Typical IPA time in primary

[brewprint]

Just looking at what different schools of thought that you guys have for how long you go from grain to glass.

Typically on an IPA I like to leave it in the primary for about 1.5 to 2 weeks and then dry hop either in the primary or the keg for 5 days. Then cold crash in the keg for 12-24 hours and carb up.

I usually make maltier IPAs but they really are tasty. Would there be any reason to keep them in the primary longer?

 

[dozer5454]

Being a total hop head that I am, I usually run a 1.070 IPA in the fermenter for 3 weeks. The last 5 days I will add in the dry hops. Crash cool for a day or so then into the keg. The beer comes out nice and clear with a great hop smell. Just my 2 cents.

 

[brewprint]

Being a total hop head that I am, I usually run a 1.070 IPA in the fermenter for 3 weeks. The last 5 days I will add in the dry hops. Crash cool for a day or so then into the keg. The beer comes out nice and clear with a great hop smell. Just my 2 cents.

I appreciate the opinion. It seems like I'm always in a hurry to get these batches done. Trying to do one 3.5 or 5 gallon batch per week I figured I'd eventually have enough beer.

I always want an IPA on tap and in order to meet my needs I need to keg another sooner than I would like. I guess that if I dry hop after 13 days that'll be 18 days total before keg. Just a few days shy of what I would rather have.

 

[brew_ny]

some folk do 2.5 years I go for about 14 to 17 days grain to glass with the cold crash and dry hopping

all the best

S_M

 

[Yooper]

I'm usually grain to glass in under 3 weeks. A well made beer doesn't generally need time to "age" unless it's something big like a Belgian triple or something that needs to meld, like a big stout.

I keep the beer in the fermenter for 10-17 days, adding dryhops at about day 12 if using, and then keg at about day 17.

I can think of no reason at all to age an IPA in a fermenter once it's been done for at least three days and is clear (or clearing).

 

[kpr121]

I'm drinking within 21 days. Just brewed a two hearted clone Sunday that I might try to push to 14 days just because. Add dry hops to primary this weekend and keg it sometime next week, drinking it by next weekend

 

[1977Brewer]

I'm drinking within 21 days. Just brewed a two hearted clone Sunday that I might try to push to 14 days just because. Add dry hops to primary this weekend and keg it sometime next week, drinking it by next weekend

Same here. 1-1-1. 1 week primary 1 week dry hop 1 week to carb. Last batch was 1-1- 4 days.

 

[EthanH]

Grain to glass for me is usually ~5 weeks, but I bottle.

2 weeks primary
1 week dry hop (in primary)
2 weeks in the bottle

 

[FatDragon]

I bottle and like to try for a three week grain to glass turnaround - 1 week primary, 1 week dry hop (in primary), 1 week in bottles before I start cracking the first few. In reality, the eternal bottle shortage that comes from sharing beer with folks who don't understand the concept of washing and returning bottles (and who I would be culturally remiss to educate on the topic) means I often end up bottling at three weeks, either by delaying the dry hop a week or doing a second dry hop at the two week mark.

 

[brewprint]

Thanks all!

I wasn't sure if I was missing something as to why an ipa would need to age longer.

Mostly I brew ipas and there's some other ales in there too. When I used to bottle I wouldn't drink them for a month and a half. Now with kegs it's around 3 weeks.

I have a brown ale now that I used wyeast British Ale on and it almost has an apple flavor. I wonder if I let that age if that would go away. Kind of a let down.

 

[fanch75]

some folk do 2.5 years I go for about 14 to 17 days grain to glass with the cold crash and dry hopping

Hey man, don't hate.

 

[srob18]

21-28 days in the primary including Dry Hop then bottle conditioning for a minimum of 3-4 weeks then drink away.

 

[notyal]

I've been wondering this too. I mostly do IPA's and pale ales. I keg, so no bottle bombs. If you rush, what's the worst that's going to happen?

 

[aprichman]

I bottle so I try to give me beers 3 weeks to finish. For an IPA I'll usually shoot for a 5 day dryhop at around 2 weeks in but sometimes life happens and it turns into a 6 or 7 day dry hop

 

[Psylocide]

Well, I brew a lot of hop forward "APAs" (6.5% ABV, ~50 IBU) with 6-9 oz of hops, 1 FWH for bitterness, then mainly 10 min/hopstand and dry hop additions.

Ferment ~7-10 days
Dry hop ~5-7 days
Keg ~1 week before first pull
Kick Keg ~2.5 weeks

 

[brew_ny]

Hey man, don't hate.

no hate my friend one should always brew how they like and what they like to drink

that's what I do

all the best

S_M

 

[govner1]

Just looking at what different schools of thought that you guys have for how long you go from grain to glass.



Typically on an IPA I like to leave it in the primary for about 1.5 to 2 weeks and then dry hop either in the primary or the keg for 5 days. Then cold crash in the keg for 12-24 hours and carb up.



I usually make maltier IPAs but they really are tasty. Would there be any reason to keep them in the primary longer?

I think the most important thing is not how quickly you can go from "grain to glass" but how well you can produce & reproduce a quality beer regardless of style.
Generally with an IPA it takes 14-21 days in primary. Of course, this is dependent on the OG, yeast, etc.
You can add another 7-10 days in secondary, particularly if you dry hop, which is very common w/ IPA's.
Now, bottling or legging adds another 5-14+ days depending on your choice of carbonation.
Lastly, even though many hoppy beers are best early, some get better w/ a little time in the package, be it bottle or keg. I'm currently enjoying an Amarillo PA that has gotten much better w/ a few weeks in the keg.
So, time & patience are your friends, if your goal is good/great beer. If you're only after quick beer (alcohol) then by all means see how quickly you can go from grain to glass.

 

[Yooper]

I think the most important thing is not how quickly you can go from "grain to glass" but how well you can produce & reproduce a quality beer regardless of style. .....

.... If you're only after quick beer (alcohol) then by all means see how quickly you can go from grain to glass.

I'm hardly "only after quick beer (alcohol)" and as a certified BJCP judge I don't think that my beers are only good because they are alcoholic and quick to the glass. I really dislike blanket statements like that, as a well made IPA doesn't need weeks and weeks to be fantastic. A maibock will take longer, of course- but we're not talking about higher OG lagers- we are talking about how long we keep our IPAs in the fermenter. It's rather insulting to have be thought of as a beer brewer who only cares about alcohol and how quick we can get it. Many of us have ribbons and awards for our creations and I think that throwing aspersions on that because they are also quick to make is doing all of us a disservice.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I'm hardly "only after quick beer (alcohol)" and as a certified BJCP judge I don't think that my beers are only good because they are alcoholic and quick to class. I really dislike blanket statements like that, as a well made IPA doesn't need weeks and weeks to be fantastic. A maibock will take longer, of course- but we're not talking about higher OG lagers- we are talking about how long we keep our IPAs in the fermenter. It's rather insulting to have be thought of as a beer brewer who only cares about alcohol and how quick we can get it. Many of us have ribbons and awards for our creations and I think that throwing dispersion on that because they are also quick to make is doing all of us a disservice.

I agree. I brew mostly PAS and IPAs and nothing sits around longer than 20 days. I bottle, so add another 10 to 14 days and I'm peeling caps.

 

[slym2none]

I'm hardly "only after quick beer (alcohol)" and as a certified BJCP judge I don't think that my beers are only good because they are alcoholic and quick to the glass. I really dislike blanket statements like that, as a well made IPA doesn't need weeks and weeks to be fantastic. A maibock will take longer, of course- but we're not talking about higher OG lagers- we are talking about how long we keep our IPAs in the fermenter. It's rather insulting to have be thought of as a beer brewer who only cares about alcohol and how quick we can get it. Many of us have ribbons and awards for our creations and I think that throwing aspersions on that because they are also quick to make is doing all of us a disservice.

So basically, a good IPA is ready to drink as soon as it's carbed, and needs no bottle conditioning?

Noob here, looking to absorb as much info as possible.

 

[VonAle]

I think the most important thing is not how quickly you can go from "grain to glass" but how well you can produce & reproduce a quality beer regardless of style.
Generally with an IPA it takes 14-21 days in primary. Of course, this is dependent on the OG, yeast, etc.
You can add another 7-10 days in secondary, particularly if you dry hop, which is very common w/ IPA's.
Now, bottling or legging adds another 5-14+ days depending on your choice of carbonation.
Lastly, even though many hoppy beers are best early, some get better w/ a little time in the package, be it bottle or keg. I'm currently enjoying an Amarillo PA that has gotten much better w/ a few weeks in the keg.
So, time & patience are your friends, if your goal is good/great beer. If you're only after quick beer (alcohol) then by all means see how quickly you can go from grain to glass.

^^This.
Cept I usually DryHop on day 7 or 8, crash then bottle on day 15 or 16.

I put 6 in the fridge on about day 8 in the bottle, drink after day 10.
I usually have every bottle from the batch, in the fridge, by about day 14 in the bottle.

My time line used to be about 5-6 weeks grain to glass, but now at under 28 days, I think my IPA's are fresher tasting.

 

[govner1]

I'm hardly "only after quick beer (alcohol)" and as a certified BJCP judge I don't think that my beers are only good because they are alcoholic and quick to the glass. I really dislike blanket statements like that, as a well made IPA doesn't need weeks and weeks to be fantastic. A maibock will take longer, of course- but we're not talking about higher OG lagers- we are talking about how long we keep our IPAs in the fermenter. It's rather insulting to have be thought of as a beer brewer who only cares about alcohol and how quick we can get it. Many of us have ribbons and awards for our creations and I think that throwing aspersions on that because they are also quick to make is doing all of us a disservice.

There was no implication that you were only interested in speed of grain to glass. That was taken from YOUR post and many similar re the same.
Also, I only referenced a specific beer I made (IPA) that had, to my surprise, improved w/ some time. As I specified. My goal was to encourage patience on brewing.
So long!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

This is interesting.I always thought the general rule was anything under a month was a green beer,less a Hefe.And the longer the better.Now everyone is basicly saying 2 to 3 weeks.Has a long condition been debunked like using a secondary has?

 

[sandyeggoxj]

You can't make a time rule that applies to all beer. I brew a dark mild that is grain to glass in 10-12 days. It tastes GREAT. People love it. I've served it to around 100 people now and I always get good feedback.

My DIPA is grain to glass in 3 weeks or less. That is reaching terminal gravity, 19P to 1.5P, in about 6 days. Bump it up to 68 for a day to clean itself. Dryhop for 4 days. Crash cool and gelatin for 48 hours. Drop all that junk. Warm it back to room temperature and dry hop for 5 days. And then crash cool. This current batch I couldn't get to kegging it on time so it sat in the fermenter at 41-42ºf for about 5 days under 3-4psi pressure.

If you have a well built recipe, good processes, repeatable tendencies and stay sober enough to give full attention to your beer then you have a good shot at making a great beer right out of the gate. All the junk about weeks and weeks in primary is just junk. The internet is full of lies. Don't believe this one.

 

[slym2none]

. All the junk about weeks and weeks in primary is just junk. The internet is full of lies. Don't believe this one.

Weird - because my source of that "junk about weeks & weeks in primary" was this very site.

Then again, that might be just for Mr. Beer kit beers.

:cross:

 

[brew_ny]

Weird - because my source of that "junk about weeks & weeks in primary" was this very site.

:cross:

if this site is on the Internet then it has to be true

you can't post anything on the Internet unless it is true , I read that on the Internet

enjoy your IPA

 

[ArcaneXor]

Weird - because my source of that "junk about weeks & weeks in primary" was this very site.

That was during the primary vs. secondary wars and kept up later by a notable member who always claimed to speak for all of us and highlighted his comments like this.

Moving a beer of the primary yeast prematurely is still one of the worst things you could possibly do to a beer. Secondaries are not required in most cases. If you are a beginning brewer just learning the ropes, leaving the beer on the yeast for an extra week or two can help reduce off-flavors. So the advice in the Beginners forum may differ from advice given in the other forums to take inexperience into account.

But a good, experienced brewer should be able to turn an IPA around from grain to glass in three weeks or less. If the beer improves with age, that means there is something wrong with your recipe or process.

 

[Yooper]

Weird - because my source of that "junk about weeks & weeks in primary" was this very site.

Then again, that might be just for Mr. Beer kit beers.

:cross:

Arcane makes a great point. I think the whole idea behind ultra-long primaries came because of the fast that leaving a beer in the fermenter longer, on the yeast cake, can help to clean up some off flavors like acetaldehyde. Far too many brewers who start use kits that encourage a way-too-quick turnaround, probably because of impatience and/or the old practice of getting a beer off the yeast cake too fast. Still, that "clean up" process lasts about 24 hours after FG is reached so it's not like it takes weeks to happen.

But I think some of us went the other way- promoting leaving the beer in the fermenter for a month. Now, that may not hurt a bit so that's become some brewers standard practice.

I'd suggest to try it for your self. Split a batch and do just that- a shorter primary like 14 days or until the beer has been finished for at least three days and is clear and then one very long one. See which you prefer. Basic Brewing Radio did a podcast with that very experiment, and both batches had their proponents. I've done it myself, and found that I like my beer to have less of the yeast character imparted by a longer primary, while others like the longer primary better.

I dislike blanket statements, so I try not to give them. But a well-made beer generally won't need time to "clean up" if off-flavors are not created in the first place. And aging in the bottle is perfectly acceptable if a beer does need a little age.

But the key is "a well-made beer". Properly brewed, with an optimum of healthy yeast pitched at the proper temperature, fermented at an optimum temperature, and then packaged appropriately. Many brewers cannot do that, and so a longer primary may help compensate for some mistakes sometimes.

 

[slym2none]

Thanks, y'all!

 

[sputnam]

This is interesting.I always thought the general rule was anything under a month was a green beer,less a Hefe.And the longer the better.Now everyone is basicly saying 2 to 3 weeks.Has a long condition been debunked like using a secondary has?

that's exactly what I thought until recently. I was primary for 3 weeks, then keg at room temp for 4 then CO2 for a week. Yooper (and others) showed me the light and now I'm on the 3 week train to beersville. It's soooo much easier to wait 3 weeks instead of 8!

 

[Mexibilly]

The best, most delicious IPA I ever made was 14 total days primary, last 6 dry hop, 2 weeks in the bottle. Quick, easy and was definitely the best IPA I've ever brewed.
Brewed a nearly identical recipe that's in the bottle now. I went 3 weeks and 7 days and the first was definitely better, although this one is pretty good too

 

[jinghcd]

I wasn't sure if I was missing something as to why an ipa would need to age longer.

 

[AndytheBeave]

There are 2 things I wish were stickied and put on the front page of HBT. This:

I dislike blanket statements, so I try not to give them. But a well-made beer generally won't need time to "clean up" if off-flavors are not created in the first place. And aging in the bottle is perfectly acceptable if a beer does need a little age.

But the key is "a well-made beer". Properly brewed, with an optimum of healthy yeast pitched at the proper temperature, fermented at an optimum temperature, and then packaged appropriately. Many brewers cannot do that, and so a longer primary may help compensate for some mistakes sometimes.

and the advice I was given when I first joined this forum, "Listen to Yooper, Yooper is wise."

 

[Yooper]

There are 2 things I wish were stickied and put on the front page of HBT. This:


and the advice I was given when I first joined this forum, "Listen to Yooper, Yooper is wise."

Will you talk to my husband and kids, and tell them this?!?!

 

[AndytheBeave]

Will you talk to my husband and kids, and tell them this?!?!

Funny, that is the same sort of sentiment that my wife has. Something or other about "Selective hearing"....

 

[moreb33rplz]

I guess I make beer improperly because mine always taste best around 6-8 weeks from brew day. I bottle.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I guess I make beer improperly because mine always taste best around 6-8 weeks from brew day. I bottle.

Two months after brewing, the kettle hop character will have started to meld and fade a bit already. But if you like the result and can achieve it consistently, I say stick with it. That is not to say that you could, if you wanted to, probably shave a couple of weeks off that time by figuring out what is causing the delay in peak flavor and addressing the root cause.