Limited Carboys...need help with fermenting schedule

[adamjackson]

Hi guys! I feel pretty stupid asking this one but I want to make sure I'm doing this right so I'm just gonna throw it out there.

1st Carboy - 12% Barleywine brewed June 20th (3 weeks in primary)
2nd Carboy - 6% APA Brewed July 5th (1 week in primary)
3rd Carboy - Empty

I want to brew a hefeweizen this week since my hefe keg is almost empty. I only have 3 carboys so I'm going to need to put into a fermenter. I also know in 2 weeks, I'll need to transfer my APA to a secondary for dry hopping (i know primary is fine but I'd like to reduce trub going into my keg which happened last time).

So, do I go ahead and transfer the APA now is it fine to do it one week in? Or should I just brew the hefe, put it in the 3rd carboy and then bottle it in 3 weeks, then transfer the APA to a secondary?

...or should I just go out and buy a 4th carboy? LOL

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I'm guessing your APA is close, if not at FG. Check it, if it's done, transfer. (No worries, I prefer to dry hops in secondary too). Another option would be to get an Ale Pail, like ~$12 with a lid, and use that as another primary, that'd keep your carboy clear to dry hop the APA. You could leave the APA for another couple or so weeks while you wait on the hefe, but personally I don't like to leave a beer like pale ale in the fermenter more than ~2 weeks, ~3 if I'm dry hopping, I like those to be a bit young when I drink 'em. Fresh hops flavor/aroma are the best, IMO.

 

[demuzik]

Sounds like you have kegging capabilities - I would totally throw the Barleywine in a keg, pressurize it with ~20lb psi, then wait however many weeks/months/years you want till you tap it... and presto, open carboy.
If you don't have an empty keg, I'd get another one sooner than I'd get another carboy. I have 2 carboys but 6 kegs. Since most beers are done w/primary fermentation after two weeks, I can very easily brew every weekend till I have 6 kegs full. I prefer conditioning in kegs anyways since you've already racked the beer, its easier to move around, and is ready to tap at a moment's notice

 

[adamjackson]

Sounds like you have kegging capabilities - I would totally throw the Barleywine in a keg, pressurize it with ~20lb psi, then wait however many weeks/months/years you want till you tap it... and presto, open carboy.
If you don't have an empty keg, I'd get another one sooner than I'd get another carboy. I have 2 carboys but 6 kegs. Since most beers are done w/primary fermentation after two weeks, I can very easily brew every weekend till I have 6 kegs full. I prefer conditioning in kegs anyways since you've already racked the beer, its easier to move around, and is ready to tap at a moment's notice

Holy moly. I'm still a total n00b but wow. GREAT idea! *liked*. I can get used corny kegs far easier than carboys. So, for this barleywine and my next Imp stout, I think I'll do that. I really thought it would have to sit on the trub for a while but I guess it's like buying SN's Bigfoot. It was brewed this year, then bottled and you just let it age in the bottle for a few years. Keg = bottle as long as O2 is purged. Thanks for the tip. I might transfer that barleywine on Saturday. I have 2 free kegs now.

QUESTION: Can I store the Pressurized keg in my beer cellar instead of taking up space in the kegerator? Cellar keeps at 59-63 constantly... Same effect on the barleywine as bottle storing it in there?

I'm guessing your APA is close, if not at FG. Check it, if it's done, transfer. (No worries, I prefer to dry hops in secondary too). Another option would be to get an Ale Pail, like ~$12 with a lid, and use that as another primary, that'd keep your carboy clear to dry hop the APA. You could leave the APA for another couple or so weeks while you wait on the hefe, but personally I don't like to leave a beer like pale ale in the fermenter more than ~2 weeks, ~3 if I'm dry hopping, I like those to be a bit young when I drink 'em. Fresh hops flavor/aroma are the best, IMO.

Yeah, It is very close I was just trying to clear it up a bit. So I should transfer that probably in a couple of days and just brew the wheat beer this weekend? I'll check FG today and Friday. If no change, move to secondary and dry hop. It's only been one full week though so I was hoping to let it go a second week. If I move the barleywine to the keg, that will free me up to go ahead and brew that wheat beer on Saturday.

Thanks Gents!

 

[demuzik]

Yep, treat the pressurized keg as you would a bottle... as long as the basement doesn't go over 65F, you should be golden to keep them outside the kegerator. This should actually help the clearing/aging process go quicker than at lower kegerater temps.

I learned the hard way by allowing my unkegerized-kegs to condition in my basement one summer and it got really hot - 70+ in the basement - only to find the beer I thought was keg-conditioning (with priming sugar for 'natural carbonation') had fermented again at 70+ temps... the beer tasted insanely yeasty and was more or less ruined.
Sounds stupid in retrospect, but basically to say, if they aren't in a controlled temp environment, be very vigil about the temp in the basement... if it creeps up anywhere around the 70s+, you may get into trouble.

 

[demuzik]

I really thought it would have to sit on the trub for a while but I guess it's like buying SN's Bigfoot.

Oh, and to this point you made - most folks don't keep beer on trub longer than 3-4 weeks, regardless of style. Many fear that dead yeasties start affecting the flavor of the beer if you let it go longer than that. There will still be plenty of yeast in suspension to continue the conditioning process after you rack... you don't need the trub for that at all.

So IMHO, you will actually be improving your process overall by racking sooner, plus the added benefit of freeing up a carboy

 

[adamjackson]

Oh, and to this point you made - most folks don't keep beer on trub longer than 3-4 weeks, regardless of style. Many fear that dead yeasties start affecting the flavor of the beer if you let it go longer than that. There will still be plenty of yeast in suspension to continue the conditioning process after you rack... you don't need the trub for that at all.

So IMHO, you will actually be improving your process overall by racking sooner, plus the added benefit of freeing up a carboy

Thanks. Both good tips! Yeah, I see a lot of guys weighing in. Some say they kept it in primary for a solid year...no ill effects and others transfer just to be safe and avoid off-flavors. I was going to, at the month mark, move it to a secondary anyway and then keep for 6 or so months before serving. If I can keep it in a keg, the good things is, I can just tap it once a month to see how the flavors are progressing and get a feel for how it's coming along.

...and yes, freeing up a precious carboy is GREAT news.