Fermentation time

[JLamb]

So the extract recipe I brewed called for primary fermentation for about two weeks, then to rack. But from what I gathered from reading some post is that it would benefit to leave the brew in the primary for about a month to let the yeast clean up the brew some more. It has almost been a month in the primary, but I'm considering letting it go a little long like. Month and 4 days. Will this be to long will I harm the over all brew by letting it sit this long or longer?


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[kombat]

It will be fine. I run all my fermentations for 3 weeks, and then begin my cold-crashing/gelatin regimen before kegging them and beginning carbonation.

When you say you plan to "rack" the beer next, what do you mean? Are you referring to racking to a secondary fermentation vessel (probably not necessary), or racking to your bottling bucket to bottle the batch?

 

[wtfDean]

there isn't any harm in letting it sit a little longer, though many might dispute if you'll see any benefits from a longer fermentation time unless you're making some kind of a big beer that needs time to mellow before it will taste good. if this isn't the case, i'd suggest bottling sooner rather than later. freeing up your fermenter gives you the opportunity to brew another beer

 

[JLamb]

I plan to rack to bottles.


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[RM-MN]

A guy I chat with said he left a beer in the primary for 8 months and that that wasn't too long yet. You'll be fine. Longer primaries drop out more yeast and the beer begins to mature there so it doesn't take as long in the bottles before it is good to drink.

 

[wtfDean]

to sum it up, do it either way. you won't wreck your brew

 

[JLamb]

A guy I chat with said he left a beer in the primary for 8 months and that that wasn't too long yet. You'll be fine. Longer primaries drop out more yeast and the beer begins to mature there so it doesn't take as long in the bottles before it is good to drink.

What do you mean drop out more yeast. And I assume the optimal time beer needs to full mature is dictated by the style of beer.


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[wtfDean]

as a beer sits, and as most of the sugar gets eaten up by the fermentation process, the yeast go dormant and drop to the bottom of your beer. they make up the "yeast cake" and trub layer that sits at the bottom of your fermenter. there can still be quite a bit of yeast in suspension even if the beer looks mostly clear, and the longer you let the beer sit, more and more of the yeast in your fermenter go dormant and drop to the bottom. bottling earlier may cause your bottles to have more sediment in the bottom than if you had done it later.

so, "dropping out" means the yeast are dropping out of suspension and will not be at the bottom of your bottled beer. that said, if you are bottle conditioning you will never eliminate the yeast layer at the bottom of your bottles and you shouldn't stress too much about having less.

 

[JLamb]

as a beer sits, and as most of the sugar gets eaten up by the fermentation process, the yeast go dormant and drop to the bottom of your beer. they make up the "yeast cake" and trub layer that sits at the bottom of your fermenter. there can still be quite a bit of yeast in suspension even if the beer looks mostly clear, and the longer you let the beer sit, more and more of the yeast in your fermenter go dormant and drop to the bottom. bottling earlier may cause your bottles to have more sediment in the bottom than if you had done it later.



so, "dropping out" means the yeast are dropping out of suspension and will not be at the bottom of your bottled beer. that said, if you are bottle conditioning you will never eliminate the yeast layer at the bottom of your bottles and you shouldn't stress too much about having less.

So it is ideal to let it sit a little longer to lose the hazy look and to eliminate yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.


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[wtfDean]

you cannot eliminate the sediment layer at the bottom of bottle conditioned beers. you can only minimize it.

 

[dinnerstick]

i would add, don't underestimate the change that your beer can go through between say being 2 weeks old and 4 weeks. this does really depend on the style of beer and very importantly the yeast strain, so doesn't necessarily apply to high flocculating yeast like english ales, but young beer can take sharp or muddy, a couple weeks later more yeast has settled out and whatever magic has happened the same beer will taste smooth and nice. i get this with medium flocculating yeast like safeale05/1056/001/cal/chico, which does take a few weeks (or a few days in the fridge) to really settle. chances are that if you are bottling so early that you end up with a giant layer in the bottles, this beer, if drunk very young, is going to taste bready with yeast.

 

[JLamb]

i would add, don't underestimate the change that your beer can go through between say being 2 weeks old and 4 weeks. this does really depend on the style of beer and very importantly the yeast strain, so doesn't necessarily apply to high flocculating yeast like english ales, but young beer can take sharp or muddy, a couple weeks later more yeast has settled out and whatever magic has happened the same beer will taste smooth and nice. i get this with medium flocculating yeast like safeale05/1056/001/cal/chico, which does take a few weeks (or a few days in the fridge) to really settle. chances are that if you are bottling so early that you end up with a giant layer in the bottles, this beer, if drunk very young, is going to taste bready with yeast.

I think I might be safe then because this beer is just about 4 weeks and it's and american wheat that I believe the yeast strain is the safeale05.


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[wtfDean]

I think I might be safe then because this beer is just about 4 weeks and it's and american wheat that I believe the yeast strain is the safeale05.

plenty of time. bottle at your leisure