Just finished my first beer...need a bit of help with the second

[bottlebomber]

Nope, not a chance. 1st, althouth a hydrometer reading is very useful, it won't change the taste of your beer.

Using a secondary has gone the way of the dodo. While a secondary is nearly useless (might marginally improve clarity), it is also completely harmless if you don't sneeze while transferring.

If your going to dry hop AND you want to save your yeast, that is a time when secondary is definitely useful. But that's it.

 

[Intrevix]

Excellent. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[PIGMAN]

I really wish I had found this forum before I visited my homebrew store.
They gave me some instructions and a timeline for my beer which had me racking it to secondary in 3 days and bottling at 7 days and nothing about a hydrometer reading.

So, I guess my updated question is: I waited 7 days before racking to secondary and never took a hydrometer reading. Is there a chance I could've ruined the beer?

Thanks for all the replies.

The kit instructions and some LHBS people want you to speed up the process, so that they can sell you more kits and equipment. This forum will teach you more than most other sources, although you will find times when 2 or more very experienced brewers will differ on the same subject. I guess that's the time when you have to experiment and find out what works for you. As far as the hydrometer reading, just make sure the FG is consistent for 2 or 3 readings over 3 days or so before bottling. If you followed the kit instructions, and topped off the water to the specified volume, chances are that your OG was in the range specified by the kit.

 

[PIGMAN]

I don't leave beer in the fermenter for four weeks- I know some have but that's a long time. I usually go two-three weeks, or until the beer as been finished for a week or so, and it's clear. No reason to keep the beer in the fermenter for 4 weeks, in my opinion. A well made beer can be bottled in 2 weeks, three at the outside.

I think a long primary is not harmful (usually), but I can see no benefit to going as long as four weeks. Two weeks? Certainly. But I don't see any reason to go longer if the beer has been at FG for at least a few days and has cleared.

I had read some posts, (Revvy's among them), that advocate three to four weeks in primary in order to allow the yeast to "clean up after itself". Do you think that's accomplished in two weeks? I would love to speed up my process by two weeks!

 

[Yooper]

I had read some posts, (Revvy's among them), that advocate three to four weeks in primary in order to allow the yeast to "clean up after itself". Do you think that's accomplished in two weeks? I would love to speed up my process by two weeks!

Absolutely. While four weeks will not harm the beer (except for maybe a lager), I see no benefit to going longer than needed. But let me clarify what I mean by "needed". Old school tells us to keep the beer in the primary for 3-5 days and rack immediately after fermentation slows.

I agree that leaving the beer in the fermenter longer than those instructions is a good thing! As fermentation slows, the yeast start to go back and digest other things besides fermentable sugars, like their own waste products! Then the yeast will begin to fall out, leaving a clearer beer. I think it's important to leave the beer in the fermenter during this time. Active fermentation may take 3-5 days, then the clean up process begins.

Once the beer is at FG for a week, the processes of the yeast digesting diacetyl, etc, are pretty much over. Once the beer is clear, I see no benefit to keeping the beer in the fermenter longer.

If enough yeast is pitched to begin with (this is key!) and the fermenter is kept at the correct temperature, then there should be minimal off-flavors and the beer will require less conditioning time.

A well made beer shouldn't need a month to be drinkable, although no harm will come to it.

I have a stout that is packaged at two weeks, but it does take a total of about 5 weeks from brewday for the flavors to meld. Roasty flavors, spices, etc will take longer to really come together. But the beer doesn't have to be in the fermenter to condition.

For the vast majority of my beers, they are in the fermenter for about 2 weeks total.

 

[bottlebomber]

I had read some posts, (Revvy's among them), that advocate three to four weeks in primary in order to allow the yeast to "clean up after itself". Do you think that's accomplished in two weeks? I would love to speed up my process by two weeks!

Im really not 100% sold on the whole "yeast cleans up after itself" theory... I mean I know there are off flavor producing compounds such as diacetyl that can be processed by the yeast, but as far as a miracle cure for a bad beer, it wont help. I think if the beer was well made, it got enough yeast, and fermentation temps were favorable its not going to do too much in the fermentor that it can't do in the keg or bottle IMHO

 

[PIGMAN]

Absolutely. While four weeks will not harm the beer (except for maybe a lager), I see no benefit to going longer than needed. But let me clarify what I mean by "needed". Old school tells us to keep the beer in the primary for 3-5 days and rack immediately after fermentation slows.

I agree that leaving the beer in the fermenter longer than those instructions is a good thing! As fermentation slows, the yeast start to go back and digest other things besides fermentable sugars, like their own waste products! Then the yeast will begin to fall out, leaving a clearer beer. I think it's important to leave the beer in the fermenter during this time. Active fermentation may take 3-5 days, then the clean up process begins.

Once the beer is at FG for a week, the processes of the yeast digesting diacetyl, etc, are pretty much over. Once the beer is clear, I see no benefit to keeping the beer in the fermenter longer.

If enough yeast is pitched to begin with (this is key!) and the fermenter is kept at the correct temperature, then there should be minimal off-flavors and the beer will require less conditioning time.

A well made beer shouldn't need a month to be drinkable, although no harm will come to it.

I have a stout that is packaged at two weeks, but it does take a total of about 5 weeks from brewday for the flavors to meld. Roasty flavors, spices, etc will take longer to really come together. But the beer doesn't have to be in the fermenter to condition.

For the vast majority of my beers, they are in the fermenter for about 2 weeks total.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[unionrdr]

The yeast will indeed clean up their by-products. I got about every by-product known on my 1st. But 2.5 weeks,& 3 weeks in the bottle & all was right with the world. Most can be cleaned up in primary. But others have to age out,to whatever degree. The better you become at giving the yeast exactly what it wants,the less clean up time is needed. That's it in a nutshell. Just because it's microscopic & you can't see it happening,doesn't mean it isn't.

 

[PIGMAN]

The yeast will indeed clean up their by-products. I got about every by-product known on my 1st. But 2.5 weeks,& 3 weeks in the bottle & all was right with the world. Most can be cleaned up in primary. But others have to age out,to whatever degree. The better you become at giving the yeast exactly what it wants,the less clean up time is needed. That's it in a nutshell. Just because it's microscopic & you can't see it happening,doesn't mean it isn't.

You know, the more posts I read on this thread advocating just two weeks in primary, the more I realize that I have three batches to bottle this weekend instead of one. At what temp are you conditioning your bottles? Mine have been in the basement around 72F, but it's starting to heat up a little here.:fro:

 

[unionrdr]

I bottle condition at 70F,but it's getting warmer some days. it gets up to maybe 74F. But it's past the point where I need to worry about temps. They were bulk primed & conditioned in 11 days. Seeing as how it's in the bottles,with o2 absorbing caps. Most days it's been cool lately,especially at night. They taste good already,so it's all good so far.The hop/malt flavors are actually improving.