almost 30 days in primary.

[nobody]

i have two beers that will be ready to bottle about a week apart. the first one is about a week and a half away from being in the primary for 30 days. the second is exactly a week behind.

i can push the lids and get the middle piece of the 3 piece airlock to sit back down on the post on each without sucking any rum back into the beer. within three hours the middle piece will be back up against the lid and i get a airbubble about every 5 minutes out of them.

i have a metter to read the gravity with no biggy there, but i just don't want to pop the lids yet to take a reading!!!! i figure as long as i'm still getting a bubble every 5 minutes they aren't done yet. what is the very longest you would let them sit in the primary? i'm not crazy about doing the secondary becuase i don't want to let air hit the beer till i'm ready to bottle. i figure it will get all the air it needs while i'm bottling it!!!

 

[Vuarra]

I've had a beer in primary for 6 months.

Having said that, I would not keep it on primary for more than 8 weeks or so. Just my two cents.

 

[Spludge]

Airlock -- Not a good gauge of fermentation.

Don't worry about popping the lid to take a reading, it will not hurt the beer. Check them and see where they are at.

I usually bottle after a month of primary, but still take a reading to be safe. People argue about how long you can primary w/o any ill effects, my rule of thumb is three months but you can probably go longer.

 

[ndsgr]

I haven't had time to keg a Bitter I made 5 weeks ago. Maybe next week. Not worried about it.

Where is Revvy's cut and paste?

 

[Spludge]

Palmer in How to Brew talking about long primary:
"As a final note on this subject, I should mention that by brewing with healthy yeast in a well-prepared wort, many experienced brewers, myself included, have been able to leave a beer in the primary fermenter for several months without any evidence of autolysis."

 

[Hang Glider]

i have two beers that will be ready to bottle about a week apart. the first one is about a week and a half away from being in the primary for 30 days. the second is exactly a week behind.

first beer = 19 days
second beer = 12 days

it's not ready yet.

patience.

 

[nobody]

yep. time is our friend. i think i'll wait till thanksgiving and just pop the top on the oldest one and take a reading. it should be ready by then. it will be about 8.5%abv. the next one will be about 7.5%abv. when i pop the first one i feel a wheat beer needs to be made. i just have 5 cases of wheat beer sitting in the basement right now aging. 2 more cases wouldn't hurt it i don't think. then again who knows.

 

[JonK331]

I haven't had time to keg a Bitter I made 5 weeks ago. Maybe next week. Not worried about it.

Where is Revvy's cut and paste?

Yes where is Revvy?

@OP: if you do a search on airlock activity, you will find that airlock activity is not a good guage of fermentation. However, if you are only getting a bubble every five minutes I would say your beer is done anyway.

 

[JebCkr]

yep. time is our friend. i think i'll wait till thanksgiving and just pop the top on the oldest one and take a reading. it should be ready by then. it will be about 8.5%abv. the next one will be about 7.5%abv. when i pop the first one i feel a wheat beer needs to be made. i just have 5 cases of wheat beer sitting in the basement right now aging. 2 more cases wouldn't hurt it i don't think. then again who knows.

Hmm, if it's 8.5% I would think it calls for more than 4 weeks before bottling. I'd secondary it for a month (although, many will say they don't bother with secondary). Regardless, you are right to give it until thanksgiving. That'll be what, 5 weeks? Yea, sounds good :rockin:

 

[TheCarnie]

Hmm, if it's 8.5% I would think it calls for more than 4 weeks before bottling. I'd secondary it for a month (although, many will say they don't bother with secondary). Regardless, you are right to give it until thanksgiving. That'll be what, 5 weeks? Yea, sounds good :rockin:

5 WEEKS!???!!! My batches are usually completely gone 5 weeks after brewing.
I just can't brew enough beer to satisfy the demand of everyone who drinks it.So it usually is being drank green.

 

[Calder]

I just have 5 cases of wheat beer sitting in the basement right now aging. 2 more cases wouldn't hurt it i don't think. then again who knows.

Wheat should be drunk young - get drinking!

 

[kpr121]

5 WEEKS!???!!! My batches are usually completely gone 5 weeks after brewing.
I just can't brew enough beer to satisfy the demand of everyone who drinks it.So it usually is being drank green.

Someone needs to step up to 10 gallon batches, or get less friends.