Quickest time from primary to keg

[thrstyunderwater]

I made a porter last Monday2/20, presidents day. I want to keg it for a party this Sunday, 3/4. I normally let everything sit at least 3 weeks.

This porter went NUTS for 2 days, no bubbles now

Think it'll be good or should I wait longer? Let's pretend I took a gravity reading and there's no more fermentation.

 

[nmber0nestunna]

i brewed an APA(1.055) for a competition on 2/12 that i thought was due on 2/29 but was due on 2/22. 3 day ferment with wlp090. 2 day dryhop. 2 day carb/fining. beer came out decent but not enough hop aroma imo. i'll have to wait and see what my papers come back as.

i would go by taste. make sure the yeast has cleaned up everything before u keg and it will be drinkable at worst.

 

[FarmBoy530]

My opinion is let it sit. After fermentation is done the yeast start feeding on the off flavors they created during fermentation. Some beers may taste ok at 2 weeks, but almost all taste better with a few weeks age even after you carbonate them. I don't think I've ever made a beer that I liked more at 4 weeks then I did at 8 or 10 weeks aged. Its preference really, on how you like your beer to taste. So, if it taste good to you, and you want to present it....then bottle it (or keg it). And to me often times I really don't enjoy it unless its got a few weeks on it, sometimes you wouldn't know it was the same beer.

 

[IffyG]

What was your recipe exactly? I've done plenty of wheats and pale ales that went from grain to class in 2 weeks when I was in a crunch, but I've never tried it with a stout or porter because mine take a few weeks to meld together and taste decent.

Take home message: If you are showcasing your homebrew, you want it to be the best it can be and not have 'that homebrew taste' that turns people off of homebrewed beer.

 

[scottland]

I'd like to know the OG of the beer. If it's 1.055 or less, i'd say you could easily keg it thursday. It'll be chilled by friday, then you can force carb it, and serve it saturday.

If it's over 1.055, you'll be severely rushing the beer. Better off letting it sit longer.

 

[kh54s10]

IMO a Porter will take much longer than that for the flavors to blend properly.
I would think no less than 6 weeks to not taste "green"

I let my APA's and lighter beers age longer than that.

If you want beer go quick, if you want good/great beer you have to be patient!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

i just went grain to glass in 16 days with my rye p.a. cuz i was out of kegged beer. i have an amber that i'm dry hopping right now that i plan to have in the keg by day 13, drinkable by day 15. mind you these beers are still gonna taste a bit young until they've been kegged for a week+, but they're good, finished brews going into the keg. i read a letter in Zymurgy from a guy who took inspiration from an previous article and turned a 1.035 mild around in 6 days! said it was young and yeasty on the nose, but a very tasty brew to drink.

 

[SaevaVeritas]

My question would be why would you want to rush it? Why not let it age properly and wait the extra few weeks? I understand wanting to crack the keg and enjoy but...you miss out on clarity and mature flavors

 

[IffyG]

IMO a Porter will take much longer than that for the flavors to blend properly.
I would think no less than 6 weeks to not taste "green"

I let my APA's and lighter beers age longer than that.

If you want beer go quick, if you want good/great beer you have to be patient!

I completely understand the rational for waiting on a porter, but why so long on an APA?

 

[thrstyunderwater]

What was your recipe exactly?

It was Jon Palmers normal porter recipe, though I smoked a lb of the grain. The OG was 1.060

 

[scottland]

1.060 with a pound of smoked grain = That beer won't be nearly as good as it could be if you serve it on the 4th. Go buy some beer, and let the beer age a little longer.

I'm usually a huge proponent of moving beers along quicker than most people do on HBT, but in this case, I agree, it needs some more time.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

My question would be why would you want to rush it? Why not let it age properly and wait the extra few weeks? I understand wanting to crack the keg and enjoy but...you miss out on clarity and mature flavors

you're totally right, normally you want to let a beer sit and mature before drinking. but sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need beer quick, like i did when my wife and i floated both kegs in the kegerator on consecutive nights. my solution was to brew a few beers that i could turn around quickly and get all of our kegs full again. remember, that yes, even though time cleans up a beer nicely, pitching enough healthy yeast and keeping fermenting temps in check produces a beer that needs little to no clean up time after FG is reached, so why not package as soon as it drops bright, or even force it do drop bright by cold crashing before packaging. proper pitch rates and temp control does as much or more to produce a clean ale as extra time after FG is reached, IME.

 

[Jay1]

It seems like the consensus here is to leave beer on the primary for a really long time. If your FG is stable, I just don't see the point.

For the record, I've gone from Primary to Keg 8 days and tthe beer turned out damn good. Yes, it does taste better with time. If I were you, I'd keg it as soon as its stable and let it clear up in the corny.

 

[IffyG]

my solution was to brew a few beers that i could turn around quickly and get all of our kegs full again. remember, that yes, even though time cleans up a beer nicely, pitching enough healthy yeast and keeping fermenting temps in check produces a beer that needs little to no clean up time after FG is reached, so why not package as soon as it drops bright, or even force it do drop bright by cold crashing before packaging.

The difference is you brewed beer that you intended to turn around quickly. Trying to force something already brewed to fit your accelerated timeline is setting yourself up to drink sub-par beer.

It seems like the consensus here is to leave beer on the primary for a really long time. If your FG is stable, I just don't see the point.

For the record, I've gone from Primary to Keg 8 days and tthe beer turned out damn good. Yes, it does taste better with time. If I were you, I'd keg it as soon as its stable and let it clear up in the corny.

I don't think the consensus is to leave the beer in primary for a long time. IMO it's the opinion of a vocal minority. That being said, I agree that you can get away with packaging your beer after the FG is reached, but even in a keg I tend to wait a few weeks to simulate aging in a bottle. Force carbing is not a license to skip conditioning time.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

The difference is you brewed beer that you intended to turn around quickly. Trying to force something already brewed to fit your accelerated timeline is setting yourself up to drink sub-par beer.

oh for sure. intentionally turning a brew around quickly is very different from trying to force a beer to finish on your schedule. but i think we both agree extending primary for weeks after FG is stable isn't a necessary step in the process, and more of a safety measure. sure, you'll get a nice, clear, mature beer after a month or more in primary, but IME you get the same result in less time if you use your yeast properly. that said, unless i'm trying to turn a brew around quickly, most of my beers get 3 weeks in primary, or 2 then one in secondary if i'm dry hopping or adding something like oak. only a big beer, or something else that requires it is going to get much in the way of aging beyond FG.

 

[FarmBoy530]

I don't use starters because I haven't invested in a stir plate. That being said, I pitch and ferment within 1 degree (I think that's pretty good) and still believe with proper or close to proper yeast care you cant rush the time your beer sits on the yeast. 2 things people forget. Your hydrometer and your tongue don't lie. That is when it reads right its right and when it taste right its done! Weather the beer is a short turn around or a long one, you cant rush it to finish, it just will be done when it is.

 

[Phunhog]

I made a porter last Monday2/20, presidents day. I want to keg it for a party this Sunday, 3/4. I normally let everything sit at least 3 weeks.

This porter went NUTS for 2 days, no bubbles now

Think it'll be good or should I wait longer? Let's pretend I took a gravity reading and there's no more fermentation.

Based on the recipe and OG I wouldn't do it. It might taste ok but then again it probably won't be at its' best. If you are going to try I would wait until the 1st to rack into the keg and force carb.

 

[wailingguitar]

two weeks brew to glass isn't bad at all. that's a pretty typical turn around for a commercial beer. would it be better aging a bit more? most likely, but it will still be good.

 

[wailingguitar]

you're totally right, normally you want to let a beer sit and mature before drinking. but sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need beer quick, like i did when my wife and i floated both kegs in the kegerator on consecutive nights. my solution was to brew a few beers that i could turn around quickly and get all of our kegs full again. remember, that yes, even though time cleans up a beer nicely, pitching enough healthy yeast and keeping fermenting temps in check produces a beer that needs little to no clean up time after FG is reached, so why not package as soon as it drops bright, or even force it do drop bright by cold crashing before packaging. proper pitch rates and temp control does as much or more to produce a clean ale as extra time after FG is reached, IME.

Well put

 

[Yooper]

It seems like the consensus here is to leave beer on the primary for a really long time. If your FG is stable, I just don't see the point.

For the record, I've gone from Primary to Keg 8 days and tthe beer turned out damn good. Yes, it does taste better with time. If I were you, I'd keg it as soon as its stable and let it clear up in the corny.

I never leave a beer in primary more than about 10-14 days, at least not on purpose. A couple of keys, though- it's imperative to pitch the correct amount of yeast and keep the beer at optimum fermentation temperature. If there are no off-flavor to clean up in the first place, aging time is greatly reduced. The yeast "cleaning up after itself" after active fermentation that we talk about happens in hours, not weeks.

Anyway, some beers are great at day 10. I've kegged a mild and been drinking it by day 10, and have some pale ales really good by day 14. But my oatmeal stout with some roasty flavors takes a bit longer, usually nearly 3-4 weeks, before the flavors meld.

With a smoked porter, it may need a bit more time to completely come together. But you could certainly give it a try. The beer is 8 days old now, and should have been at FG for at least 3-4 days by now.

 

[Yooper]

I don't use starters because I haven't invested in a stir plate. That being said, I pitch and ferment within 1 degree (I think that's pretty good) and still believe with proper or close to proper yeast care you cant rush the time your beer sits on the yeast. 2 things people forget. Your hydrometer and your tongue don't lie. That is when it reads right its right and when it taste right its done! Weather the beer is a short turn around or a long one, you cant rush it to finish, it just will be done when it is.

You don't need a stir plate for a starter. A jug with foil is more than adequate.

I don't use a stir plate, even now, for every starter. Just boil up some water and DME, cool it, put it in a sanitized growler and add the yeast. Cover with foil. Shake it whenever I walk by. Brew the next day and add the starter. That's it.

Pitching the correct amount of yeast is one of the single best things any brewer can do to make a better tasting beer. It really does make a huge difference in the finished beer, as well as the amount of aging required.

 

[IffyG]

oh for sure. intentionally turning a brew around quickly is very different from trying to force a beer to finish on your schedule. but i think we both agree extending primary for weeks after FG is stable isn't a necessary step in the process, and more of a safety measure. sure, you'll get a nice, clear, mature beer after a month or more in primary, but IME you get the same result in less time if you use your yeast properly. that said, unless i'm trying to turn a brew around quickly, most of my beers get 3 weeks in primary, or 2 then one in secondary if i'm dry hopping or adding something like oak. only a big beer, or something else that requires it is going to get much in the way of aging beyond FG.

I'll give you that. As soon as I figured out I could get the same clarity with a 2 week primary and 3 weeks in the keg (speaking for pale ales as that's 90% of what I brew) as I was getting with a 4 week primary and 3 weeks in the keg, I gave up long primaries. For me, it's a matter of maximizing hop flavor and aroma and the quicker I can get to drinking them, the better they taste.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I don't use starters because I haven't invested in a stir plate. That being said, I pitch and ferment within 1 degree (I think that's pretty good) and still believe with proper or close to proper yeast care you cant rush the time your beer sits on the yeast. 2 things people forget. Your hydrometer and your tongue don't lie. That is when it reads right its right and when it taste right its done! Weather the beer is a short turn around or a long one, you cant rush it to finish, it just will be done when it is.

yooper's right, no need to have a stir plate to make a starter. and really, with a proper pitch and the right temps (that usually means low temps), the time on the cake after FG needed to 'clean up' is maybe a few days at best. after that it's just clearing up (yeast dropping). sure, palates and hydros don't lie, a healthy ferment is finished in 5, maybe 7 days in many cases. and a clean ferment will be 'cleaned up' a few days after that. any time in the primary (or any other vessel for that matter) after that is mainly just allowing the brew to drop bright.
i find packaging clear beer, especially when bottling, to be the way to go, so i'm all for a 'long' primary, but aside from the flavor of yeast in suspension, my beers tend to taste the same when i take my first FG reading after fermentation, and my second before packaging. i stopped worrying about extended 'clean up' time when i learned about yeast health (pitch rates, temps, etc.)

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

You don't need a stir plate for a starter. A jug with foil is more than adequate.

I don't use a stir plate, even now, for every starter. Just boil up some water and DME, cool it, put it in a sanitized growler and add the yeast. Cover with foil. Shake it whenever I walk by. Brew the next day and add the starter. That's it.

Pitching the correct amount of yeast is one of the single best things any brewer can do to make a better tasting beer. It really does make a huge difference in the finished beer, as well as the amount of aging required.

Couldn't agree more with all of this.

 

[thrstyunderwater]

Couldn't agree more with all of this.

When do you use a stir plate? Why not an airlock instead of foil?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

When do you use a stir plate? Why not an airlock instead of foil?

you'd use it while the starter is fermenting, but it's not needed. you cover with foil to allow the starter to breathe, which an airlock won't do.

 

[LKABrewer]

A stir plate will grow more yeast with less wort; if you need a really big pitch, the stir plate is the way to go.
When making a starter, the more O2 you get to the yeast the better they replicate. This means letting the air in and the CO2 out. An airlock will not allow the fresh air to replace the stale CO2.

 

[gr8shandini]

I'd say keg it up, but buy some backup beer. The yeast have already done their thing, so if you're just waiting for flavors to mellow, you can do that in the keg just as well as in the primary. Give it a taste on the day of your party and if it's ready for prime-time, enjoy. If not, sit on it for a couple of weeks and it'll be just fine.

As for the original question, the quickest one I've done was a honey wheat that I kegged after 6 days to meet a competition deadline. Scored a 26 with the notes mentioning a bit of diacetyl, so I'd say that was a little too quick, but I was pretty happy with it seeing as how I kind of half-assed it.

 

[FarmBoy530]

I cant agree more with all the stir plate and pitching rate info, I just want to make a starter right which to me means oxygen for the first 24 hours. Or over night. Its just my preference to use one when I'm doing a starter. I know you can get away without it, I'd just rather not. I've used plenty of starters and proper pitch rates, to me seems the beer still needs some time to come together even after bottling. If its not a large beer and everything goes smooth I like to be in the bottle or keg at around 3 weeks, then leave it there 3 to 6 more.

 

[mrgstiffler]

I never leave a beer in primary more than about 10-14 days, at least not on purpose. A couple of keys, though- it's imperative to pitch the correct amount of yeast and keep the beer at optimum fermentation temperature. If there are no off-flavor to clean up in the first place, aging time is greatly reduced. The yeast "cleaning up after itself" after active fermentation that we talk about happens in hours, not weeks.

Anyway, some beers are great at day 10. I've kegged a mild and been drinking it by day 10, and have some pale ales really good by day 14. But my oatmeal stout with some roasty flavors takes a bit longer, usually nearly 3-4 weeks, before the flavors meld.

With a smoked porter, it may need a bit more time to completely come together. But you could certainly give it a try. The beer is 8 days old now, and should have been at FG for at least 3-4 days by now.

Same here. I always keg sometime between 7-14 days. I tap the kegs whenever my kegerator is empty. Sometimes that's right away, sometimes that's after a couple weeks. I've found that the time between pitching and tapping isn't all that important. There is some variation batch to batch, but not much. My beer goes through the biggest change in the 3 weeks after it starts carbonating.

 

[Homebrewtastic]

Smelled my sour that's on roeselare blend. Smells like socks... In a good way.