After pitching, how long in the fridge?

[Bronco1500]

Hello all, First off thanks for helping me make higher quality home brew !!

So, I have set up a small fridge with temp controller. This fits a single carboy. After pitching the yeast, how long should it stay inside the fridge ?

I know some will advise a looooong time. Keep in mind the longer its in the fridge, the longer time in between brew days.

Thanks for helping a retarded new guy

 

[WesleyS]

Depends on what you're brewing.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Temperature control is most critical during the most active portion of fermentation.

For many ales, that would be 4-5 days, but like WesleyS said, It Depends.

How frequent are your brew days? How frequent would you prefer them to be?

What was the OG of the brew you just put in there, what yeast, and what temperature?

I think in general, when you get within spitting distance of your FG, it's safe to remove the fermenter to warmer climes.

 

[Bronco1500]

Id like to brew at soonest every weekend. But more likely will be every other weekend.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

If we're talking ales, and not ales over 1.060ish, and you are pitching enough yeast, and aerating properly, there's no reason why fermentation can't be off and running in a few hours, and largely done by the end of the week.

The belgian wit i brewed last night has an OG of about 1.053 and i pitched a 1.25L starter. I oxygenated with hardware store oxygen and a .5 micron diffuser for 2 minutes. The blowoff was burping away the next time i checked it, 6 hours later. I will be surprised if it hasn't burned through most of it's sugars by next sunday.

My belgian golden strong, with an OG close to 1.070, on the other hand, was chugging away vigorously for two full weeks. Really, it was like having a dielsel engine slowly idling. I never got around to putting an airlock on it. It went from throwing off co2 and other gasses with force and vigor requiring a blowoff tube to done.

 

[phatspade]

I'd go with every other weekend so you have a much more thorough fermentation at a constant temp. 4-5 days isn't really long enough for a good fermentation as it takes longer to go through the 2 stages of fermentation and end up with a better beer.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I'd go with every other weekend so you have a much more thorough fermentation at a constant temp. 4-5 days isn't really long enough for a good fermentation as it takes longer to go through the 2 stages of fermentation and end up with a better beer.

That's preferable in most cases, but off flavors due to high fermentation temperatures are most likely to occur during primary fermentation, right?

 

[phatspade]

Yes and no. Stopping the yeast before they clean up after themselves will leave those off flavors. If the OP moves to a secondary and stays within the temp range of the yeast then he/she will be fine, but warmer temps may produce a different taste from the yeast depending on what yeast is used. Since the fridge is being used to control temps you don't want to change the temp until fermentation is done otherwise it serves no point and may stress the yeast.

This is what I know from what I've been reading in this very forum and a few brewing books.

 

[Bronco1500]

ok, so looks like 2 weeks it is

 

[RM-MN]

ok, so looks like 2 weeks it is

Nope. My ales spend a week in a temperature controlled room (about 63 ambient) and then get moved out to room temperature for another 2 weeks to 2 months. The flavor is pretty much determined by the fast initial ferment and it you keep that temperature near the lower end of the yeast's preferred range the off flavors won't be produced. Letting the beer ferment longer at room temp encourages the yeast to get the last of the fermentable sugar and complete the cleanup.

Now comes the problem. If I want to brew every weekend, I need more fermenters. I also have to deal with the beer that has completed the fermentation and is sitting in the fermenter. What if I don't have time to take care of this? No problem, just buy another fermenter and let the other one sit. I've had beer in the fermenter for 9 weeks with no problem and another brewer has mentioned 8 months. Just take care of it when you have time.:rockin: