How long can i leave it in the fermenter?

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Scout

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I know this has been asked before, but I can't seem to find the thread. First time kegging and i bought a used keezer with two co2 bottles. I brewed 10 gallons, racked to fermenter, and took my co2 bottles to get them filled, only to find they were out of hydro. I dont know how long it will take to have them tested and filled as they have to be shipped out for testing. Am I right that my beer will be fine if left undisturbed? The FC is set to 67° +/- 2°.
 
I am not sure how long you are thinking. Plenty of folks have made beers they were happy with after leaving the beer in primary for multiple months. I have read that off flavors from the yeast don't start until 2-3 months but there are a lot of variables to that.

Personally, I would have no worries leaving a beer in primary 5 weeks. In reality it should be fine to store it even longer but my OCD would really be screaming at me.
 
A couple months should be fine. If you're nervous about that, you can rack it off into the serving kegs so it's off the yeast, and then store it however long is appropriate for the style. You could even add some sugar and carb it if you like.
 
I don't do secondary transfers.
I leave my beer in the primary fermenter for 2 months easily with no problem, and with some high gravity beers I have even gone 3 months with no problems (I have temp controlled refrigeration for fermentation).
But I wouldn't want to go much further than 3 months on the primary fermenter.
 
You'll be fine as long as it takes to get the tanks done and back.
Am I correct in understanding that it's just recently brewed and pitched, compared to ready to keg?
But if it seems like it'll take too long, another option would be to naturally carbonate, with sugar, like you'd be bottling (you do want to cut back on the sugar used, about half is a rule of thumb compared to bottling.)
You might trade off a bit of oxygen exposure, but the yeast eating the sugars should take care of that small amount.
I don't have the setup for low-oxy or force kegging, so I use a couple puffs of CO2 from an injector, then venting. 3 or 4 cycles of that takes care of almost all the atmosphere air in the headspace.
 
took my co2 bottles to get them filled, only to find they were out of hydro. I dont know how long it will take to have them tested and filled as they have to be shipped out for testing.
Many (most?) places will swap the tanks for full ones, and take care of hydro testing, with no (direct) charge to you.

Unless those tanks you got are beautiful and shiny, I'd find a place that swaps and asks no questions about dates. That will also save you the $30+ fee each for hydro testing.

Praxair in my area never looks at the date, I've been swapping tanks the past 6 years.
 
I didn't know anyone bought their own bottles any more other than maybe a avid SCUBA diver. Even back when I was that avid SCUBA diver, I only owned a bottle so I could go on the spur of the moment dives when shops weren't open.

Check in on the price of just exchanging empty bottles for full bottles. You won't have to worry about hydro's and other gotcha's.

Your beer will be fine in the FV. For certain...IMO, it'll be better off than trying to transfer it with no CO2.
 
Many (most?) places will swap the tanks for full ones, and take care of hydro testing, with no (direct) charge to you.

Unless those tanks you got are beautiful and shiny, I'd find a place that swaps and asks no questions about dates. That will also save you the $30+ fee each for hydro testing.

Praxair in my area never looks at the date, I've been swapping tanks the past 6 years.
+1 for Praxair. They factor recert into the price and it averages out across all the customers. AirGas does not and will charge you for a recert or worse, swap out your freshly recerted empty tank for one of theirs that is about to expire and screw you again next time you come in for a fill/swap.

Guess who gets ALL my business now? And I have ten 20# tanks...that's a lot of money (on the home brew scale) that AirGas just lost for life...
 
Not my experience with Airgas. Once my liquor store said it was outa date and would not fill it. Went to airgas and they were out of exchange tanks and suggested I go to said liquor store, i said outa date. They exchanged my empty for an empty that was 2 years until hydo testing for free. I always go there!
 
You'll be fine as long as it takes to get the tanks done and back.
Am I correct in understanding that it's just recently brewed and pitched, compared to ready to keg?
But if it seems like it'll take too long, another option would be to naturally carbonate, with sugar, like you'd be bottling (you do want to cut back on the sugar used, about half
It was in the fermenter for two weeks before I decided to get my tanks filled. I figured if I dont touch it it would be fine, but I wanted to make sure.
 
Many (most?) places will swap the tanks for full ones, and take care of hydro testing, with no (direct) charge to you.

Unless those tanks you got are beautiful and shiny, I'd find a place that swaps and asks no questions about dates. That will also save you the $30+ fee each for hydro testing.

Praxair in my area never looks at the date, I've been swapping tanks the past 6 years.
That was the idea, but they didn't have any tanks to swap. This place used to be Welder Services, then Praxair, now its Linde. Normally I swap tanks no problem.
 
That was the idea, but they didn't have any tanks to swap. This place used to be Welder Services, then Praxair, now its Linde. Normally I swap tanks no problem.
Is that the only place? I'd call around.
Are these 20# tanks or 5#, 10#?

It usually takes a week turnround to get them tested, unless they do it right there, but they won't do just one or two, they save up a whole lot. It also takes a day or 2 to dry them.

The (large) fire protection service I used to get fills done (walk-in round the back) did tests for $30, but it was 2 trips, drop off and pick up.
 
Is that the only place? I'd call around.
Are these 20# tanks or 5#, 10#?

It usually takes a week turnround to get them tested, unless they do it right there, but they won't do just one or two, they save up a whole lot. It also takes a day or 2 to dry them.

The (large) fire protection service I used to get fills done (walk-in round the back) did tests for $30, but it was 2 trips, drop off and pick up.
I went to another place, it was $35 for the test, and got on the maintenance program which is $12.50 per tank per year, and I just swapped for a full tank. They keep track of serial numbers in case the tank gets stolen.
 
I went to another place, it was $35 for the test,
That is in range. Is that for each or both?

and got on the maintenance program which is $12.50 per tank per year,
Sorry, that seems like a hoax.
What kind of maintenance does a tank require, aside from the hydrotest when you want to get it filled after it has expired.
Does that give you "free" hydro tests every 5 years? 5x $12.50 = $60. If so, you can get 1 test done for $35 and still have $25 left... :rolleyes:

They keep track of serial numbers in case the tank gets stolen.
Hoax! No-one ever looks at serial numbers. There's no registry, or anyone who tracks them, AFAIK.
Who's gonna steal your tank, anyway? Are they going to replace it for free, with a similar one, if it gets stolen or goes missing?
 
Many (most?) places will swap the tanks for full ones, and take care of hydro testing, with no (direct) charge to you.
Around me (A) it's hard to find someone to do hydro test at all; (B) they ALWAYS check and charge hydro, even when swapping; but at least they swap with recently hydro tested tank.
 
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