Fermentation length.

[petts5354]

I have a wheat beer that was very active in the initial fermentation. It has calmed down now (about 5 days in).

I would like opinions as to how long fermentation should be and what the reasoning behind the opinion is. In researching here and on other boards it seems like I got a lot of opinions but not the reason behind the opinion.

2 weeks?
3 weeks?
4 weeks?

Also....I have read that when a brewing experiment goes bad a long bottle conditioning might fix it. Does a long fermentation have a similar effect?

Thanks.

[Bluejaye]

The reason always goes back to whether you have a hydrometer/refractometer, or not. If not, it becomes what is the safest option to avoid bottle bombs while not sitting on the trub so long as to cause off-flavors.

Depending on the beer and yeast, it could be done in a week if you can check it.

Three weeks is often cited as being a sure thing with most of the Mr. Beer, etc. ale kits, while not causing any harm to the flavor.

After 4 weeks of sitting on the trub it starts to move into a window of actually being harmful to the final product.

[mashani]

The answer is it depends.

It depends on OG. It depends on pitching rate (how much yeast you put in). It depends on how healthy your wort is from a nutrition standpoint, how much oxygen you got into it. It depends on fermentation temperature and yeast selection. And more.

All that said, most fermentations are complete in 10-14 days. Sometimes they are done in even 4-5 days in a small beer like a bitter or mild with a healthy amount of yeast pitched. But I would not bottle that until at least day 7-10 anyways, as the yeast continue to "eat" things like acetaldehyde and other compounds you would interpret as cidery or off flavors. But you do not know they are done unless you have a hydrometer and use it. If you do not have a hydrometer, then be sure to wait 2 or 3 weeks before you bottle.

I've only brewed a few beers that were not done in 3 weeks, and that's just because they were of stupid high gravity or were using a temperamental yeast like Belgian Saison.

As far as conditioning, long conditioning times can fix many things, but not all things. Patience is good. But there are some kinds of off flavors that will never go away.

[petts5354]

The reason always goes back to whether you have a hydrometer/refractometer, or not. If not, it becomes what is the safest option to avoid bottle bombs while not sitting on the trub so long as to cause off-flavors.

Depending on the beer and yeast, it could be done in a week if you can check it.

Three weeks is often cited as being a sure thing with most of the Mr. Beer, etc. ale kits, while not causing any harm to the flavor.

After 4 weeks of sitting on the trub it starts to move into a window of actually being harmful to the final product.

I assume that you are saying that if you meet the 48 hr stable SG then it's done no matter how long it's been. Correct?

[petts5354]

The answer is it depends.......As far as conditioning, long conditioning times can fix many things, but not all things. Patience is good. But there are some kinds of off flavors that will never go away.

I do realize that but thanks for not assuming so. Even so it's always worth a try.

[Bluejaye]

I assume that you are saying that if you meet the 48 hr stable SG then it's done no matter how long it's been. Correct?

Essentially, yes. There might be some finer points regarding flavor precursors and the yeast cleaning up after itself, but that's the general gist.

Take a look at this page, in particular "The Four Phases Of Fermentation" section.

http://www.thescrewybrewer.com/p/yeast- ... -beer.html

[Kealia]

I'm one of those "let the yeast tell me when it's done" brewers. When I started, I used a 2 week rule but now, depending on my schedule I will typically check a beer after 5-7 days to see where it is. Most of the time I can either dry hop or bottle/keg a few days later. It's not uncommon for me to bottle or keg after 7-10 days total - time allowing.

But, I've spent a lot of time working on the things that mashani called out in his post.

[wollffy]

So. Execuse the noob question, but will batch size have any difference?

[Brewbirds]

So. Execuse the noob question, but will batch size have any difference?

If I understand where your coming from on this I think in your case the answer is probably yes.

If you pitched a full package of dry yeast into a one gallon batch yours "may" finish sooner than a 2.5 or 5 gallon batch.

It depends on many factors that control how the yeast behave in the wort you pitched into (i.e. fermentibility, temps, yeast strain and quality).

[wollffy]

I pitched 5.5 grams s-33 into my 1.25 batch and it seems slow on my airlock. I brewed on Sunday.

[BeerRust]

There really isn't a hard and fast rule on this. There are many factors, as stated above and many more. You will get the " must be 3 weeks " answer also, but that is not completely true. Most beer will be complete in 7-21 days.
Conditioning again no absolute rule to stand by either. In general the more adjuncts, long conditioning is recommended. But some people like their beer a little bit sooner.

[wollffy]

I like beer soon. But brewing my own I want to do a good job so.....

[RickBeer]

Wolffy, the answer is building a pipeline. If you keep brewing, assuming you consume slower than you brew, you get to the point where you have plenty of beer to drink and therefore time doesn't matter as much. I have a batch ready to take a reading now, and I'll get to it in the next day or so. I have two batches that I could drink, if I want to, on 12/31. But I have no urgency to do either.

By doing 2 LBKs every 3 weeks for a few months, I get to the point that I'm all set.

Build that pipeline!

[BrownstotheBone]

How true it is. This is the best my pipeline has ever been. 3 batches in the "conditioning vessel". 2 are ready..

"The Voodoo That You Do" w/ brown sugar (2 months) & "Patriots Pride" w/ a hop boil (1 month). "Downtown Amber Ale" (hop boil) was bottled 2 days ago.

Finally getting over the hump! (now if I didn't have to give away the ones I promised... LOL)

[wollffy]

Wolffy, the answer is building a pipeline. If you keep brewing, assuming you consume slower than you brew, you get to the point where you have plenty of beer to drink and therefore time doesn't matter as much. I have a batch ready to take a reading now, and I'll get to it in the next day or so. I have two batches that I could drink, if I want to, on 12/31. But I have no urgency to do either.

By doing 2 LBKs every 3 weeks for a few months, I get to the point that I'm all set.

Build that pipeline!

Point taken RickBeer. I should be starting my second batch in a BrewDemon this weekend