Max time in Primary?

[azlane]

I would like to brew an LME Oktoberfest but if I do it this weekend it may have to be in primary for 4 weeks until I can bottle. Is this too long, and is there a max rule of thumb for leaving in a primary?

I am going to try and keep a fan blowing on it and use the wet tshirt method of keeping the temp down, hopefully in the mid to high 60s.

 

[sudsmcgee]

4 weeks is a good MINIMUM. Max is many months if you keep it closed.

 

[peanasky]

I'm currently drinking a blonde that was accidentally left in the primary for nearly 2 months...tastes great...I think you'll be fine!

 

[drathbone]

Agreed, 3-4 weeks is a minimum if you're not able to check gravity. "Max" time in primary is one of those endless debates. Some people say get it off the trub, others say the contemporary yeast strains are much more stable so leaving on the yeast cake is fine since autolysis is not likely. Some people secondary, some don't. I'd say read up and form an opinion with all the information out there and go with it, but at 4 weeks you'll be ok.

 

[azlane]

Yeah, I guess ideally I would rack to a secondary to get it off the trub, but I don't think the timing will work out.

 

[superjunior]

four weeks in the primary is nothing to worry about. chances are your gonna love the results

 

[a10t2]

What yeast are you using that you'll be fermenting in the 60s?

 

[Golddiggie]

I might start worrying after about 6 months on the yeast cake... Then again, who knows.

When in doubt, taste the brew before you do something with it.

 

[BigJerk]

I've found 4 weeks in the primary make my beers better, it's that patience thing everyone keeps yammering on about. Jeez people, don't you realize some of us don't have any, and we're too excited, and want to do stuff with our beer now? I've been brewing for a couple of years now and have found that the only way to get the proper aging times is to make "too much" beer so that you have to let it sit a while to free up the next stage in production.

 

[tnbrewer371]

agree with most above, and currently for me and my brewery, 4 weeks in the primary is a minimum time before I do anything to the beer, including dry hopping, which is now also done in primary, hands down since I went to a minimum of 4 weeks in primary my beer has improved noticeably and have actually been stretching time in primary on the yeast to at least 5 weeks lately, i have found the trick is when you get the urge to mess with it plan and brew something else, before you know it you have a batch ready to bottle/dryhop/rack/keg every week, and seriously....your beer will thank you. with modern yeast strains im not sure you can leave it on the yeast to long (within reason), i think the longest I would go before I got it off the yeast at least to a clearing/brite tank would be 4-5 months probably, would seem relatively safe to me. I have personally done 3.5 without a hint of any off flavor/autolysis, just MHO.

 

[brad26]

I left my barleywine in the primary for 4 months and it tasted fine. You're good.

 

[azlane]

Thanks everyone. I can go forward with no worries.

 

[likwidbliss]

It can be left this long. ∞

 

[jetmac]

Be glad you have to. I chomp at the bit everyday mine is in the fermenter on it's long 4 week journey. I think the only rule of thumb is personal preference.