How Long is Too Long / How Short is Too Short

[Tazzster]

I have some questions about process times. From what I have read I have these time frames as a general rule of thumb...

Time in the fermentation bucket/container - 4 weeks in primary or 1 week in the primary and 3 weeks in the secondary.

Time in the bottle for carbonating/conditioning - 3 weeks

Time in the fridge before drinking - 1 week

Do those sound about right?


Also, are those suggested minimums? What are the maximums? Especially for the carbonation conditioning time - is it bad to leave in bottle like that for a long time without chilling it once?

Thanks!

 

[rodwha]

The typical rule of thumb is 3/3/3 which is 3 weeks in primary, 3 weeks conditioning, and 3 days in the fridge. I sometimes go 4/4/1 (weeks).

You'd not want to take a beer off of the yeast after just a week to secondary for another 3. It would be better to split that in half or leave it for 2 weeks as it's during that time when the yeast are scavenging for food and eating the byproducts they created during fermentation, and this "cleans up" the flavor.

For really high ABV beers or ones that are more complex it seems a longer conditioning time is necessary. I'm not sure about the particulars.

I prefer to leave mine in the fridge for 7 days prior to popping the top, but at times I grow impatient and try something I'm anxious about.

The longer it sits in the fridge the clearer it will become. In essence it becomes lagering to a degree.

Low ABV and simple beers generally don't seem to need the 3/3 time period, though I'm not certain if conditioning times can be cut shorter.

I aim to try several quick turn around brews to see what I can have ready in 31 days for those times I see where a get together happens with only a month. These beers will all be 4.8-5.4% and as simple as I can make them, and using extract and steeping grains for a quicker brew day.

 

[rodwha]

The conditioning time is OK to extend. How long is too long? I'm not sure as there are some beers that do better after years of aging and some that aren't nearly as good 6 months later. An IPA or anything dry hopped just doesn't stay as nice for long.

 

[VonAle]

Not to start the argument, but i have found my IPA's are best at: 2-1-3

2 weeks Primary, 1 week in the bottle at room temp, and then ALL the bottles go into the fridge to preserve the flavor and aroma.
I'll start drinking them at day 3 in the fridge. (3 weeks and 3 days-Grain to Glass)

3 weeks for IPA's at room temp is doing more harm than good, IMO.

 

[Adaman05]

I brew mostly hoppy IPAs, DIPAs, APAs, or hefeweizens. If I'm dry hopping, I usually add dry hops after 1 week, dry hop 1 week, then keg, force carb and consume. I'm a big fan of the blog: bertusbrewery.com.

He also turns his beers around fast and the recipes come out amazing.

I usually don't brew a lot of big malty beers, but even porters I find I turn around quickly. I'm in the camp that 1 month of primary or primary+secondary is overkill.

 

[dkevinb]

If you ask 10 home brewers this question you're going to get 12 answers. There really is no "right" answer. For simple mid-gravity beers like an APA I ferment for 2 weeks, bottle condition at room temp for 2 weeks, and refrigerate until I feel like drinking them. More complex beers I might let sit in the bottle a bit longer.

The only maximum I know of is you don't want to let your beer sit on the yeast cake in primary "too long". Defining "too long" is another flashpoint. I've never gone more than 3-4 weeks, so I'll say that's not too long. Also, beer doesn't last forever. Really big, complex beers (barley wines, etc.) can handle sitting around for a long time (1-2 years or more). Hoppy beers like APA's and IPA's taste best fresh.

 

[brew_ny]

most ales grain to glass if you keg in two weeks or so

all the best

S_M

 

[rodwha]

I'm going to have to pop a few of my recently bottled IPA's into the fridge to try. They fermented for 3 1/2 weeks and have been in the bottle 1 1/2 weeks now.

I moved to a longer conditioning time as I had an IPA taste similar to Ranger after 3/3/3 and when a week past before my friend could try it it was nothing like it had been, and made a liar out of me. Since then I figured I'd err on the side of a conditioning melding time… Otherwise I've only seen it with browns and stouts.

 

[Yooper]

I generally leave my beers in the fermenter for 10-14 days before packaging. If the beer is done, and clear, then it's bottled or kegged. Once it's clear, there is no advantage to keeping it on the trub.