Question on How Long To Wait During Fermentation

[amarsolek]

Okay, so on a lot of the kits I brew they have specific general time frames for brewing...1 week primary, 1 week secondary, 2 weeks bottled...or 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary, and 2 weeks bottled, going up from there for bigger beers.

My question is this. Say I rush it on long stuff, and do 1 week primary, 1 week secondary, and bottle...can I leave it in bottles for say 4 weeks before drinking and achieve the same results? Or is it best to really wait until you're "happy" with it before you bottle it?

Another way to ask is, are there things that can only be achieved by being in the fermenter versus bottled early (other than bottling WAY too early before it is done fermenting).

And if any of this is true, how do I know that I am "Happy" with it to bottle it?!


Let me hear you ideas folks!

 

[rycov]

from what you said i think you understand that it has to be done fermenting before you bottle it (seems like you do, just making sure so that you or anyone else who reads this doesn't get bottle bombs) i think the beer being on that big yeast cake helps it condition faster/better. im not really sure if it would be much different if you bottled before or after you condition. but if you bottle before your beer is clear then all that sludge that would have stayed in your fermenter will be in your bottles. (you always get some, it would just be more. are you using a hydrometer? id say more important than any time frame is hydrometer readings first, then if its clear enough and if it tastes like you think its ready.(although taste may be a bad examlple because beer usually gets substantialy better when carbed) but definately use a hydrometer

 

[pkeeler]

Okay, so on a lot of the kits I brew they have specific general time frames for brewing...1 week primary, 1 week secondary, 2 weeks bottled...or 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary, and 2 weeks bottled, going up from there for bigger beers.

My question is this. Say I rush it on long stuff, and do 1 week primary, 1 week secondary, and bottle...can I leave it in bottles for say 4 weeks before drinking and achieve the same results? Or is it best to really wait until you're "happy" with it before you bottle it?

For an average beer of average OG, IBUs, color, etc. then you could probably do 2 weeks and bottle or 1 and 1 and bottle. However, when any fermented beverage is bulk conditioned, it will age faster. After all the sugar is converted, aging for beer is the clean up of off flavors and mellowing of hard edges. You might have to leave your beer in the bottles for 8 weeks, instead of 3, if you cut a week off bulk aging.

Now, leaving a beer in the primary for 2 weeks, vs. 1 and 1 will give you a slightly different beer. From all I've read and heard, it will be different. They will both be good, just slightly different. Maybe not even detectable to anyone but the most experienced taster; and only then if other flavors don't dominate. But they are not equivalent except...2-3 months out, they will probably taste even more similar.

 

[amarsolek]

Rycov - Yes I'm using hydrometers. And I've never THOUGHT about bottling before two weeks, and with the beers I do (1.5-1.6 tops) I've never worried about things not being done. I agree to the tasting. I DON'T like to taste until bottled, because I honestly always overreact and start to freak out a bit.

Pkeeler - Thanks man, I like your ideas and they make total sense. I've also heard bad (2-3 months out) if you leave on that big yeast cake that long. My consumption has me not rushing things, but keeping things right on schedule.

It's interesting, because so many places say oh primary but MAKE SURE you do secondary. And they enforce that so much.

But then you have folks like Palmer who have the mindset of, psh, secondaries...no thanks!

For me, the primary and secondary factor is more to clear it, and give it another week to let it settle out again before final racking AS WELL as being able to start another batch in my primary as soon as I'm transferring the previous batch to a secondary.

More comments please, I'd love to hear more ideas!