Poll: How long do you ferment before bottling?

[frozt]

Just curious about how long most people here primary for. On a side note, I've now got a .1045 Irish Red with Notty fermenting right now, and while I bottled my previous SNPA clone at 3 weeks, I'm considering bottling this red at 2 weeks. Any opinions on this given my yeast choice, gravity, etc?

EDIT: Also, if you chose "Depends" on the poll, please specify what goes into your decision. Thanks!

 

[Stauffbier]

2 to 4 weeks primary depending on the beer..

 

[kh54s10]

I like 3 weeks and have been getting great results.

 

[samc]

It depends is really the only answer. You may choose to do a long primary as a matter of course but the ferment happens in a certain time frame for each beer and then it's done.

 

[RugenBrau]

usually three weeks

 

[frozt]

Stauffbier and samc: Could you elaborate? Do you bottle as soon as SG stabilizes or go by appearance, etc? What factors weigh in for you on deciding when to bottle? I understand that a lot of people prefer longer primaries so that the yeast can clean up various off flavors; are there beers that you feel that this doesn't apply to?

 

[bwomp313]

I more or less leave the beer in primary until I have an empty keg. If it's something I'm gonna age, I'll usually primary for a month and then secondary for another couple months. Sometimes though I'll make a low gravity beer that I wanna drink fresh and it'll be like 2-3 weeks grain to glass. I hate to rush things though.

 

[copyright1997]

At least a week, usually two. Sometimes more. Depends on how lazy I am and whether I need the primary for another batch (I have four I use but not enough warm fermentation space in the winter so that is the bottleneck, at least when doing ale's.)

Since I go from primary to keg where I further condition it, it doesn't seem to matter that much. On the rare occasions I've gone to bottles, I would let it sit in the primary three weeks or so.

 

[eanmcnulty]

It depends is really the only answer. You may choose to do a long primary as a matter of course but the ferment happens in a certain time frame for each beer and then it's done.

I agree that it depends, however I chose the weeks, because three weeks is my minimum for anything below about 7-8%. I figure its got to be done by then.

 

[boxofjibboo]

So the longer I wait the more likely my fg will lower? I'm itchin to bottle this coming Friday after 2 weeks of fermenting. It's an ipa and want to have it ready for my sister to come down SB and try my first home brew. After 2 weeks of bottling I know it will be a little flat still but I'd like her to try it while she's here

 

[eanmcnulty]

So the longer I wait the more likely my fg will lower? I'm itchin to bottle this coming Friday after 2 weeks of fermenting. It's an ipa and want to have it ready for my sister to come down SB and try my first home brew. After 2 weeks of bottling I know it will be a little flat still but I'd like her to try it while she's here

It all depends on what it is. You should take a hydrometer reading just to make sure you have reached final gravity. Also, if you are storing the bottles at or around 70F, anything in the 4-6% should be pretty well carbed in two weeks. Three is probably better.

 

[gypsyhead]

just look at RugenBrau's signature line. If you're done fermenting, you're done fermenting. Then add a week for settling and cleaning of flavors... Then maybe think about bottling... Wait a week to mull it over... Then have a beer, relax, and think about bottling... and when your gf tells you it has to move out of her closet, then bottle it... then wait 3 weeks if you can help it.

 

[overdbus]

I brew IPA's and pale ale's so it's 2 weeks@ 60f then three
@ room temp the last two dry hopped all in the primary,the
last beer i brewed (my 3rd) was some of the best tasting beer
i ever had ,so unless someone can help me improve on dat
I'll stick with what works so far.

 

[DannPM]

Depends on the yeast. High varied timeframe from one week to five.

 

[Special Hops]

3 weeks minimum and often more depending on gravity reading and finding time to get it out of keg.

 

[Revvy]

We need to clarify something for you...Your beer doesn't fermen for x number of weeks. Beer only ferments for as long as the yeast takes, which is usually about a week. The rest of the time a beer is left alone is for conditioning .

You don't CHOOSE how long a beer ferments for.....you let the yeast do it's job...you want a beer to finish fermenting.

Many of us leave out beers a minimum of 1 month, skip secondary and bottle. Many folks have left their beer a year in primary with no issues. The longest I have ever had has been 5.5 months, and the beer was fine.

Long primaries have been covered ad nauseum on here. I suggest you read THIS thread, it's become the "uber discussion" on this topic thread.

To Secondary or Not? John Palmer, Jamil Zainasheff, and all of us Weigh In .

Pretty much every question has been answered in there, there are podcasts and articles and other citations, and that's where the discussion is ongoing.

 

[Whippy]

I have found that by letting the beer condition in the primary fermenting vessel for 3 weeks, the final product turns out more clear and does not need to sit in the bottles as long before it tastes right. By bottling after 2 weeks, from my experience, the beer stays "green" much longer in the bottles.

That extra week makes a huge difference in my brewery, even with Weizens.

 

[jfrank85]

What about lower abv? Like <4%? I just made a mild, is one week in primary to short or should I spring for two?

 

[Brewenstein]

I voted depends. Usually let it ferment, then sit in the primary for another 2-3 weeks. I like to pull samples at two and three weeks to taste, and then decide to bottle depending on what I think. Sometimes I just can't find the time to bottle, so it goes a little longer. I have a enough beer bottled that an extra week or two really doesn't matter.

 

[passedpawn]

I answered 2, but for lagers 3. Probably should have gone with the Depends.

 

[Bradinator]

I choose three weeks, but in hindsight should have selected 'It depends'

Most of my brews get three weeks, but a few get 4+ if they are high gravity and some get only 2 weeks.

Actually my last brew was only 2 weeks before going into bottle and it turned out fantastic! I am sure another week would not have hurt though

 

[Stauffbier]

Stauffbier and samc: Could you elaborate? Do you bottle as soon as SG stabilizes or go by appearance, etc? What factors weigh in for you on deciding when to bottle? I understand that a lot of people prefer longer primaries so that the yeast can clean up various off flavors; are there beers that you feel that this doesn't apply to?

I find that my lighter milds/session beers are pretty good at 14 days. At that point I'll leave them for another week just to clean/clear up and then bottle. My heavier/darker beers (specifically my stouts and porters) gain a very smooth, clean taste if I let them stay in the primary for about a month. I don't claim that this is how it's "supposed" to be done, but I like the results. Sometimes a batch might stay in the primary longer just because I don't have time to bottle. Either way you're likely going to have to let them condition out the green flavors, which can be done either in the primary or the bottle...

 

[frozt]

Revvy: I'm well aware of the multitude of threads on secondary/no secondary, 2 week primary/3 week primary. What I was after mainly was the results of the poll and the distribution of people on the forum using x number of weeks.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

i'm with Revvy on this one. my beer only ferments until FG is reached, that's usually within a week of pitching. i tend to leave my beers in primary for 3 weeks, but that's not written in stone. sometimes i go to secondary for a week after a 2 week primary. sometimes i keg or bottle after two weeks. other times i leave the beer in primary for 4+ weeks, then either go to secondary for long term aging, or into bottles/keg. it really depends on the beer, and my schedule.
but the point is, we all really only ferment our beers for the time the yeast take to consume all the sugars, the rest of the time the beer is just conditioning.

 

[frozt]

Alright, I'll admit I misphrased my question - what I should have title the thread is "how long do you primary". I don't dispute that beer is only fermenting when the gravity is changing; I'm only curious about the total time that users on the forum leave their beer in the primary.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Alright, I'll admit I misphrased my question - what I should have title the thread is "how long do you primary". I don't dispute that beer is only fermenting when the gravity is changing; I'm only curious about the total time that users on the forum leave their beer in the primary.

in that case, it depends, which was the option i picked. in my last 10 or so batches, it's ranged from ~2 weeks to 5+ weeks in primary. a few of those batches also spent ~1 week in secondary with dry hops or oak spirals. it really just depends, but rarely do i go less than 2 weeks, and 3 weeks seems to be the norm.

 

[logan3825]

As long as it takes. 4 weeks minimum but could be longer with a bigger beer. No secondary, ever.

 

[BrewerinBR]

If I am brewing a lager I normally give them 56 days in primary, test and rack to secondary after 7 days dactyl rest and then let them lager for another 42 days then bottle. Most ales I primary for 21 days and then dry hop and chill for 5 to 7 days then bottle. Those beers I do not dry hop I chill for 5 to 7 days and then bottle.

 

[pjj2ba]

I answered 2, but for lagers 3. Probably should have gone with the Depends.

Same for me. I answered 2 because most folks are thinking in terms of ales. I'm probably at about 50:50 brewing lagers:ales. If one would classify Alts and Kolsch as "lagers" then it is probably 75:25.

 

[edecambra]

OF course it depends, but.... I almost always do it for 2 weeks before I rack to keg, for 2 reasons:

1. My beer ferments out (usually) in a week
2. My fermentation chamber relies on me changing some Ice gatorade bottles DAILY and I get lazy quick, I'm in South FL and its hot

If I had my choice I'd prefer to just leave it in primary for 3-4 weeks to clear up nice before kegging/bottling but a month of daily bending and changing ice sucks!

 

[friday]

I go 6 weeks on the primary all the time because of my work schedule. It hasn't messed up a beer yet but I ferment on the cold side.

 

[Piratwolf]

My primary length depends on the beer. Pale Ales, Hefes, and other quick beers get 10 days to 2 weeks on average; The RIS & BDS i recently made are just over 4 weeks on primary yeast. This weekend I'll bottle the RIS (bottle condition for 3 more months & free up a fermenter) and transfer the BDS to a CO2-purged keg for long storage... at least 9 months.

 

[lou2row]

I answered 2, but for lagers 3. Probably should have gone with the Depends.

From the streak in your britches my friend, I would tend to agree.


what was the question again?

 

[suprchunk]

I wait until it is done.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

Yep, I ferment until it is done. Once it is done, you are not gaining anything by letting it go longer contrary to popular opinion.

So-- Depends.

 

[jonmohno]

Your gaining clarity and a better rounded taste.Theres no way in hell i would bottle it 3-4 days which it takes.Its done then,and will i bottle it then,no. Im going to have towait that much longer in the bottle anyway so thats why i go about 3 weeks. Although i do 2 weeks and 4 sometimes.

 

[Yooper]

Generally about 10 days or so for most ales. If I dryhop, then I do that after the 10 days and about 5-7 days before packaging, so many dryhopped beers are about 15-17 days old when kegged.

 

[phenry]

2 weeks for most beers under 1.050, 3 weeks for IPAs and APAs (7 day dry hop in primary), 3-4 weeks or so for most beers between 1.050 and 1.080, >4 weeks for almost all Belgians, and it really depends for anything north of 1.080.

 

[derek81]

i'm with Revvy on this one. my beer only ferments until FG is reached, that's usually within a week of pitching. i tend to leave my beers in primary for 3 weeks, but that's not written in stone. sometimes i go to secondary for a week after a 2 week primary. sometimes i keg or bottle after two weeks. other times i leave the beer in primary for 4+ weeks, then either go to secondary for long term aging, or into bottles/keg. it really depends on the beer, and my schedule.
but the point is, we all really only ferment our beers for the time the yeast take to consume all the sugars, the rest of the time the beer is just conditioning.

This just answered a running thought in my empty head thanks.

 

[Atog]

3-4 weeks 6 if i'm too lazy to bottle. So 6 most of the time