sampling wort

[breadbohn]

Hi Folks,

I had an idea to run by the local experts here. I have a brown ale conditioning in my primary. Quite apart from the issue of whether I should have racked it, the question is how long should I leave it in there. I hear people say things like "leave it in there for 1-3 weeks." Well, which?

I'm planning to answer this for myself. To this end, I want to bottle a few today (at 1 week), then bottle the rest in two weeks. Then I can compare side-by-side and judge the effects of extra conditioning.

The only donwside I can see is possible contamination. I'd have to remove the bubbler airlock, or else -- blorp! -- in goes the airlock water. I should add that the fementor has a spigot at the bottom, from which I bottle. So the question: Am I safe taking the bubbler off for the couple minutes it takes to bottle? Or am I asking for trouble?

Thanks

 

[Joos]

Can't give you a deffinent answer,But from my own experience It is very hard to contaminate beer.My siphon got clogged the other day and i ended up dumping the last gallon through a mesh screen into the primary.A few days later it still tastes like great beer

 

[Nurmey]

The reason folks say 1 to 3 weeks is this: 1 or 2 weeks if you are planning on using a secondary, 3 weeks if you are keeping it in the primary.

Please do not bottle anything at 1 week! We do not like it when our members are injured by flying glass shrapnel.

 

[StoutFan]

I should add that the fementor has a spigot at the bottom, from which I bottle. So the question: Am I safe taking the bubbler off for the couple minutes it takes to bottle? Or am I asking for trouble?

Thanks

Well, it sounds to me like you usually bottle through the spigot, not a racking cane, right? Well, why would you want to change now to a siphon, why not use your spigot like you usually do? IMHO, I would just wait and do the whole batch at once, and then another batch to test the difference on fermentation time. Then you have MANY bottles to test.

 

[VTBrewer]

I have never bottled off the yeast cake/trub, I always rack to a bottling bucket first, and with the exception of wheats I go 3 weeks before doing it.

 

[homebrewer_99]

You should not rack into the secondary until the brew is done fermenting...only your hydrometer knows for sure.

Take a gravity reading and subtract it from your OG. If the gravity has fallen by 75% (or whatever attenuation your yeast says, but most are about 75% so I use it) then it's done and ready to rack.

As long as you sanitize anything touching your brew it won't contaminate it.

 

[breadbohn]

Original Poster here. I should have been more specific. I'm counting weeks from the time time gravity has leveled off at a reasonable final value. (OG = 1.042, FG = 1.010). It's now one week after that - surely explosions are no longer an issue? My curiosity is about how much better it will taste with furhter conditioning.

 

[Nurmey]

Well, that's another story all together. Yes, you are safe to bottle and the taste will get much better after a few weeks. I wouldn't mess with bottling only part of the batch. Bottle the whole batch, wait three weeks, and start tasting. After 3 weeks it will taste good, after 6 weeks it will taste fabulous. Set a bottle or 2 aside and hold them for a couple months and you will know what brewers mean when they talk about properly aged beer.