First batch update

[Gopher40]

Okay my Hefeweizen is now 5 days in primary. I have taken 2 gravity readings (yesterday and today) from the sattelite beer I made after pitching. The SG was 1.050, the reading the last 2 days is 1.012. Airlock is showing a bubble about every 30 seconds or so. When do you folks think I should think about transferring to the secondary? If I come off impatient it;s because I AM! Really hoping to be able to drink this stuff the week of the 4th.

 

[goose1873]

I would leave it on the yeast for at least 2 weeks. it needs 2 weeks in bottle (should be three but 2 works in a pinch)...

I wouldn't worry about the secondary if you need the quick turnaround. just primary 2 wks and bottle.

disclaimer:

This beer will taste ok but would be a hell of a lot better if given 3 weeks ferment and 3-4 weeks in the bottle....

...too bad your not kegging...would save the bottle conditioning time.

--good luck

 

[Gopher40]

I may look into the kegging thing, but being a newbie and this my first batch I will just go with the bottling for now. So you are thinking just skip the secondary? I have heard a lot of people say they don't even mess with using a secondary. I guess with this being a weizen it will be sort of cloudy anyways so I should'nt worry too much about clarity. SoO if I try and stretch this into 5 weeks, would I be better off with 3 weeks in the primary, and 2 in the bottles, or 2 in the primary and 3 in the bottles?

 

[krelin]

Definitely leave your beer alone if you're still actually seeing your airlock pop.

 

[BackshoreJake]

My experience with Hefs is that you don't want to put them in a secondary. One characteristic of a hefeweizen is that it is cloudy- and the purpose of a secondary is to let yeast and sediment fall out of suspension- clearing up a beer. So putting a hef in secondary dosen't seem to make much sense. Also Hefs usually taste better when they are younger. So why waste the time in secondary when the beer wont tast as good out of it?

I would let the beer sit in primary for 2-2.5 weeks and then bottle/keg it.