Primary Fermentation Time. What's your experience?

Just looking for some quick advice here. I'm scheduling my next 3 batches of beer and am looking to time this just right.

I have a 1.060 gravity ale that I'm going to be brewing. About a week later (on labor day), I'd like to rack it to a secondary and add a second batch of wort to the primary so I can utilize the yeast cake (WLP007). In your experience, is this enough time for the primary phase for this kind of gravity ale with WLP007?

In my experience, I typically would let this sit for two weeks. However! I really only start taking gravity readings about 3 days before the two week mark and it's been spot on so far. For all I know the beer finished attenuating at the 1 week mark. I just don't take readings around then. Hence my question.

I've done two ales in the 1.040-1.048 range that were fine after a week...but...different yeasts in those cases, so different story. I'm just trying to get a warm fuzzy on this. Also, I could probably move this to the yeast area instead of beginners if that'd be a better idea.

 

IME, a week in a primary is enough time if you are going to secondary.

 

As long as you have a stable hydrometer reading 2-3 days in a row, your fermentation is done. You might be good to go after a week, especially if you use a starter. I've had ales hit gravity after as little as three days. Not sure how rigid your schedule is, but you may want to allow some float time to ensure the batch has fermented fully before you go moving to secondary or buy extra yeast. The cost isnt that bad.

 

I kind of figure with this strain, everyone says it works quickly. I'll do my 2-3 day checks like normal (but at the 1 week mark) and post-pone brewing if need be. I just wanted to get a feel for if 1 week would even be close for a 1.060. I'd hate to buy everything and get all my stuff ready for nothing.

I'll be doing a 1L starter for this batch. Actually I'm starting it today for my fake Oktoberfest being brewed this weekend. Then the 1.060 I mentioned is getting racked onto that cake on 8/27, followed by a whoppingly heavy 1.124 RIS on 9/3. I have a feeling the yeast cake is going to exceed the amount of yeast needed for the 1.060 and RIS batches.

Never used WLP007 3 times in a row like this, but others seem to have success with the process...so...why not? After the RIS though it has to go down the drain.

 

Hypothetically what you want to do is reasonable, unfortunately yeast don't always work hypothetically

Keep in mind that if you have a longer lag time your 1 week cut off may extend for each beer so the previous recommendation of verifying FG before racking is spot on.

Also keep in mind that all of the trub and hop debris from each batch will/may effect the flavor profile o each consecutive beer you pith onto the cake. This may or may not be a concern but something to consider.

Finally, there is always the risk of the yeast not performing optimally each time so your flavor profile may change, may not fully attenuate or
Provide you the finished product you expect when you get to the second or third batch.

 

How about if he harvested the yeast cake and washed it? I ask because I was thinking about trying this.

Thanks,
Robert

 

In my experience, moving it off the yeast cake early delays the time until you get good beer. eg for every week in the primary you "save", you spend a couple extra weeks in the secondary or bottle to get the same flavor. If you are just building up a pipeline and don't mind these just hanging out for a while, that may not matter to you. If you are really trying to get them in a glass by a certain date, I'd just spend an extra couple bucks on an extra bucket and avoid the scheduling headaches.

 

Harvesting and washing is different than just pitching on the cake and minimizes all of the previous concerns I mentioned above-IMO

Moving beer off the yeast too early also risks the chance of stuck fermentation and not fully attenuating

I prefer to just have more primaries full of beer

 

I pour the beer over a strainer into the bucket, so I don't get a ton of hop gunk, just a small amount really. Last time I washed yeast I had almost NO gunk in my jars. It was my first time doing it so I was surprised to not have a 3rd layer of garbage at the bottom like others.

Still, maybe I'll just grab two vials of WLP007 then based on your advice. I'll use one WLP007 starter for the fake Oktoberfest, wash it and re-use it a week later for the RIS. Then I'll use a second (fresh) WLP007 starter for the Coffee Bender clone (the 1.060). I'll do a full 2 weeks in the primary and age in the carboy like normal.

After that one I'll just harvest and wash both yeast cakes to use for my Wet IPA and fake doctored up Salvatore clone (I'm calling it Kwanza Bock).

The last half of this year is going to fill my cellar with beer. Good times are ahead.