Summit Winter Ale Clone - Fementation Question

[nstorm1121]

I just brewed a Summit Winter Ale clone, and I have a question about what everyone things about fermentation time. Here is the recipe:

Summit Winter Ale clone
5 gallons/19 L, all-grain; OG = 1.052; IBU = 22;

Ingredients:
10 lbs. 14 oz. (4.9 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.25 lb. (0.57 kg) crystal malt (75 °L)
1.0 oz. (28 g) black patent malt

4.5 AAU Willamette hops (60 min)
1.75 AAU Fuggles hops (15 min)
2 AAU Tettnanger hops (15 min)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 mins)

White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast

I brewed it on 12/1. It fermented out really quickly, and it was about 4 minutes between each "glug" of the air lock after 6 days, so I transfered it to my secondary. Now some may say that was too early, but it was pretty well done and that's in the past anyway. It has been in my secondary (carboy) since 12/7 (so exactly one week).

Assuming that the final gravity is where it is expected (around 1.010-1.012), when do you think I could bottle it? I'm going to my parents house this weekend and would like to take a 6-pack to my dad, and I won't be back there again for a couple months.

Also, would 2-weeks in the bottle be enough for this recipe, or would it need more aging time? My wheat beer tasted great after only 2 weeks, but I have heard that those are fine to drink when they are young.

 

[Calder]

You can bottle anytime after it has reached FG. Leaving the beer on the yeast for a while after that helps improve the taste, and help clear it. The earlier you bottle, the more sediment you will get in the bottle.

2 weeks at 70 F should be OK to carb; but it's not a guarantee.

 

[nstorm1121]

Well I'm not worried about the carbs, I have just heard that some beers (especially dark beers) need more time to age in order to taste right. That's what I'm worried about... do you think 4 weeks will be too young to drink this?

Can it age properly in the secondary or the bottle, provided all the sediment has settled out?

 

[dcp27]

I brewed it on 12/1. It fermented out really quickly, and it was about 4 minutes between each "glug" of the air lock after 6 days, so I transfered it to my secondary. Now some may say that was too early, but it was pretty well done and that's in the past anyway. It has been in my secondary (carboy) since 12/7 (so exactly one week).

Basing fermentation completeness on bubbling is just asking for trouble. You definitely transferred way too early, especially since there was no need to secondary in the first place. However, 4 total weeks should be enough for this brew to be drinkable assuming fermentation has actually completed.

 

[nstorm1121]

Not that big of a deal though, because it would continue to ferment in my secondary in that case. I put it in a secondary because I was going to cold crash it in my garage, but it's been too darn cold up here (in MN) and my garage has gone below freezing.