Over ferment?

[Tdmar]

Is it possible to ruin a batch by letting it ferment for 7-8 days?
I didn't plan well and won't be able to bottle until tomorrow night!

 

[Dixon9717]

Mine go for 10-14 days. There is no such thing as over fermenting. It'll go until it's done. 7-8 days seems to soon to me.

 

[rjwoody]

I usually leave mine in the primary for 3 weeks before bottling. Your hydrometer will tell you when you can put it in the bottle.

 

[kev211]

I usually go about 2 weeks for ferment. I would definitely let it sit longer than a week and let it completely finish up

 

[Tdmar]

That's a relief! I should have mentioned this is made from an extract kit from Coopers. I'm not sure if that would change anything. The directions said 6 days.

 

[IslandLizard]

Ignore all kit directions regarding fermentation time, and racking to a secondary after x days. Let it be for 2 weeks in your (primary) fermentor. Now beer can be ready sooner...

 

[PADave]

I'd let it go for at least another week. Bottling that soon without knowing what you are doing could be making a bunch of bombs.

 

[Moose_MI]

um..no....please read the free online version of "How to Brew"....please

This is the most awesome hobby in the world and I want u to enjoy it..read...READ. Cheers!

 

[C-Rider]

I put the bucket in the fermenting fridg and forget about it for 4 weeks. I"m in no rush.

 

[RM-MN]

I've bottled beer at 7 days and had no bottle bombs. I've bottled beer that spent 9 weeks in the primary fermenter without it over fermenting.

You can't over ferment beer. Yeast are in control of how much to ferment and when. Let them have the time they want.

The beer I bottled in a week fermented warmer than it should have and didn't have time for the yeast to settle out well so I had a lot of sediment in the bottles and the beer didn't taste as good as it should have. When you control the temperature to get the best flavor for the beer, the yeast work slower so it takes more time. If you let the beer set for longer after the fermentation is done, more of the yeast gets left behind in the fermenter and you get very little in the bottles which lets you pour more beer out without the sediment, always a good thing in my book.

 

[kh54s10]

All the above is good. But to answer the question of over fermenting, in general terms this is impossible. The yeast will ferment the wort by consuming the sugars. Once they do that fermentation is done.

Don't go by time, get a hydrometer and learn how to use it to determine that fermentation is done.

At 6 days fermentation might not be complete. If there is more fermentation done after you bottle it will produce co2, add to that the co2 produced with the priming sugar and you could exceed the strength of the bottles causing bottle bombs. And yes, they could explode with enough force to injure you.

 

[dwhite60]

I usually give mine two weeks before bottling. Last one I had to wait an extra week so that made three. Four would not bother me. Let it ride two weeks, you'll be fine. This also gives the yeast a chance to clean up behind themselves.

All the Best,
D. White