White House honey ale

[sfcbrewer]

Hello. I just brewed some White House honey ale. Put into primary fermenter at approximately 3:00pm this past Tuesday. Air flow activity began quickly and was at a good rate. However, when checking this morning (Thursday)there is already no activity in the air lock. Less than 48 hours. Instructions say primary is 1-2 weeks. Should I be worried or let it ride?
OG in brew day was 1.062.
Thanks.

 

[brdb]

Hello. I just brewed some White House honey ale. Put into primary fermenter at approximately 3:00pm this past Tuesday. Air flow activity began quickly and was at a good rate. However, when checking this morning (Thursday)there is already no activity in the air lock. Less than 48 hours. Instructions say primary is 1-2 weeks. Should I be worried or let it ride?
OG in brew day was 1.062.
Thanks.

Let it ride. Fermentation will generally slow after the first 2-3 days which is why you are no longer seeing airlock activity, but the yeast are still at work either cleaning up certain byproducts produced during fermentation or slowly converting some of the more complex sugars.

 

[sfcbrewer]

Thanks much.

 

[m00ps]

what temperature has it been fermenting at? It usually helps to bump it up like 3 degrees once the bulk of fermentation is done to make it finish up

 

[sfcbrewer]

Between 62 and 70 degrees at the most in the guest room closet. I'm really limited in storage space.
We dont like it really warm in the house.

 

[m00ps]

62 is a great temperature to pitch at. fermentation will probably warm itself to 64-65 and thats perfect for most ales.

 

[eadavis80]

Yup - let it sit there for at least a week after brewing. At a week, you can take a gravity reading and then take another one a day or two later. If those numbers are the same, fermentation is complete. However, 95% of the people on here will support the idea to let the beer sit a week or two longer after fermentation is complete to let the yeast clean up themselves. Enjoy!

 

[sfcbrewer]

Thanks. I have a beer thief. Just draw a sample using that?

 

[m00ps]

Yup. Sanitize under the bucket lid and the theif insideand out . I popped the lid partially open and take the sample as quick I can. Pop lid back on and check airlock to verify its sealed. Some people take the whole lid off and sanitize the inside of the lid

 

[sfcbrewer]

Thanks. I drew a sample today after one week in primary. Gravity is 1.014 (OG was 1.062). I'll take second reading tomorrow.
If same gravity it goes to secondary, correct?
Thanks.

 

[Happydad1689]

Thanks. I drew a sample today after one week in primary. Gravity is 1.014 (OG was 1.062). I'll take second reading tomorrow.
If same gravity it goes to secondary, correct?
Thanks.

I am answering this only because no one else has. I am a new brewer myself but it seems that most brewers on here say a secondary only increases the risk of contamination.

I transferred my first batch to secondary only because I needed the pail, but my second batch is going to stay in the primary till bottling. Maybe this helps?

 

[sfcbrewer]

I've heard that as well. It's a kit and calls for a secondary. So, I don't know. A lot of my kits all turn out tasting the same regardless of the name of the brew.
Thanks for weighing in.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Primary for 3 weeks and bottle. Four weeks is even better. You don't need a scondary. I only use them for lagers or if I need the primary for another brew.

 

[user 194292]

I'm new too. But I bottled 8 gallons of IPA yesterday. I didn't secondary either. Drained it straight from my spiedel fermenter to bottling bucket and into bottles. It took 56 twelve ounce bottles and twelve 22 ounce bottles. My kit called for secondary as well, but I left it all in primary to avoid any possible contamination. Just a couple days shy of 4 weeks.

 

[brewbama]

I'll wait until after the election.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[m00ps]

I've done close to 100 batches so far and only 3 secondaries. Unless you are adding a a large amount of other material (pounds of fruit or something, not just dry hops) Just leave in primary for 2 to 3 weeks. Once gravity is stable over 3 days just bottle.

 

[sfcbrewer]

Thanks all. Decision made. In the primary it stays.