Maximum time to ferment?

[BrewM8ster]

Hey.

I want to start my wherry ale kit, but what is the maximum I can leave it the fermenter bucket?

Btw. It's an all malt kit so no sugar needed.

Nice one.

 

[twistr25]

Couple to a few months if you need to.

 

[BrewM8ster]

So it won't ruin or do any damage?

 

[eltorrente]

So it won't ruin or do any damage?

No. Leaving beer in the primary with the trub, won't affect your beer negatively unless you plan on leaving it there for a crazy long time. A month or two shouldn't be an issue. The act of transferring to a secondary carboy WILL affect your beer, though, because you will introduce oxygen in the process. That oxygen you introduced will affect your beer the longer it ages.

I leave my beer in the primary until I'm good and ready to bottle/keg.

The only time I think about removing the beer off the trub in the primary, is if I'm planning on aging for over 6months or so.

Even then, if you are planning on aging beer for a long time, it's best and easiest to leave in the primary for a month or so, then simply bottle it - and age in the bottles. That way you free up your equipment for other batches, and it's easy to store your bottles in a dark closet or wherever.

If you transfer to a secondary and age for a long time, and then bottle, you are introducing oxygen to your beer twice. Over a long period of time, this will make your beer taste stale. Simply age in a bottle with oxygen-absorbing caps for best results.

 

[twistr25]

No. Leaving beer in the primary with the trub, won't affect your beer negatively unless you plan on leaving it there for a crazy long time. A month or two shouldn't be an issue. The act of transferring to a secondary carboy WILL affect your beer, though, because you will introduce oxygen in the process. That oxygen you introduced will affect your beer the longer it ages.

I leave my beer in the primary until I'm good and ready to bottle/keg.

The only time I think about removing the beer off the trub in the primary, is if I'm planning on aging for over 6months or so.

Even then, if you are planning on aging beer for a long time, it's best and easiest to leave in the primary for a month or so, then simply bottle it - and age in the bottles. That way you free up your equipment for other batches, and it's easy to store your bottles in a dark closet or wherever.

If you transfer to a secondary and age for a long time, and then bottle, you are introducing oxygen to your beer twice. Over a long period of time, this will make your beer taste stale. Simply age in a bottle with oxygen-absorbing caps for best results.

If you are careful in your racking procedure, oxygenation won't be an issue either. Plenty of people rack over and let their beer age for several months in carboys just fine. In fact it's preferred.

I have a feeling your not looking for any longer than 6 to 8 weeks or so though are you?

 

[BrewM8ster]

If you are careful in your racking procedure, oxygenation won't be an issue either. Plenty of people rack over and let their beer age for several months in carboys just fine. In fact it's preferred.

I have a feeling your not looking for any longer than 6 to 8 weeks or so though are you?

Yes that's right maximum 8 weeks. Btw what's a carboy???? All new jargon haha

 

[Waynep005]

A carboy is a glass or plastic fermentation container. They are usually 5 to 6.5 gal in size. A food grade bucket works fine.

 

[amfukuda]

The bock I just did fermented for three months with no problem and I always do a secondary it clears up your beers a lot and it can help cut down on yeast flavors

 

[BrewM8ster]

When I transfer into my secondary fermentation vessel do I add sugar or not? Then after that into my keg do I add sugar again?

 

[amfukuda]

You don't add anything when going to secondary but you can add sugar to the keg and naturally carb it or you can skip the sugar and just force carb it