Timing of steps...

[mhochman]

So I know that a lot of people recommend the 1-2-3 timing method (1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, 3 weeks in bottles).

And I know a lot of people don't secondary, instead going 3-3 (3 weeks in primary and 3 weeks in bottles).

What do you do if you're kegging? I'm curious what people do if transferring to a secondary AND what people do if just sticking with primary.

Can you do 3 in primary and 3 in keg, then put keg on ice and attach gas?

Curious to see people's schedules.
Thanks.

 

[erikpete18]

Anymore I stick to just primary, since I don't do much fruit/oak additions (that would require a secondary), and either dry hop in the primary or keg. So I wind up normally doing (3+)-(2-3). For normal strength beers I leave them in primary for 3 weeks (<~1.06) and for anything above that I tend to add a week for every 0.1 or so, or whenever I get around to kegging them. Then once they're in kegs I set the gas to the pressure I want, pop them in the keezer, and let them sit for 2 weeks. At that point I'll probably start drawing some samples, but never tend to start drinking them until 3 weeks or more post-kegging. So certainly with my normal strength and lighter beers 3 primary and 3 keg is about the norm. If you don't have a fridge (guessing from the ice comment) you'll need a higher CO2 pressure to carb, and probably a day or two at least on ice to crash most of the yeast out of suspension, but you'll certainly be close.

 

[mhochman]

I thought that the beer doesn't mature if it's cold; I guess that's what's throwing me off. If it's in the keezer, then doesn't the yeast drop out more or less completely and thus isn't there to "clean up after itself." I brewed an amber ale and moved it into the keg four weeks later, put it directly into the keezer. It still has a bit of an appley taste, which I know is the sign of a beer that hasn't matured enough. It's been in the keg for weeks.

 

[duboman]

I don't use a timeline, I "Listen" to the beer...I'm the beer listener

Seriously, if the beer ferments out it 5 days and clears in ten and tastes great then I package it, bottle or keg (finally getting into kegging)

If the beer takes 12 days to reach fg and 5 more to clear so be it. Most of my beers are grain to glass in 21 days or so.

If I'm brewing a nice hoppy IPA or pale or wheat I like them fresh so they are basically packaged and consumed as soon as they are ready. My fall and winter beers require a little more conditioning time, They will still get packaged when they are ready but I allow them to condition at cellar temps for a bit. Could be a month, could be several

Whatever you choose to do, it's really up to the beer. If you are bottling then there is a period of time they are required to be at 70-75F just to properly carbonate so IMO that is really the only time constraint you have some control over.

Everything really comes down to your process and controls. If you make the wort properly, ferment and control temperatures properly, get proper attenuation and allow the beer to drop bright then you are operating efficiently and can turn your beer around in a timely manner.

 

[BigFloyd]

Forget the 1-2-3 thing. Most people I know don't do that.

Can you cold crash? If so, give it a couple weeks in the primary, make sure the FG has stabilized then cold crash it (in the primary) 5-7 days at 35-36*F to clear it and firm up the trub layer.

You can then rake over to the keg, purge the air out w/ CO2, keep it chilled and on the gas at 10-12psi a couple of weeks and you're good to go.