Brooklyn brewshop's beer making kit*help*

[CraftBrewGal]

Okay, so I just started brewing,
i purchased the Brooklyn Brewshop's beer kit.
I'm a bit confused about the fermenting process-the book is pretty basic|Has recipes that you can modify. I've been making my own mashes and somewhat following their recipes but for some reason on every recipe the wait time is 11 days to ferment... they are using 1 gallon glkass jugs for all of the recipes but the yeast varies-they say 2-3 days (or wait until not active) for the blow off tube and then let sit an additional 11 days before botteling.
I've been reading a few different threads and it seems like fermentaion(especially for lets say a porter((which is what i'm brewing)) should take longer than that. Is the process just different because i am working with smaller bathces or should i maybe look elsewhere for fermentation instruction?

 

[EJay]

After 14 days total, it probably is ready, though I like to go at least 3 weeks in the fermenter. You can certainly go longer.

Active fermentation is usually done in, say, 4 days on normal beers, but the additional time allows the yeast to clean up after themselves.

I also prefer about 3 weeks in the bottle too before even tasting. The wait time will drive you nuts on your first batch, so get a few more fermenters and get your pipeline filled up.

 

[bernardsmith]

I am no expert but two contradictory thoughts .
1. Kits have instructions. If you follow the instructions and the results are poor you have (very likely) some redress from the kit manufacturer. If you don't follow the instructions and the results are poor then you have only yourself to blame... any "warranty" is null and void... BUT that said,
IMO, any beer improves with three weeks in the fermenter. That gives the yeast time to work on some of their own by-products that result in off flavors and aromas. Three weeks in the fermenter and three or four conditioning in bottles seems to be preferred by many of the folk I know... and that said... the bigger the beer (the higher the ABV) the more time the beer needs to age . I recently heard of a nice rule of thumb which is 1 week for every 10 points of gravity in the wort...

 

[Foosier]

Fermentation does not take a set period of time. Some yeast work fast, some slow. Most of the time, yeast is done in about 2 weeks. That is what the instructions you are seeing are playing off of. It simplifies things greatly for their instructions if they just use a standard "rule of thumb" to guide you.

In reality it may or may not be necessary to wait that long. The only way to know for sutre is to test your specific gravity (SG). As the yeast eats the sugars in the wort, the SG drops. this is measured best with a hydrometer. The kist Should tell you what the final SG is expected to be. This can be predicted based on what we know specific yeasts will do.

That is fermentation though. What you are referring to is aging, mellowing and melding of flavors. I darker beers it can be beneficial to let the beer age a little bit longer after fermentation is complete for the flavors to meld together. A month is not unreasonable. Granted, this can occur in a bottle or in a keg (if you are doing that) not just in the fermenter.

 

[CraftBrewGal]

Thanks guys.. that was super helpful. I'm glad i finally joined this site idk what took me so long lol