Is my pumpkin ale done already?

[GouldiLocks]

Just brewed pumpkin ale on friday night and seems like it turned out great. By Sunday afternoon the airlock has no more action going on. As I'm still very new I'm wondering if I need to wait the full week per instructions or should I go ahead and put in secondary for clarification. Any help is appreciated. I'm guessing there should be a way of telling on the hydrometer when it's done. I just don't know that part

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Leave it in the primary at least 2 weeks. It will clear in primary too. You need to leave it on the yeast for 2-3 weeks for the yeast to finish "cleaning up" after fermentation looks finished.

 

[TopherM]

Pumkin ales are one of those styles where extra aging does the beer good. You brewed yours on Friday? I brewed mine on Saturday....Saturday, June 30th......and mine's not quite done yet. I am serving mine at an Oktoberfest homebrew competition on October 20, and it should be nicely aged by that time.

Your pumpkin ale will be good at 4-6 weeks. It will be great at 2-3 months!!

 

[Caleb1980]

Pumkin ales are one of those styles where extra aging does the beer good. You brewed yours on Friday? I brewed mine on Saturday....Saturday, June 30th......and mine's not quite done yet. I am serving mine at an Oktoberfest homebrew competition on October 20, and it should be nicely aged by that time.

Your pumpkin ale will be good at 4-6 weeks. It will be great at 2-3 months!!

Is it best to leave in the secondary fermenter or in bottles for the extended aging?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Is it best to leave in the secondary fermenter or in bottles for the extended aging?

It depends on what you mean by aging. 3-6 weeks in the fermenter. Anything after that should be in a keg or bottles. Some people will even advocate leaving it in primary and not transferring to secondary. If you are going to primary for 4-6 weeks keep your temperature under control(60-70F on the high side).

 

[Caleb1980]

Thanks, that was the plan, 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary and 2 months or so in bottles should have them ready around Christmas. it's also a big beer (should come on around 10% abv). Gonna be tough to wait, but worth it I'm sure.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Thanks, that was the plan, 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary and 2 months or so in bottles should have them ready around Christmas. it's also a big beer (should come on around 10% abv). Gonna be tough to wait, but worth it I'm sure.

I would honestly go 4 weeks in primary and bottle.

 

[TopherM]

I had mine in primary for 4 weeks, then the rest has been aging in a keg (with the O2 purged) on temp control at about 65F. Same difference as a secondary.

 

[amandabab]

give it the full week, maybe a week and a 1/2 before transferring, and leave it till its clear.

I'm just starting open this years batch and it was bottled aug 9th

 

[Caleb1980]

I would honestly go 4 weeks in primary and bottle.

I would do this, however i was planning on adding 10oz of maple syrup into secondary. I don't think i could add it part way through the primary without mixing well and stirring up the yeast that has settled. Any problem with just adding it to the bottling bucket? Wouldn't that just be too much sugar and result in bottle bombs? Now that i think about it, even with the maple syrup 2 weeks in secondary would i need to cut back the priming sugar when i bottle?
I'd also like to free up my 6 gallon carboy for another brew, but that's not critical.

 

[jonmohno]

Thats a big one. It probably will be better drank next year. I would hope for a 1.02 or lower finish as well. G'luck.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

I would do this, however i was planning on adding 10oz of maple syrup into secondary. I don't think i could add it part way through the primary without mixing well and stirring up the yeast that has settled. Any problem with just adding it to the bottling bucket? Wouldn't that just be too much sugar and result in bottle bombs? Now that i think about it, even with the maple syrup 2 weeks in secondary would i need to cut back the priming sugar when i bottle?
I'd also like to free up my 6 gallon carboy for another brew, but that's not critical.

Go ahead and add it to the primary. The result will be the same. Even if you do stir up the yeast it will settle back down. You could add it to the bottling bucket instead of priming sugar, but it wouldn't be the even 10oz. You would have to calculate how much to use to properly carbonate and not make bombs. If you added it in primary or secondary 2 weeks should be plenty of time to take the maple syrup down to where it wouldn't affect priming sugar calculations.

 

[agentEhrman]

I would do this, however i was planning on adding 10oz of maple syrup into secondary. I don't think i could add it part way through the primary without mixing well and stirring up the yeast that has settled. Any problem with just adding it to the bottling bucket? Wouldn't that just be too much sugar and result in bottle bombs?

Use the label to calculate the amount of sugar in the syrup, and then add the same amount as you would of priming sugar. And then, keep it covered just in case... :cross:

 

[Caleb1980]

Go ahead and add it to the primary. The result will be the same. Even if you do stir up the yeast it will settle back down. You could add it to the bottling bucket instead of priming sugar, but it wouldn't be the even 10oz. You would have to calculate how much to use to properly carbonate and not make bombs. If you added it in primary or secondary 2 weeks should be plenty of time to take the maple syrup down to where it wouldn't affect priming sugar calculations.

Thanks! i think i'll just add the 10oz to the primary after 2 weeks and check the gravity after 2 more weeks. I'd like to use the full amount of maple syrup for flavor, after all it is an 'autumn maple' i'm brewing, even if it's not drinkable till late winter.