How Long in Fermenter

[SwampFoxBrewer]

What benefits are there to keeping a brew in the fermenter after fermentation has completed?

I’ve noticed that some see more of a benefit from bottle aging than others, so curious if there’s a similar benefit from staying in the fermenter for longer.

 

[AlexKay]

You generally want to keep beer in the fermenter at least a while after gravity has stopped dropping. This allows the yeast to clean up fermentation by-products, specifically diacetyl (slick and buttery) and acetaldehyde (green apple).

Then there's attenuation. I watch most of my fermentations with Tilts, and even in the ones that seem to hit final gravity in a couple of days, they'll generally drop a point or two more if I leave them on the heat for another week or two.

Active yeast also have decarboxylating enzymes, which will remove (some) oxidation products: bottle-conditioned beer shows effects of oxidation much more slowly for this reason. The oxidation "clock" starts when you take the beer off the yeast, so there's some benefit to delaying this if you'll be storing the beer for a while or under non-ideal conditions.

 

[SwampFoxBrewer]

That makes sense – thank you! Very helpful. I remember reading somewhere about how yeast “cleans up after itself” once fermentation is wrapping up.

 

[wallyLOZ]

I routinely keep beer in the fermenter for three weeks. Lot's of posts about the length of time in the fermenter, but this works for me. YMMV

 

[hotbeer]

The beer will become clearer. Many very clear as much of the yeast, other suspended proteins and other stuff fall out.

Flavor improves too usually as those undesirable things fall out. And there are some processes that the yeast go through that continue to improve the flavor too.

Of course your bottle or keg is just a secondary or tertiary fermenter, so most of the same things will happen there. Assuming you don't drink it all before that happens.

So where will you rather have the extra trub? On the bottom of your bottle/keg or left behind in the FV?

 

[Jag75]

At home 3 weeks . At the brewery, 10-14 days .