Month in primary.... is it ok?

[biggerthanyou83]

What would happen if you leave your beer in the primary fermenter for about a month? Can I transfer it to a secondary and it will be ok? I have a feeling it will be fine. I just wanted to make sure.

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

It'll be the best beer you've made yet. I purposefully do month long primary, then straight to kegs, and I feel my beers have improved a lot this way.

 

[Elfmaze]

I have lost beers in primary for three months. Its fine. It will be nice and clear too!

 

[hamiltont]

Take a taste. If it's good package it up. It's probably past the time for a secondary IMO. Cheers!!!

 

[Mrtickel]

Yea it will be fine some beers usually take about 4 weeks to ferment so it shouldnt be a problem

 

[biggerthanyou83]

Yeahhhhh Boyyyyyy! lol Thanx guys!

 

[thughes]

Has it hit FG? If so, bottle/keg it and enjoy.

 

[Airborneguy]

The only thing that will happen is you will never do a secondary again.

 

[JLW]

The only thing that will happen is you will never do a secondary again.

+1 It's the best improvments I have made.

 

[Sacreddog717]

I always let it go 4 weeks in primary. Works well for me.

 

[rancidcrabtree]

My last beer was the first one I've ever left in the primary and after 5 weeks (4 in primary plus 1 in bottle) it's the clearest beer I've ever made. Probably will never secondary again!

 

[GarySBrewing]

I have read that leaving in primary too long will cause acidic flavors from spent yeast. "Joy of Homebrewing" to be specific recommends no more than 2 weeks in primary. I have found transferring to secondary clears brew up nicely. Am I doing something wrong and missing out on something? Love the feedback this site provides, especially because it seems to run opposite grain of much that I've read. Keep it coming fellow beer lovers. Oh yeah, just got my kegorator & tap going, not perfect but still good, still experimenting.

 

[Airborneguy]

Most of the older brewing handbooks will say something along those lines because it was generally accepted for years that leaving beer on yeast for too long will cause autolysis off-flavors. Most beer "experts" have changed their tune though due to overwhelming evidence against that happening. Secondaries are mostly only used for adding adjuncts now.

 

[Golddiggie]

What would happen if you leave your beer in the primary fermenter for about a month? Can I transfer it to a secondary and it will be ok? I have a feeling it will be fine. I just wanted to make sure.

Month on the yeast is my standard starting point these days... That's for brews with an OG of under 1.070. Over that, the minimum is 6 weeks, with 8 weeks being desired.

No need to rack to secondary. Pull a hydrometer sample, and then taste it. Give it a few more days and repeat... 99% chance it's at FG, but it gives you a decent excuse to taste a sample. :rockin: Chances are, if you leave it a bit longer (a lot depends on the brew) it will get even better.

Basically, you're 'aging' the brew a bit more in bulk/batch form instead of in bottles. Just means once it's carbonated (3+ weeks at 70F) it will be even better as you start drinking it. Just be sure to give it enough time in the fridge to properly chill down after 3 weeks... I give mine at least 3-4 days, with 5-7+ being desired, in the fridge before opening one up. I try to stock enough in the fridge to keep me drinking as well as have them in there long enough to become ready for me.

 

[paraordnance]

some folks like me even brave enough to lager in primary I just sampling Vienna/Tettnang SMASH lager and it was sitting on yeast cake for 1.5 months. No off-flavours, this is going to be my standard procedure now

 

[Golddiggie]

IMO, once you actually experience how the batch comes out with a long primary, you're sold on it.

I have two bigger brews planned that will be going 6-8 weeks on the yeast, maybe longer. I plan to age them on oak for another 3-6 weeks (depends on if I use cubes or spirals), if not longer. I just hope to have a couple of 6+ gallon sanke kegs to use as primaries for these batches. That, right there, eliminates any concerns someone should have when looking at longer primary stages.

Personally, I'm not racking off the yeast just to get the brew to clear (the major reason people give for getting off of it after 1-2 weeks)... IME, I'm getting VERY clear brews with long primaries. I'm also racking less often, so the batch has less exposure to air/oxygen (when it's bad for it). I'm only racking to another vessel, these days, when I'm aging on a flavor element that either works better/best when NOT on the yeast. Or, when I need to get it off of a flavor element/addition before adding another one to the brew. I'll be researching, as I get closer to the time to oak, if I will actually have any benefit from racking out of primary before adding the oak for the bigger brews. I could be better off just leaving the brew in primary, adding the oak when it's time, for however long, then bottling it up.

 

[unionrdr]

On my last brew,I left it in primary for 3 weeks, It took 2 of those weeks to get down to FG. The 4th week,I dry hopped with 1oz Willamette. Then 3 weeks in the bottles at 70F. 6 days in the fridge & they were great. Big,velvety head that could be poured above the rim of the glass. So clear,I could read through it.