Fermentation time and question

[redrocker652002]

As I sit here and drink my coffee, I am pondering something. If most yeast is done fermenting in 3 or 4 days, at least that is what I have read, why do we leave the now fermented beer in the carboy or bucket for up to 3 weeks or more? I don't mind, and am planning on doing that for my two brews that are currently in the buckets, but I was just curious why? Is it to help to mature the tastes? Get a good mixture of the malts and the hops? I also need to dry hop each and will do that probably early next week so I can keg and bottle my brews next weekend. But, I have a lot of free time and random stuff just enters my mind. I am looking forward to the feedback. RR

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

For many, homebrewing is a weekend hobby.

In the past, kits may have been designed with that in mind: two weeks fermenting, two to four weeks "conditioning", bottling, and 1st bottle in two weeks. I haven't looked at enough kit instructions recently to know if this is still "true".

In the 2020s, with a free evening and floating digital measuring devices it's possible to get from brew day to packaging much quicker.

Is it to help to mature the tastes?

Probably for some styles? maybe not for all?

 

[redrocker652002]

Awesome. Thanks Going to check the gravity on my two that are going now and see where they are in a couple of days after that. Maybe I can dry hop Monday and keg and bottle next weekend. I'm kinda excited to see how they came out but don't want to rush it.

 

[Broken Crow]

There's a lot still going on in the fermenter after primary, but I'd do a lousy job of explaining it. If you have a bit of spare cash to go with your free time, consider getting a transparent fermenter/carboy whatever, (doesn't need to be too large a batch) and just for your own experience; Watch it go from cloudy to clear, and then even clearer over time... The experience you get with your own eyes and palate will provide personal context for the scientific descriptions of the fermentation process as described in the books (and hopefully by some other posters on here)

 

[redrocker652002]

Cool. So if I am reading you right, there is some advantage to leaving it for a bit longer? I guess it won't hurt it, right?

 

[hotbeer]

There are some things the yeast take care of with more time in the FV. They don't just make alcohol and then the party is over. And other things must be happening too that the yeast aren't responsible for. And for me more time in the FV has always yielded good results.

You'll likely have better tastes in your beer if you leave it longer in the FV and if you leave it long enough you'll have cleaner beer that isn't the murky looking stuff some try to pass of as hazy.

For certain all the beers I've left in the FV for 3 -6 weeks I've been very happy with. All the beers I've bottled at 10 days or less I've been disappointed with. And all the beers I've bottled between 2 - 3 weeks for the most part were good to great with a few I wasn't happy with.

As long as you aren't a commercial brewer, then there is no reason to rush your beer to the glass, IMO.

 

[RM-MN]

As long as you aren't a commercial brewer, then there is no reason to rush your beer to the glass,

Even if you are a commercial brewer, rushing your beer to glass can result in a beer that isn't its best.

 

[hotbeer]

Even if you are a commercial brewer, rushing your beer to glass can result in a beer that isn't its best.

True, but commercial brewer's also have cost of their product constantly increasing as time goes by. So for them, spending money on the extra equipment and procedures to lessen the time the beer is in their inventory can make it worthwhile.

But for the homebrewer, time is not so costly.

 

[Broken Crow]

Cool. So if I am reading you right, there is some advantage to leaving it for a bit longer? I guess it won't hurt it, right?

I have a main staple brew, an English Mild, which once I'd 'perfected' it, I assumed it was the best it could be. I had read on here about 'patience' and fought my urge to 'try it now' and was suitably rewarded for waiting an extra week....however, owing to medical issues, I had a batch I was unable to perform the labour of kegging on for a few days longer than I previously had, and though I'd read about this, when I saw a new band of clarity starting at the top of the carboy I used then.. it surprised me because I'd already watched it clear from the top down, but this was an even clearer new band in an ale I knew empirically would already taste great.. I waited and it took about another 7 days for the clarity to get to about an inch and a half above the trub and it seemed to stop there, so after a couple more days I kegged and carbed it. It went from being 'really good' to 'fantastic'. On my next brew of that recipe, I waited even longer, but this time there was no additional improvement, it had settled at 'fantastic', but now I know for myself where this particular recipe is at its best.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

site note: @redrocker652002 was wise to cross-post this in AHA forums (link). In this case, it's looking like two discussions are better than one.

 

[redrocker652002]

site note: @redrocker652002 was wise to cross-post this in AHA forums (link). In this case, it's looking like two discussions are better than one.

Was I wrong to do that? I try and get as much feedback as I can, but I am not sure if both sites play nice or not. If I was wrong I apologise. I meant no disrespect to either site and have gained a lot of info from both. Please advise if I did something to break the rules, both written and unwritten. RR

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Was I wrong to do that?

No.

Different forums, different participants (and experts), different answers.

Two discussions are better than one!

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eta

I am not sure if both sites play nice or not

Ideas flow (often without attribution) between the various forums. For topics that I follow, "cold extraction", "extract darker than expected", "no boil (pasteurized) extract brewing" are examples of topics that have advanced as ideas move between the various USA-based forums.

Cross-posting a good question (and you are good at writing good questions) can benefit everyone.

 

[redrocker652002]

No.

Different forums, different participants (and experts), different answers.

Two discussions are better than one!

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eta



Ideas flow (often without attribution) between the various forums. For topics that I follow, "cold extraction", "extract darker than expected", "no boil (pasteurized) extract brewing" are examples of topics that have advanced as ideas move between the various USA-based forums.

Cross-posting a good question (and you are good at writing good questions) can benefit everyone.

Thank you. I enjoy both forums and have gotten some great info on both, but I know from other forums I post on, sometimes there is some friction amongst each. But if it is cool, I will continue to post on both, and I would encourage anybody to look at both forums Difference of opinion and respectful discussion is always a good teacher to all Rock On!!!!!!!