how long can you leave beer in a bucket fermenter

[All-Hail-IPA]

I use a plastic bucket open fermentation system as my primary and I am currently working on a brew that calls for 2 weeks until racking to secondary. I read (homebrewers bible) that you should only ferment in an open system until the krausen falls back into the beer lest you risk contamination. Is this true or is it ok to ferment in the bucket for longer? Thanks!

 

[poundtown]

Give us your definition of open system...

If temp is relatively constant and its got an air tight seal and a way for carbon dioxide to escape you will be fine for a very...very long time (if you manage keeping the airlock from drying up).

I have left beer in my primary bucket for 10 months without issue.

 

[All-Hail-IPA]

Haha I have all those things. Thanks for your clarification

 

[RM-MN]

To me, open system is a bucket with no lid. If you put any kind of airtight covering on the bucket like a lid or even saran wrap it is no longer an open ferment.

 

[siucubfan8]

Why would you open ferment in the first place?

 

[Renegades_Brew]

I just kegged a Whiskey stout that sat in secondary for upwards of 8 months with the wood chips with no ill effects.

 

[All-Hail-IPA]

I guess the book wasn't to clear on what open fermentation actually was...the way that it worded it I was under the impression that any bucket fermenter was an open system..doesn't make sense but I am naive so I just kinda went with it