1-2-3 Week Question

[toadyus]

Hey just a quick question about the 1-2-3 rule, is the general rule:

Primary = 1 Week
Secondardy = 2 Weeks
Bottles = 3 Weeks

Total Time = 6 Weeks

Or is the rule as I've been doing it:

Primary = 1 Week
Secondary = 1 Week
Bottles = 1 Week

Total Time = 3 Weeks

Just need some clarifying...I've found that as my wheat beer has sat for 2 weeks now in the bottle it tastes really really good.

Thanks

 

[homebrewer_99]

It's not as much as a rule as it is a (bad) practice, but yes, 6 weeks, not 3.

There's no reason to rack to the secondary unless the FG is down where it should be IAW the recipe.

Wheat ales are a different story. 10 days in the primary and bottle...as long as the FG is also down 75% from the OG.

Only your hydrometer knows for sure regardless if its been 10 days or 100.

 

[feedthebear]

I find my beers taste best using 2 - 2 - 3.

I haven't done a wheat yet, but wheats are supposed to be drunk young. As long as you got your 75% attenuation and its carbed, you're fine.

 

[DAAB]

10 days in a primary (or at least final gravity point +2 days) then straight to a keg works well for all English ales. The first 1/2 pt may be a little cloudy, but it saves on unnecessary racking and reduces the risk of aeration and infection.

 

[hellfireSam]

I alwais do:

Primary = 1 Week
Secondary = 1 Week
Bottles = 2 Weeks in warm place (about 18°C)
Bottles= 4 weeks in cool place (about 6°C)

 

[Kai]

The rule is 1 week in primary, two weeks in secondary, three weeks in bottles for a total of six weeks. I've been drifting toward 2-3 weeks in primary, and a month in bottles. I'll let you know how that goes.

 

[Kai]

Oh, but if you're using a plastic bucket as a primary, get it out of there as soon as your gravity stops dropping (usually about a week to ten days, depending your conditions). Those things will let the evil oxygen hurt your beer.

 

[Judd]

Three weeks in bottles is really a minimum. That's when it's probably drinkable. Most beers won't peak for another couple weeks or months, and some can be aged for years.

 

[Chris_Dog]

If using DME to prime your bottles I have found 5 weeks to be the minimum.

 

[seanhagerty]

I'm not really using the secondary much any more. A couple weeks in the primary or so, (once I left a pale ale in the primary for two months), then off to keg and carb. This was a great beer.

I did an IPA that was in the keg being drank ten days after brew day. I thought this was my best beer ever. It seemed to be at its best young.

The conventional wisdom on this 1-2-3 is just a guide as everyone has already pointed out. You should try to follow it until you get comfortable with your process. Once you are comfy, then you can try differnt stuff to see what you want to do with your process.

Good Luck

Sean

 

[homebrewer_99]

Oh, but if you're using a plastic bucket as a primary, get it out of there as soon as your gravity stops dropping (usually about a week to ten days, depending your conditions). Those things will let the evil oxygen hurt your beer.

I had a HW that was in the primary for 34 days that won Best of Show beating out over 100 other beers, so you can take the advice above with a grain of salt.

Although I would say the sooner the better...just in case, but oxidation doesn't normally occur in the fermenter...(it mostly occurs during transfer...don't splash)...

 

[Danek]

I had a HW that was in the primary for 34 days that won Best of Show beating out over 100 other beers.

Doesn't Jamil say he doesn't bother with secondaries either, just leaves it in primary? I'll have to try that for one of my next beers.

 

[toadyus]

Thanks for the advice all, I've been doing mine wrong I guess but my hydrometer tells me that everything was done and it was ok to bottle. I have a Brew House Cream Ale made with liquid wyeast in the Secondary right now which I'm going to leave for 2 weeks now and not just bottle after one week.

 

[Beerrific]

Doesn't Jamil say he doesn't bother with secondaries either, just leaves it in primary? I'll have to try that for one of my next beers.

Yes he does. But he also kegs. IMO the keg acts as a secondary in his case. You let it sit in the keg for 2 weeks then essentially pull the yeast when you dispense the first pint. He bottles after putting the beer in the keg after it has been in the keg for weeks.

I have been doing 10-14 days in the primary with no secondary since I started kegging and I have been getting wonderfully clear, delicious beer. If you keg and can keep your hands off of it for 2-3 weeks then I think I would skip the secondary. If you bottle I think a secondary if a good idea.

 

[Bobby_M]

You can keg out of primary but you best not disturb the keg at any time because the sediment that would normally go to the bottom of a secondary actually sits at the bottom of the keg. If you transport the keg, you put it back into suspension a bit. Cutting 1/4" off the dip tube would help a bit.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I'm a 3-2-1'er....But I keg.

3 weeks Primary (Makes a noticeable difference)
2 weeks warm aging at room temp, sometimes at cellar temp
~1 week under CO2 to carb

The bulk aging and warm aging seem to help. I don't seem to get a yong beer flavor with this method unless it's a beer that needs longer to age, like a Belgian.

 

[Orfy]

I'm a 3-2-1'er....But I keg.

3 weeks Primary (Makes a noticeable difference)
2 weeks warm aging at room temp, sometimes at cellar temp
~1 week under CO2 to carb

The bulk aging and warm aging seem to help. I don't seem to get a yong beer flavor with this method unless it's a beer that needs longer to age, like a Belgian.

SNAP!

I've just about finished with conditioning vessels.

I was a 1-2-3er then I extened the time in primary and conditioned in cornies and racked to a second cornie.

I not predominatley leak in the fermenter for 2-6 weeks then condition for 1-4 weeks in a corny then I'll either prime and leave a further 2 weeks or carb and leave 3 days to 2 weeks.

I always try to have 2 beers in the primary to keep supply going.

 

[Bosh]

I've had great results with long primaries (about four weeks depending on how the beer is) and then I leave it in bottles until the temptation to drink it gets too great. So far so good

 

[Dampy]

I've had great results with long primaries (about four weeks depending on how the beer is) and then I leave it in bottles until the temptation to drink it gets too great. So far so good

is this using a plastic bucket for a primary?

after reading all the above I think a '2 - 3 - 4' rule might be in my future? (if I can be patient that long)