Majormite
Member
Hey guys. How long is too long in a fermenter? I have had an imperial pale ale in the fermenter for four weeks now because I wanted my hops sediment to drop. Is this too long? Will the taste be compromised?
Fermented too long?
- Thread starter Majormite
- Start date
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You should be fine, most beers are fine up to 6-8 weeks in primary without any significant off flavors.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
I routinely do 4 weeks in the primary, and even longer for big beers and Belgians. Those go. 6-8 weeks.
The hops may never drop- but it's easy enough to rack the beer anyway. I start my siphon in the middle and lower the racking cane as the level of the beer lowers. If you avoid the hops on the bottom, and avoid the floaters, you shouldn't have any problem racking the beer.
I leave my beer in the fermenter two weeks or so, usually, unless I'm dryhopping. I'll add the dryhops at 10-14 days, and then leave the beer on the dryhops for 3-7 days before packaging.
I leave my beer in the fermenter two weeks or so, usually, unless I'm dryhopping. I'll add the dryhops at 10-14 days, and then leave the beer on the dryhops for 3-7 days before packaging.
We need to clarify something for you...Your beer hasn't been fermenting for 4 weeks. Beer only ferments for as long as the yeast takes, which is usually about a week. The rest of the time the beer has been conditioning just as if you've racked it to a secondary. It's going to be really clear and really good beer.
After that the yeast goes dormant.
Many of us leave out beers a minimum of 1 month, skip secondary and bottle. Many folks have left their beer a year in primary with no issues. The longest I have ever had has been 5.5 months, and the beer was fine. I have one in primary right now that was brewed in the first week of may, but I haven't been able to bottle it yet. I tasted it last week and it was fantastic.
Long primaries have been covered ad nauseum on here. You can read some info I posted here.
But at this point, if you want to bottle, just rack the beer to your bottling bucket, the hops will continue to float on top as the beer lowers down in the primary, and the hops will just stick to the trub.
After that the yeast goes dormant.
Many of us leave out beers a minimum of 1 month, skip secondary and bottle. Many folks have left their beer a year in primary with no issues. The longest I have ever had has been 5.5 months, and the beer was fine. I have one in primary right now that was brewed in the first week of may, but I haven't been able to bottle it yet. I tasted it last week and it was fantastic.
Long primaries have been covered ad nauseum on here. You can read some info I posted here.
But at this point, if you want to bottle, just rack the beer to your bottling bucket, the hops will continue to float on top as the beer lowers down in the primary, and the hops will just stick to the trub.
