How long to age a beer before kegging?

[dood56]

I usually age my beer in the keg, but I was wondering if I could age it in my fermenter? If I do it in my fermenter, what is the max time I could leave it in there? I am going to be gone for 6 weeks, but don't want my beer to go bad if I leave it in the fermenter for that long. I appreciate any help!

 

[JBrady]

I left a hazed and infused clone in the primary for 60 days and it turned out wonderful with no off flavors from sitting on the yeast that long. I'd think that you should be ok for 42 days. I don't secondary my beers and always shoot for a 28 day primary, but in the extra long cases like the one above I've never noticed anything out of the ordinary.

 

[mitch171]

I wouldn't worry about the beer going bad. I also make wine and sometimes it sits on some yeast for almost a year. Bottle conditioned beer sits on yeast albeit not as much. Your biggest snagged is oxidation. Even that isn't a problem as Lon as you aren't shaking the fermentornup and mixing air into the beer. It should create its own layer od co2 as it off gasses from fermentation.

 

[elkdog]

I've left beer in the fermenter for 6 weeks, by accident with no problem. I've done it twice, and they were two of my better beers- not because they sat in primary that long, necessarily, but it didn't hurt. Run a search for "autolysis" on this forum if you want to get a sense of how people feel about extended time in primary.

 

[dood56]

Am I to assume the same goes for something in secondary as well as primary if it sits? At least for future experiments.

 

[elkdog]

Am I to assume the same goes for something in secondary as well as primary if it sits? At least for future experiments.

Yup.