noobs are always being told that a lack of bubbles in the airlock does not mean fermentation is complete. They are often instructed to wait for consistent gravity readings before bottling. But is this correct? If I got a consistent gravity (near my desired fg) on days 5, 6 and 7 of the ferment wouldnt common advice be to wait at least another week for the yeast to clean up?
gravity does not indicate bottle time?
- Thread starter drully
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1977Brewer
Free Dan Hess.
I've read that "clean up" is supposed to take less than a day. My last blonde went in the bottle on day 7, and it tastes great.
thank you. got it.
While your beer may be "done" at day 7 and the yeast may have completed their cleanup then too, there will be a lot of yeast in suspension that will end up in the bottle and settling out there leaving you with a 1/4 inch of trub in each bottle. Leaving the beer in the fermenter longer will allow a lot of this trub to end up in the fermenter instead of the bottles. The beer that I let sit in the fermenter for 9 weeks had so little trub in the bottles that it was hard to see even through clear bottles.
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't a cold crash serve the same purpose of leaving it in the fermenter for this extra time?
It sure would if you have the ability to cold crash. It still takes some time to get the majority of the yeast to settle out. An overnight crash would probably settle a lot of it but longer would be better.
Another thing that goes on when you leave beer for a longer time in the fermenter is the maturing of the beer. I don't know what the process is but I do notice that darker beers need more time for the flavors to peak. Cold crashing won't do this.
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Could this maturation occur in the bottles? I wonder if there's really that much of a difference in bulk aging (even for an extra week or 2) vs bottling and letting it age/condition in the bottles.
I give my beers time after FG is reached to settle out clear or slightly misty before bottling. Beers like porter or stout I give extra time in the bottles to mature. Works pretty good so far.
justenoughforme
Well-Known Member
i would love to know this... i dont understand why bulk aging is more special? as i understand the only difference is one sits on a yeast cake, but at this point the cake is dormant, correct?
agrazela
Well-Known Member
I don't know if there's really any flavor or "maturing" difference between, say: 1 week bulk aging plus 6 weeks in bottle vs. 4 weeks bulk aging plus 3 weeks in bottle.
BUT, the longer bulk aging will ensure two things:
- More trub left behind in carboy, rather than settling in your bottle.
- More certain that the fermentation is truly done before bottling (i.e., less chance of bottle bombs)...which in my experience is more important in darker and/or higher FG beers.
I make sure any beers, but especially dark ones, finish fermenting in primary & settle out clear or slightly misty in primary. If any get secondary for oaking, for example, I do that, then bottle clear beer & let'em age a while.
