Ale how long in primary

The directions also suggest weeks of bottle conditioning before drinking. The directions listed here are along the same timeline, but at Midwest, most of the brewers here would agree that it is a better practice to perform a long secondary fermentation as opposed to a long time conditioning in the bottle.

This makes for a more consistent batch of beer, as it is all aging together at the same time. Here are some general fermentaion time suggestions by style.

For a style like a Cream Ale, Honey Kolsch, or any of our Light Ales, we would recommend one week in primary, and weeks in secondary. The lighter flavor of these beers allows the beer to mature sooner because you are not waiting for the alcohol bitterness to subside, or for the beer to mellow out. You are basically just waiting for the beer to clear to your liking. So, once it is clear enough for you, feel free to bottle. For styles such as American Amber Ale or German Altbier , we recommend 1 week in the primary and weeks in the secondary.

As a beer gets darker in color it becomes more important to let the beer sit longer in the fermenter. The reason is due to the darker grains. The more a grain gets roasted, the more chances there are for off-flavors. This little extra time will make a big difference on how the beer tastes in the end. For an amber or red ale, we would recommend one week in primary, and weeks in secondary. Dark styles of beer will benefit the most from a long fermentation time. Dark ales tend to contain some very heavily roasted grains.

After two weeks, it is time to transfer your beer into a secondary fermentation vessel our 5-gallon carboy. We recommend doing this step between June 6 and June 20, which will give your wort at least a week in the carboy before bottling on June In a pinch, you can do this step right before bottling.

During the following week, the final stages of fermentation will take place in the carboy. The airlock should be bubbling in intervals greater than seconds. Stay tuned for instructions and another video on bottling.

However, many brewers have ditched this process altogether, believing it to have little to no impact on the final beer. Check out this blog post from Brulosphy comparing primary-only versus secondary-fermented beer. Stay tuned, and let your beer do its thing in the meantime! Share story.

By Audrey Carlsen. Nikolaj Lasbo. If I had Tilt hydrometers and time to bottle evenings during the work week , I'd probably investigate shortening the time frame. Yooper Ale's What Cures You! Staff member. About 10 days for most ales, but if I dryhop I'll go more like 13 days. So that was was day It's been finished since about day 5, but I waited a bit until it started to clear, and then dryhopped for 4 days before packaging. BrewnWKopperKat said:.

Not to throw a curve at you all, but do any of you do spunding and if so, when do you start spunding? Do you take several samples or wait so many days and then spund? I leave my beers in fermenter until I feel like bottling or kegging. Stable FG. Varies from 14 days up to 8 weeks I never secondary. I like to leave my browns and stouts 4 weeks in primary other beers wheats, red ale, IPA etc typically weeks.

Hey Man, whatever works for you as long as you are enjoying your beer no worries! Phred New Member. Joined Dec 22, Messages 3 Reaction score 1. I usually leave it in primary a week and transfer to secondary for 2 weeks or more. If I see active fermentation after a week in primary i will let it go another week, but usually active fermentation ends 3 or 4 days after the yeast takes off.

Once i get it into secondary, I may leave it longer if I don't have time to keg or empty kegs to put it in. I was told by one of the guys i learned to brew from that it is not good to leave it in primary longer that 2 weeks, do to the junk on the bottom giving your beer an off taste. I don't know how true this is, but it also gives me a clean carboy to dry hop in if i dry hop.

Phred said:. What does Autolysis taste like? I brewed a cider for my inlaws, I fermented in my bottle primary was tied up. Even cold crashing.

It was very thick. I let it set for 3 months on what was a heavy yeast bed and still very cloudy. I went ahead and bottled it and let it set Using Hydrometers - How to Brew. Last edited: Jun 3, I bottle after days, generally. I always go 14 days then transfer to keg and condition 14 days with half the priming sugar needed for bottling.

Works like a charm. I could probably keg ales after days. In real life, it's usually closer to weeks depending on my schedule, my wife's schedule, and my energy levels after the 3-yo goes to sleep. I leave them in primary for 3 weeks. Long ago I did 2 weeks, and then for reasons, I couldn;t get to bottling for an extra, and it turned out to be the best beer I had made up till then.

Since that one, I've left it 3. I suppose I should experiment with 2 weeks and see what the results are - maybe there was another factor involved. This is about where I am also. My batches are 3 gallons. About a week in primary, another week or 2 in a secondary, which I view as more or a settling or clearing tank.

What your friend was telling you is that you want to get the beer off the yeast from the primary when its time because of whats called autolysis. This is the process where yeast will begin to eat or digest itself after it runs out of nutrients in the beer to digest. Dead and dying yeast produces off flavors and can become undrinkable. Its another one of those many things some homebrewers want to debate over and believe to be a myth.

Gnomebrewer Well-Known Member. Typically 3 to 5 days. Poll needs a 'less than 7 days' option. ChiknNutz said:.