Oh, and one more thing (right...)

[bigsilk]

Also, I went to the secondary after 6 days. The activity was down to about a bubble every five or so minutes. It's been five days and there doesn't seem to be ANY more activity. Should I wait another few days to bottle, or can I start getting my bottles ready for tonight?

 

[brewhead]

woah wait a tick there high speed.

there are FEW hard and fast rules - most everything is a guideline however...

the 1/2/3 rule is a good guideline for most brews unless it's a high grav beer or specialty.

1 week in the primary
2 weeks in the secondary
3 weeks in the bottles

oh yea and about 5 minutes in the belly flush and repeat as often as necessary...

again it's not a rule - there are few - and it will be beer in basic form even before that but - it'll be green. best to wait.

 

[user 574]

Or, 5 days in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary and 2 weeks (If I can make it) in the bottle. That's about as condensed as I can go. I'll stilll steal a bottle after 7-10 days to see how she's doing.

Leads me to a question that's been a burning. Why is it if you don't rack to a secondary it's a 2 week window to the bottle but if you go to a secondary you add 5-7 days? I know individual brews will vary but I got my 1st AG sitting in the secondary for I think 7 days as of today. This bugger has been looking dead for 3-4 days prior and no it's not tainted. I'm so tempted to bottle to get a little closer to trying my 1st AG batch!!!

 

[SwAMi75]

Have you taken a hydrometer reading?

 

[vtfan99]

My usual routine is a week in the primary followed by a week in the secondary. When I bottled, it was around 2 weeks minimum in the bottles. Now its just a few days in the keg. At this point the beer tastes pretty good, but after a few more weeks in the keg it gets even better. Just pick one route, give it a shot, and see how it works for you.

 

[bigsilk]

1-1-3 (1 wk prim, 1 wk sec, 3 wk bottle) is what's listed with the instructions. I made a pale rye ale once, and it seemed leaving that go for two weeks in the secondary and a month in the bottles yielded yumminess, though only two sixes made it that far. That seems to be my problem... I have a tendency to test the batch six at a time.

One thing about the ingredients my supplier milled with the grains... Corn. Ever hear of that?

I started drinking my Brown Ale right at 5 weeks and it was good, though I did have to sit in the bathroom a little too much.

I'm going to give it til Saturday. That'll be ten days. But I'll surely give it three weeks in the bottle.

Now, for my next trick I'd like to try a Cherry Wheat, a la Sam Adams. I'll ask about that later...

 

[Toilet Rocker]

bigsilk--i started a discussion on a adding fruit in the recipes section. how and when to add...might help you (or me) out.