When to bottle?

[paanderson86]

I know the rule of thumb is when the gravity reading is the same for three days, but how long does everyone usually wait before bottling? For the purpose of clarity, I'm thinking of bottling about 2-2.5 weeks after brew day.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I usually check the gravity around 10-12 days then bottle/keg if stable.

 

[eadavis80]

Earliest I've ever bottled I think was 2.5 weeks after brew day, but it's usually 3 or more. Really depends on my motivation, availability and if I'm aging the beer at all.

 

[Singletrack]

Typically, I bottle after 3 weeks of fermenting. I do not check gravity to decide when to bottle. The only time I open the fermenter is to cold hop.

 

[RM-MN]

The longer you wait to bottle the less yeast ends up in the bottle. By day 10 most beers will have completed fermenting and the yeast will be settling buy by the end of the 8th week there will be very little suspended yeast to coat the bottom of the bottles. I usually wait 3 to 4 weeks to bottle.

 

[SomeDick]

Is there any draw back to bottling earlier? I've already hit my FG one week in.. Seems silly to let it sit another week and a half. I bottle condition for about 4 weeks according to the recipe after FG is reached.

 

[55x11]

I know the rule of thumb is when the gravity reading is the same for three days, but how long does everyone usually wait before bottling? For the purpose of clarity, I'm thinking of bottling about 2-2.5 weeks after brew day.

once you establish a stable FG, there is no need to wait more than ~24-48 hours to get it off the yeast and start working on packaging your beer (bottling, kegging etc.).

There is no good rule for when this happens - could be 5 weeks, could be 5 days.

If you are interested in clarity, I would cold crash prior to transfer - cool it to 30-35F and keep it there for a day or so, add gelatin and keep it there for another day or so.

You could let it just sit but by doing so, you are slowly oxidizing your beer. I am convinced that with almost any type of airlock (and especially if you are using a bucket!) your beer is undergoing slow oxidation so that while a day or so may not matter, a week or two will make a great deal of difference.

Cold-crashing can introduce quite a lot of oxygen to the beer as well, so you have to do that right (ideally by cold-crashing in keg or flushing it with CO2).

 

[RM-MN]

Is there any draw back to bottling earlier? I've already hit my FG one week in.. Seems silly to let it sit another week and a half. I bottle condition for about 4 weeks according to the recipe after FG is reached.

Yes, but the drawback isn't large. Mostly letting it sit longer will allow more yeast to settle out and let the beer begin maturing . I've bottled at one week and got a quarter inch of sediment in each bottle when the yeast settled out there. With more time to settle in the fermenter I get so little sediment that it is hard to see in the bottles.

You could also see some acetaldehyde from bottling early. If your beer has a bit of "green apple" taste, that is what it is from.

 

[SomeDick]

once you establish a stable FG, there is no need to wait more than ~24-48 hours to get it off the yeast and start working on packaging your beer (bottling, kegging etc.).



There is no good rule for when this happens - could be 5 weeks, could be 5 days.



If you are interested in clarity, I would cold crash prior to transfer - cool it to 30-35F and keep it there for a day or so, add gelatin and keep it there for another day or so.



You could let it just sit but by doing so, you are slowly oxidizing your beer. I am convinced that with almost any type of airlock (and especially if you are using a bucket!) your beer is undergoing slow oxidation so that while a day or so may not matter, a week or two will make a great deal of difference.



Cold-crashing can introduce quite a lot of oxygen to the beer as well, so you have to do that right (ideally by cold-crashing in keg or flushing it with CO2).

Two questions..
Is cold crashing still going to introduce a lot of oxygen when doing so in a carboy?
Is the gelatin necessary or Will just the lower temperature significantly clarify the beer?

 

[McGarnigle]

Is there any draw back to bottling earlier? I've already hit my FG one week in.. Seems silly to let it sit another week and a half. I bottle condition for about 4 weeks according to the recipe after FG is reached.

Note that "already hit" FG isn't the same as stable FG. It is possible your beer will ferment below the expected FG, in which case you could cause yourself trouble by bottling early.

 

[SomeDick]

Stable for 2 days now. Bottling tomorrow or Wednesday if it stays stable. Thanks

 

[brewskiez]

Is there a reason we "worry" about the yeast sediment is it distasteful... harmful... or just mentally unappealing?

 

[kh54s10]

Is there a reason we "worry" about the yeast sediment is it distasteful... harmful... or just mentally unappealing?

For most it is just unappealing, others are sensitive to the taste of the yeast.

When I started brewing a little over 5 years ago there was a lot of advice that you need to leave the beer fermenting for 4 weeks, there were others that said you only need 2 weeks. I opted for 3 weeks. I then had a period where I didn't brew enough so I started going with 2 weeks. If the beer is clear at 2 weeks there is no need to wait longer. It will only get a very little bit more clear in the extra time. (usually.. If the beer is not clear wait longer)

 

[RM-MN]

Is there a reason we "worry" about the yeast sediment is it distasteful... harmful... or just mentally unappealing?

You can go to a health foods store and buy brewers yeast for the B complex vitamins it contains. Your yeast sediment contains the same vitamins. If you don't like the taste, leave the sediment behind in the bottle. Otherwise, you can just empty the bottle and accept the flavor and cloudiness it gives the beer.