Poll: How long do you ferment before bottling?

[friday]

I go 6 weeks on the primary all the time because of my work schedule. It hasn't messed up a beer yet but I ferment on the cold side.

 

[Piratwolf]

My primary length depends on the beer. Pale Ales, Hefes, and other quick beers get 10 days to 2 weeks on average; The RIS & BDS i recently made are just over 4 weeks on primary yeast. This weekend I'll bottle the RIS (bottle condition for 3 more months & free up a fermenter) and transfer the BDS to a CO2-purged keg for long storage... at least 9 months.

 

[lou2row]

I answered 2, but for lagers 3. Probably should have gone with the Depends.

From the streak in your britches my friend, I would tend to agree.


what was the question again?

 

[suprchunk]

I wait until it is done.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

Yep, I ferment until it is done. Once it is done, you are not gaining anything by letting it go longer contrary to popular opinion.

So-- Depends.

 

[jonmohno]

Your gaining clarity and a better rounded taste.Theres no way in hell i would bottle it 3-4 days which it takes.Its done then,and will i bottle it then,no. Im going to have towait that much longer in the bottle anyway so thats why i go about 3 weeks. Although i do 2 weeks and 4 sometimes.

 

[Yooper]

Generally about 10 days or so for most ales. If I dryhop, then I do that after the 10 days and about 5-7 days before packaging, so many dryhopped beers are about 15-17 days old when kegged.

 

[phenry]

2 weeks for most beers under 1.050, 3 weeks for IPAs and APAs (7 day dry hop in primary), 3-4 weeks or so for most beers between 1.050 and 1.080, >4 weeks for almost all Belgians, and it really depends for anything north of 1.080.

 

[derek81]

i'm with Revvy on this one. my beer only ferments until FG is reached, that's usually within a week of pitching. i tend to leave my beers in primary for 3 weeks, but that's not written in stone. sometimes i go to secondary for a week after a 2 week primary. sometimes i keg or bottle after two weeks. other times i leave the beer in primary for 4+ weeks, then either go to secondary for long term aging, or into bottles/keg. it really depends on the beer, and my schedule.
but the point is, we all really only ferment our beers for the time the yeast take to consume all the sugars, the rest of the time the beer is just conditioning.

This just answered a running thought in my empty head thanks.

 

[Atog]

3-4 weeks 6 if i'm too lazy to bottle. So 6 most of the time

 

[TomRep]

I picked "depends". It depends how lazy/busy I am. I've had some brews sitting for 6+ months and never got around to bottling. However, I just made a witbier two and a half weeks ago and bottled that this past weekend. I think at present I have atleast 5 gallons that has been sitting in the same spot since June. That reminds me, have to see if there is still water in that airlock.. I think most of it, for me, comes down to I love the brewing process, but hate packaging. I both keg and bottle and to be honest, neither thrill me. I'm trying to get out of this habit since I can now bottle/keg in the same room I make the beer.
tom

 

[diS]

I usually rack it and bottle after 2 weeks, but it can sometimes be 3 weeks (if it is stronger beer).