Questioning a recipe is this long enough

[biggben]

7 lbs Light Malt Extract

6 lbs Pumpkin Meat

1 lbs Carapils Malt

1 oz Cascade Hops 7 HBUs (Boiling) 60 min

3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Wyeast American Ale Yeast

For Bottling:

1 1/4 cup Dry Malt Extract Or 3/4 cup Corn sugar


Add the cracked Carapils Malt to 2 gals. of cold water and bring to a boil. Remove the Carapils Malt and add the LIght Malt Extract then bring back to a boil. Add 1 oz Cascade hops. Boil for 30 mins. Add 6 lbs of Pumpkin Meat. (see preperations below) Boil for 20 mins. Stir often. Add the Ground Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, and Nutmeg. Boil for 10 mins. Sparge out the hops and pumpkin (it will be messy) and add the wort to the fermenter with enough cold water to make five gallons. Add yeast when temp reaches 70º. After 7 days transfer to secondary. Let age in secondary for 1 week then bottle or keg.

 

[Hammy71]

Most recipes will call for a short fermentation schedule. However, you will find that taking hydrometer samples will alleviate any chance of you moving to quickly. I always do at least 3-4 weeks in the primary for every brew, regardless of OG. The recipe is a guide line. I would use it as such. Your beer and your house (bottle bombs aren't fun I've heard), will be better for it.

 

[biggben]

wow so the bottles can explode if its not done fermenting? good to know

 

[Goosta]

Bottle bombs are no fun. Glass lodged in my drywall was a good enough reason for me to never rush a fermentation schedule again. I learned that beer is done when it's done and it is difficult to put a definite timeline on the process.

 

[biggben]

so when it plateaus on your hydrometer readings then its done right? and how many readings to be sure?

 

[TipsyDragon]

take a reading. wait 3 days. take another reading. adjust both for temperature. if they are exactly the same then your done. if not wait 3 more days and try again comparing to the previous reading. repeat till there is no longer any change.