First kit - bottle after primary?

[brottman]

I've been brewing wine for about a year but on my first beer kit. The instructions say to bottle upon reaching my FG (about a week). Should I do that, or siphon to secondary for a couple weeks?

 

[chuckcomm]

No need to secondary but Its best to give it a week or more after reaching final gravity.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I leave all my beers in primary for 3 weeks. No need to move to secondary unless for long term aging (months) or adding fruit, oak, etc.

 

[BMBC]

Either will work. I racked out to secondary only because I wanted to free up my fermenter for my next batch.

 

[TheCADJockey]

You do not need to rack it into a secondary unless you are doing so for a specific reason. Let it go in primary for a few weeks and then take a couple consecutive (daily) readings before you bottle. Be patient and let the yeast do it's thing.

What kind of yeast are you using?
What temp are you fermenting at?

 

[brottman]

The yeast was Nottingham, and temp in the house is usually around 69 F, but I do not know what the wort temp was while fermenting. Just to be sure I understand correctly - it's okay to leave it in the bucket for 3 weeks? Are beers harder to oxidize than wine?

 

[TheCADJockey]

The yeast was Nottingham, and temp in the house is usually around 69 F, but I do not know what the wort temp was while fermenting. Just to be sure I understand correctly - it's okay to leave it in the bucket for 3 weeks? Are beers harder to oxidize than wine?

I don't know about wine, but beer is fairly resilient as long as you aren't constantly opening it and playing with it. Three weeks is definitely fine. That sounds a little high for Nottingham though. You may want to look into a swamp cooler for your next batch. It's a super easy (cheap) method of keeping your fermentation at a cooler temperature. But yes. You're fine letting it go 3 weeks.

 

[BigFloyd]

If you decide to use Nottinham in the future, you might want to pay more careful attention to temps, both pitch and fermentation. That's true using other strains as well, but Notty is pretty sensitive to warmer temps (above 68*F beer temp, not air).

In a 69*F room, the temp of the fermentation itself can get as high as 75-78*F the first 2-3 days. At that temp, Nottingham is notorious for kicking off some pretty funky esters. On the other hand, it will successfully ferment down to 55*F (done that more than once).

No need to secondary. Just leave it in the primary. If you don't have an hydrometer to confirm stable FG a few days apart, give it three weeks before bottling. Instructions that say to bottle in a week are potentially dangerous (bottle bombs).

 

[gratefulfloyd]

I would recommend at least 2 total weeks in primary, I've been doing mine at 3 with better results than my 2 week brews but YMMV.

 

[adamdillabo]

I tend to secondary now. I just bottled last night and it was in primary for 3 secondary for 2. And after I put it into the bottling bucket I realized how much more yeast I would have in my bottles.

 

[kh54s10]

I tend to secondary now. I just bottled last night and it was in primary for 3 secondary for 2. And after I put it into the bottling bucket I realized how much more yeast I would have in my bottles.

There is plenty of yeast in suspension for bottle conditioning whether you secondary or not.

Also, after 5 weeks it should make no difference whether it was in primary for that time or primary and secondary. What would fall out of suspension would do so either way. Cold vs. a warmer fermentation, or cold crashing is the only thing I can think of that would have an effect on how much yeast goes into the bottles. I would even say that a 5 week period would give you less yeast, not more.

 

[jethro55]

Secondary is necessary for some and not necessary for others. Some processes clear well and the trub compacts tightly on the bottom if left in primary, so it can be transferred right to the bottling bucket in those cases. And some don't no matter how long they sit, so secondary is the way to go in order to avoid particles and muck in the bottles. Less of a factor when kegging since the keg is essentially a clearing vessel.

Either way, the beer will taste fine, though a bit harder to pour if lots of gunk is in the bottles.

 

[unionrdr]

I let the beer ferment down to a stable FG, then give it another 3-7 days to clean up any by-products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. It depends on the health of yeast pitch as to how fast it finishes. Flocculation rate also factors in how easily it'll settle out. So time is relative to other factors. Not so much set in stone.