Completely fermented in 9 days?

[FallsDamBrewery]

I brewed an Irish Stout extract kit and it has been in the primary for 9 days today. OG was 1.044 (range 1.042-1.046) and the FG has been holding at 1.011 (range 1.010-1.012) for 3 days now.

I was planning on leaving it in the primary for 3 weeks before bottling, but with the gravity where it needs to be...is it safe to bottle now?

I tasted it last night...it is delightful!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

if the hydrometer reading stays steady for 3-4 days then yes it is SAFE to bottle but will benefit from a week or two more before doing so.

 

[JMSetzler]

You could bottle it now, but you could also let it sit in the fermenter and allow the yeast to continue doing the cleanup that they do. For a stout, you aren't going to be so worried about clarity, but the aging and maturation process is starting now. Let it sit for a total of 21 days at least

 

[chelero]

it could have completely fermented out in 3 days, BUT...as others often mention on here, there are alot of things still going on that can make it worth it to leave it for another couple of weeks in the fermenter. think about chilli or stew that tastes good when it's just cooked, but even better once it's been in the fridge for a day or two. I don't know all the technical names for the things that are happening, but that's what i've read and heard. and that's what I do. I usaully don't bother with a gravity reading for 3 wks or so. it tastes good now, but it may taste even better in a couple of weeks. maybe someone who knows more could explain this better....

 

[chelero]

doh, too slow! what they said

 

[goose1873]

+1...21 days minimum before bottling/kegging. Most beers are at final gravity by day 10 (unless a big beer) but it will benefit immensely if you let it condition a couple weeks.

 

[FallsDamBrewery]

I will let it sit for 21 days total...seems like the general consensus

 

[wildwest450]

I'm going to disagree. On a small session type beer you can be drinking it in 3 weeks (if you keg). I keg my brown porter after 8-9 days, and am drinking in 3 weeks. That's because I pitch the proper amount of yeast and get quick ferments.

I do leave my bigger beers in for 3 weeks though.

 

[pkeeler]

If fermentation is substantially complete, I would move it off the trub into a secondary fermenter. But, it seems many people don't do that around here.

 

[goose1873]

some will go longer...typically the bigger the beer, the longer it should be conditioned...Also some styles take longer to taste the way they should...I would say minimum 3 weeks then 3 weeks in bottle so (6 weeks from brewday till cracking one open).

Some tripple's are aged 4+ months before bottling...

 

[wildwest450]

Give this a read and get to drinking!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/aging-beer-facts-myths-discussion-84005/

 

[Bacchus]

I'm going to disagree. On a small session type beer you can be drinking it in 3 weeks (if you keg). I keg my brown porter after 8-9 days, and am drinking in 3 weeks. That's because I pitch the proper amount of yeast and get quick ferments.

I do leave my bigger beers in for 3 weeks though.

I agree. Maybe I have a dead tongue that can't detect the finer nuances of beer but I've bottled after seven days and I've let sit for a month and couldn't tell a bit of difference. On big beers.....over 1.080.....I could. But not on the lighter beers.

I've also drank the lighter beers after two and three weeks in the bottle and have let them sit for six months in the bottle.....and again.....couldn't tell a bit of difference.

O.k....so I'm not qualified to be a taster at a brewery!! LOL!!!

 

[goose1873]

I agree. Maybe I have a dead tongue that can't detect the finer nuances of beer but I've bottled after seven days and I've let sit for a month and couldn't tell a bit of difference. On big beers.....over 1.080.....I could. But not on the lighter beers.

I've also drank the lighter beers after two and three weeks in the bottle and have let them sit for six months in the bottle.....and again.....couldn't tell a bit of difference.

O.k....so I'm not qualified to be a taster at a brewery!! LOL!!!

Are you bottling from a keg? 7 days is not enough time to naturally ferment a beer...the discussion above was before bottling/kegging. any way you want to slice it a naturally primed bottle will be completely different at 30 days compared to 7.

If you are force carbing and bottling then I agree with you.

 

[FallsDamBrewery]

Are you bottling from a keg? 7 days is not enough time to naturally ferment a beer...the discussion above was before bottling/kegging. any way you want to slice it a naturally primed bottle will be completely different at 30 days compared to 7.

If you are force carbing and bottling then I agree with you.

This will be natural carbing in bottles.

 

[Bacchus]

Are you bottling from a keg? 7 days is not enough time to naturally ferment a beer...the discussion above was before bottling/kegging. any way you want to slice it a naturally primed bottle will be completely different at 30 days compared to 7.

If you are force carbing and bottling then I agree with you.

Well, you may be right but someone had best tell the Cisterician monks that brew Chimay. Their 9.0% blue label Tripel is primaried for four days, secondaried for four days, bottle conditioned for three weeks and then it hits the shelves to be sold.

Go to YouTube, type in "Chimay" and watch the ten minute video of the Cistercian brewmaster explaining how they make Chimay. You'll be absolutely shocked at the short fermentation and conditioning times.

 

[goose1873]

Well, you may be right but someone had best tell the Cisterician monks that brew Chimay. Their 9.0% blue label Tripel is primaried for four days, secondaried for four days, bottle conditioned for three weeks and then it hits the shelves to be sold.

Go to YouTube, type in "Chimay" and watch the ten minute video of the Cistercian brewmaster explaining how they make Chimay. You'll be absolutely shocked at the short fermentation and conditioning times.

you just said it yourself "bottle conditioned for 3 weeks"...(not 7 days)

 

[Bacchus]

you just said it yourself "bottle conditioned for 3 weeks"...(not 7 days)

Well, if you go back and read my original post, I said after seven days of fermentation. Not seven days in the bottle. I said two or three weeks in the bottle. You then said there's no way a beer is done fermenting after only seven days. Therefore I said, "Someone had best tell the Cistercians that."

In fact, the other two Chimay brands (7% and 8%) are only primaried and secondaried for THREE days! Well for some reason those boys seem to think that fermentation can be completed in LESS than seven days.

I'm not saying that a beer doesn't improve from aging. I'm sure it does! I was just saying that "my tongue" can't distinguish the differences. I was actually criticizing my own tastes!! LOL!!

 

[Bacchus]

LOL! O.k. Re-read both of our posts and it looks like we were both misunderstanding one another.

 

[FallsDamBrewery]

 

[earwig]

I forget where I read this... but is it true that Wheat beers are generally pretty good with short aging/fermentation... 2 weeks fermenting, 2/3 weeks in the bottle? TY.

 

[Pierce]

Ok. So the consensus is 3 weeks in the primary, but how long is too long in the primary. For example, I have to leave for a 4 week away rotation this summer, can I leave it or will it start to go bad?

Or...what's the time frame to move to a secondary if you have to wait a while to bottle?

 

[wildwest450]

I forget where I read this... but is it true that Wheat beers are generally pretty good with short aging/fermentation... 2 weeks fermenting, 2/3 weeks in the bottle? TY.

Yup it's true. I brewed one for a buddy on 2/12. We were drinking it fully carbed (kegged) last Friday night.

 

[goose1873]

Ok. So the consensus is 3 weeks in the primary, but how long is too long in the primary. For example, I have to leave for a 4 week away rotation this summer, can I leave it or will it start to go bad?

Or...what's the time frame to move to a secondary if you have to wait a while to bottle?

4 weeks is fine just be sure your fermentor is air tight and your air-lock stays full...

 

[Pierce]

Possibly a stupid question. How do you check if its air tight?

Obviously I'm new to this.

 

[wscott823]

With my bucket I seal the lid, plug it with the air lock and apply very little positive pressure to the lid. If I see the airlock move, it's air tight enough for me.

 

[Pierce]

Well that's certainly more sensible than what I was thinking. Plugging a pressurized air line in and seeing if I could blow the lid off but that would have made for a good story, trip to the ER and a run to the LHBS for a new bucket.

 

[pkeeler]

Ok. So the consensus is 3 weeks in the primary, but how long is too long in the primary. For example, I have to leave for a 4 week away rotation this summer, can I leave it or will it start to go bad?

Or...what's the time frame to move to a secondary if you have to wait a while to bottle?

I would not leave it in a primary for more than three weeks. If you know you are not going to be able to bottle on day 22, then rack it to a secondary. I might be old school, but I have to go with Palmer, Miller, etc. and suggest using a secondary. You can move to the secondary as soon as bubbling slows dramatically.

 

[goose1873]

I doesnt matter...either way is fine. whatever makes you all fuzzy inside