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There's no harm letting it age in bottles vs. in the carboy, but you do want to give the beer extra time on the yeast after fermentation so it can clean up and condition. A week is pretty short. You could probably get away with it for a lot of average to low gravity beers, but higher gravity...

The only difference between aging in a carboy vs. bottles is that when the beer is in bottles it tends to disappear...

Did you check the gravity? That's the only way to know if fermentation was finished. Also, how much priming sugar did you put in? I'd probably put them in the fridge to cold crash them and stop additional carbonation from happening.

Are you sure fermentation was finished before you bottled? The most common cause of gushers is incomplete fermentation, and if the beer tasted OK, that sounds like a possibility in your case. How long did you ferment, and did you check the gravity before bottling?

Surface tension? Looks normal to me. Let it age a while and the aftertaste should improve. Time heals (almost) all wounds.

Unless you whipped it into a froth, you should be fine. Oxygen contacts beer anytime it is transferred, but oxidation is a gradual process. It's not like a beer gets ruined the moment oxygen touches it. If you're concerned about the amount of exposure, just cut down the time in secondary. If you...

If the SG is stable over several days you can bottle. But it never hurts to leave it for a little longer. I like to leave my beers in primary for three or four weeks before bottling.

You can just bottle. It takes much longer than a couple months for all the yeast to die off. I've bottled after four months in secondary without a problem.

I keep mine at 64. That way the wort usually stays at or below 70 during active fermentation but it's not too cold for conditioning.

Zerolgk, you're going to awaken the autolysis controversy. ... Many of us leave beers in the primary for a month or more with no problems. I almost never touch a beer before four weeks. But as long as you sanitize carefully, racking shouldn't hurt anything.

You would add maltodextrin or lactose during the boil. They are usually used in beers like stouts to give them a thicker mouthfeel and some sweetness. I've added honey to ambers and red ales with good results. Just don't add too much, about a pound is good for a 5 gallon batch. If you go crazy...

No matter when you add honey, it will ferment. If you add it in the bucket, the yeast will simply restart fermentation. Honey is mostly sugar, so it will dry out your beer, creating alcohol but not much body. People use honey for an alcohol boost and a little flavor, but it will not sweeten the...

Let it go for another few weeks in the primary - no need to secondary an amber. Time will improve the flavor and clarity.

^ this. You buy yeast out of the fridge, so getting cold isn't going to kill them. Once it warms back up, they should get back to work.

The krausen ring is a sure sign you had fermentation. Let it sit for a couple more weeks before bottling so it can age and the yeast can clean up. Then enjoy!

That's a pretty small difference. If you didn't correct for temperature, that could bring you a point or two closer. But I wouldn't worry about being off by .005, especially if it's .005 below the target FG. That's just free alcohol!

In both of my posts I said two weeks should be OK, but that three or four weeks is better. I don't know how I can possibly make that more clear.

The OP said to ferment a week and let sit for another before bottling, for a total of two weeks in primary, as I read it. I said I think that would be OK but that three or four weeks would be better. What's the confusion?

I don't think two weeks in the primary is too short, but one week is pushing it. I personally would let it sit longer so the yeast can clean up after themselves. Three or four weeks is good, then just draw a sample before bottling, like Ivan said.

Thanks, Bobby. Didn't think that would be an issue since the keg was just refurbished. I'll give that a shot.