondary on coconut.

I quickly learned that brewing is a game of patience. The more patient you can be, the better. It is easier to be patient after the first couple brews when you have homebrew to drink and you're not gunning for a taste of your hard work.