New Brewer

[Charlie1]

Hi all,
3 days ago I pitched my first home brew, it is Coopers Canadian Blonde. Instructions say once stable, apx 5/6 days, it can be bottled.
I have now been told I have to take a 3 week business trip abroad. Would it be ok to leave my precious brew that long before putting into bottles ? Or should I ask a friend to do it for me.
Can someone please advise.
Regards,
Charlie.

 

[lorvan]

Leave it, it'll taste better for it! 5-6 days isn't really enough IMO.


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[Charlie1]

Hi Irovan,
Many thanks for your responce.

Charlie.

 

[boydster]

No harm will come to your beer if it sits in the fermenter for your business trip. You don't want to come home to a bunch of exploded bottles, and that is the risk you run by bottling in less than a week.

Once you get your process down and have a good handle on yeast health, pitch rate, and temp control, it is possible to bottle in a week with some very light beers (still, it is not a common practice), but you want to be absolutely sure you are at a stable final gravity before bottling.

 

[unionrdr]

With the average conditions many brewers work in,especially beginners,3 weeks would be about right. It'll give the beer time to get down to a stable gravity & clean up by-products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. It should be right for bottling when you get back. Those instructions are notoriously bad with quick time frames.

 

[Davetct]

I'm new too. Ive been told to hold the 3 week standard. I've let one go. For three and a half, could have used another week. Bottled it at 1.018 could have used more time

 

[Heavywalker]

I hate that kits give instructions like this! Hate it hate it hate it!!!!

Ales should go for around 3 weeks minimum IMO... They do the same thing with wine saying it can be bottled in a month when it really takes a year IMO, and gives the new brewer an illusion that they can enjoy their creation quickly when in reality they are just insuring that the user will bottle an inferior product.

 

[unionrdr]

That's the reason I got into brewing. My wines needed a year of conditioning to get to a stable flavor,etc. Turn around on beer is two months or a bit less from grain to glass.

 

[boydster]

Saying ales should go for 3 weeks minimum is only slightly better a blanket statement than what the kit instructions say. A healthy fermentation for an average gravity ale is typically done in a week, including allowing time for the yeast to clean up afterwards. Aging longer doesn't hurt anything, obviously, but when the beer is done, it's just done. For a new brewer, things like pitch rate, temp control, and general yeast health are not generally the focus and longer a fermentation is more likely.

I wish the entire idea of time were thrown out the window when kit makers offer instructions. The yeast don't have clocks and they certainly don't read. The beer is ready when, and only when, the gravity stops changing.

 

[unionrdr]

Yup. It would've been more accurate for me to say to let the beer ferment to FG. Then give it 3-7 days more to clean up any by-products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty before packaging.

 

[YCantIBU]

I go by the 3 day rule. When my airlock stops bubbling,I start checking FG. When the FG is stable for 3 days it is safe to say that fermentation is complete.

 

[Charlie1]

A big thank you to all you guys who responded to query, and thanks for the advise.
Best regards,
Charlie.