6 weeks for an extract brew?!?!?!?!

[TheInnKeeper]

Just got three extract brew kids from Northern Brewer until my all grain equipment arrives next month.

All three are Pale Ales or IPA's and ALL of them say 6 weeks from brew to drink.........I figure most of my ales will be ready to keg in 2 or 3 weeks at most?!?!?!?!?

Am I way off base here?

Thanks in advance

 

[Immocles]

NB instructions are generally pretty generic. Its usually something like 2 weeks ferment, 2 weeks dry hop/secondary, 2 weeks carbonation. You can do that in a much quicker time frame. A general rule of thumb is two weeks fermentation. Skip the secondary, dry hop 3-4 days in primary before packaging, but I would stick with the 2 week carbonation time for bottling. Can't comment on the keg portion.

 

[TheInnKeeper]

NB instructions are generally pretty generic. Its usually something like 2 weeks ferment, 2 weeks dry hop/secondary, 2 weeks carbonation. You can do that in a much quicker time frame. A general rule of thumb is two weeks fermentation. Skip the secondary, dry hop 3-4 days in primary before packaging, but I would stick with the 2 week carbonation time for bottling. Can't comment on the keg portion.

Got it, I figured it HAD to be something like that

Thanks!!

 

[hoffmeister]

I would agree with Immocles' comment. I've lengthened my primary fermentation and shortened/omitted entirely the secondary fermentation, depending on the beer, with no real negative effects. Are you conditioning in the keg or force carbonating?

 

[TheInnKeeper]

I would agree with Immocles' comment. I've lengthened my primary fermentation and shortened/omitted entirely the secondary fermentation, depending on the beer, with no real negative effects. Are you conditioning in the keg or force carbonating?

Well force carbonating right now since I want beer to drink , in the future I hope to not HAVE to be so impatient though.

 

[hoffmeister]

Well force carbonating right now since I want beer to drink , in the future I hope to not HAVE to be so impatient though.

Totally understood =]
Since you're force carbonating, you could probably still get away with a week in primary, two weeks in secondary, and then straight into the kegs for carbonation. I haven't done a ton of kegging (beyond helping a buddy a few times), but it definitely shouldn't take you six weeks before you can enjoy that beer. Northern Brewer was probably playing it safe, and assuming you're bottling. Best of luck!

 

[TheInnKeeper]

Totally understood =]
Since you're force carbonating, you could probably still get away with a week in primary, two weeks in secondary, and then straight into the kegs for carbonation. I haven't done a ton of kegging (beyond helping a buddy a few times), but it definitely shouldn't take you six weeks before you can enjoy that beer. Northern Brewer was probably playing it safe, and assuming you're bottling. Best of luck!

The one nice piece of equipment I have right now is my Catalyst Fermenter, I'm pretty aggressive about getting it off the yeast(and onto dry hopping) within a few days of the airlock stopping bubbling that normally ends up being about 14 days.......is that too quick?

 

[Jim R]

Every kit I have bought from NB (all grain) has seemed to list the same 6 week schedule. For my typical ales, I always do 2 weeks in the fermenter and then transfer to the keg on day 14 to cold crash and carbonate for 1 week before I pour the first glass. If I am opening the fermenter to dry hop, I make sure it is before the end of active fermentation to reduce oxygen exposure. "Getting it off the yeast" is of no concern for me.

 

[RM-MN]

If I am getting low on beer and want a pale ale I let the beer sit in the primary fermenter for 10 days, then dry hop for another 5 to 7 days in that same primary before bottling. A week in the bottle and I'm sampling. 2 weeks in the bottle is better but when the beer runs out and I get desperate.........

 

[palmtrees]

The one nice piece of equipment I have right now is my Catalyst Fermenter, I'm pretty aggressive about getting it off the yeast(and onto dry hopping) within a few days of the airlock stopping bubbling that normally ends up being about 14 days.......is that too quick?

If you're generally letting it sit 14 days on the yeast, that's fine. I wouldn't be too concerned about getting it off the yeast. There are a lot of threads on here about the benefits of skipping secondary and letting beer sit on the yeast for a bit so it can clean up byproducts from fermentation. Since adopting that practice, I find my beer is clearer and tastes better. I no longer do secondary for anything, even adding things like cacao nibs. I dry hop in primary, with a full yeast cake. My beers sit on the yeast for two weeks minimum before bottling.

 

[hoffmeister]

The one nice piece of equipment I have right now is my Catalyst Fermenter, I'm pretty aggressive about getting it off the yeast(and onto dry hopping) within a few days of the airlock stopping bubbling that normally ends up being about 14 days.......is that too quick?

In my experience, that should be totally fine with that schedule. I've done similar fermentation/dry hop schedules with bottling and the beers have turned out great. Even though you're transferring out of primary after a few days, provided you had a good, strong fermentation going, 10-12 days in secondary should be more than enough time for dry hopping and for allowing the yeast to do their thing. Someone with more kegging experience may want to weigh in, but I'd say you're good to go!

 

[Tancred the Brewer]

I just brewed my three NB kits (great sale) that last two Sundays. The first one I brewed was in primary for a week. It was already done bubbling after 5 days. I racked it directly to the keg where I will let it sit for another week or two before carbonating. I will be just pulling the first beer which will probably have most of the sediment from conditioning and be good to go from there. Should be ready to drink in 3 weeks time, although the flavor will improve over the next few weeks after that. As has been said, the NB kit instructions are pretty generic. The beer I brewed this past Sunday fermented like crazy and the krausen has already fallen, and it has been fermenting less than 48 hours. It should wrap up in the next couple of days, although this one I will be leaving on the yeast the full two weeks for flavor purposes. You could probably hurry one of them along and then go slower on the other two to get maximum flavor.