first brew... Brewers Best Dbl IPA- how long on primary only

[waterlady]

My first batch, pretty exciting!!! I'm doing the Brewers Best dbl Ipa, have had it on primary for 1 week, had some bubbling for a few days but now long gone. Did let it get to 86 one night , but generally in low 60s. Don't plan on doing secondary cause I enjoy hazy beer, like the idea of getting the extra B vitamins (helps with hangovers LOL), and I'm a pragmatist. Everything I've read online seems like the latest trend is to primary only... my question is... how long? Seems like many are doing longer 3-4 weeks. I was planning on 3 weeks primary (despite the kit saying week to 10 days) and around 2 weeks in bottle. My beer guy at the store says no, the brew will pick up off flavors from sitting on sediment for that long. Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks!

 

[Upthewazzu]

2 - 4 weeks is pretty standard. There isn't really a right or wrong answer aside from the extremes (bottling after 1 day, or leaving in primary for 7 months, etc).

I usually do a secondary (GASP!), but I think most folks skip it these days.

 

[bobeer]

3-4 weeks. I usually ferment for 2 weeks, move it to about 70 degrees to clean things up for a week, then dry hop for 5 days, then cold crash for 2 days, then keg. If I'm bottling then I skip the cold crash. Sometimes I don't wait as long... it just depends what I'm brewing. For a big beer I do the above.

Leaving your beer on the yeast cake will not cause off flavors. Experiments have been done and it will only make your beer better/cleaner. I've read people leaving beer on the yeast cake for several months and it was fine.

Good luck!

 

[kh54s10]

When I want to get one finished a little sooner I will go 2 weeks. My normal is about 21 days but sometimes I get lazy and leave them longer. I have gone almost to 2 months in primary without issue. Getting the beer off the yeast seems to have come from the days of less refined yeasts.

You might get good carbonation after 2 weeks or it might take a little longer. Standard practice is 3 weeks around 70 degrees then chill for a day or two. I find that ALL my beers taste better at 3 weeks or longer.

 

[waterlady]

I forgot to mention that I dry hopped after 3 days on primary per the instructions. Will 3 weeks on primary still be ok?
Thanks
Deb

 

[Upthewazzu]

I forgot to mention that I dry hopped after 3 days on primary per the instructions. Will 3 weeks on primary still be ok?
Thanks
Deb

Well, the instructions probably led you a little astray there. I would have waited at least one week before dry hopping, maybe even two. Also, dry hops will get "grassy" after a week or so, so at this point I wouldn't leave them in there any longer than seven days.