1 Week into Fermentation - Move to keg for the next 3-4 weeks?

[htims05]

Normally I wait at minimum 2 weeks before pulling the beer out of the bucket - yes I use 7gal buckets for fermenting. Once the airlock quits bubbling for a couple days and FG has stabilized can I go ahead and rack to the keg and let it finish in the kegerator for the next 2 weeks under CO2?

Just wondering if I've been letting it sit in the fermenter needlessly for an extra 2 weeks?

 

[VikeMan]

If attenuation has finished (stable FG) and there are no off flavors, sure, you can go ahead and package.

 

[RePete]

I have a batch in a carboy that is 3 weeks old. After the first week it stopped bubbling, and I added hops. Was planning kegging last weekend, but noticed it had started bubbling again. It was still going yesterday. Guess I’ll wait.
.
I don’t have a good way of taking FG readings from the carboy. So I do it after I transfer. On a recent batch I took readings which were high, so I let it finish fermentation in the keg. That’s always an option. Which I may do to free up a fermenter.

 

[Bassman2003]

This is an area that will change as you progress as a brewer. The end goal is to get to final gravity and move the beer off the yeast in a timely fashion. While you do not want to rush the process, as you progress as a brewer, your yeast management, wort making and fermentation process will improve and naturally shorten the time it takes to get the beer to final gravity.

When I was learning to brew, the general thought was to let ales sit for two weeks and lagers 3-4 weeks. Well, no I know that a lot of that "sitting" time is the beer in there doing nothing and basically oxidizing. Yes, some yeast activity will take place and some "cleanup", but a solid ale fermentation should take 3-5 days. At least that should be the goal if enough healthy yeast was used.

Gravity should be the gauge. Time is easier but at the risk of oxidizing the beer. It is a learning curve and if you care/want to move towards a goal. If the beer is tasting good and the time commitment is all you can allow for the hobby, then there are worse places for the beer to sit.