Bottling after 2 weeks of fermentation?

[davidgrace]

Sometimes, my beer is ready to bottle after 7 days, but I’m not free to spend the time bottling. Can I leave the beer on the yeast for 2 weeks without any bad effects?

 

[Stu's Brews]

Sometimes, my beer is ready to bottle after 7 days, but I’m not free to spend the time bottling. Can I leave the beer on the yeast for 2 weeks without any bad effects?

Yep, 2 weeks won't be a problem.

Leaving beer on yeast for prolonged periods may cause issues with autolysis, but we are talking durations of 2-3 months rather than 2-3 weeks.

 

[Cwrw666]

Leaving it the extra week will allow the beer to clear quite a lot before bottling so you'll end up with much less sediment in the bottles. Won't harm the beer at all.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Agree with all the above. I normally leave mine at least a week after fermentation has finished. I'm in no rush, and it clears a lot more during this time as Cwrw says.

 

[Clint]

I've done a month without causing any issues.

 

[davidgrace]

Leaving it the extra week will allow the beer to clear quite a lot before bottling so you'll end up with much less sediment in the bottles. Won't harm the beer at all.

The fermentation temperature is 19C. Should I change the temperature when fermentation is complete?

 

[davidgrace]

Agree with all the above. I normally leave mine at least a week after fermentation has finished. I'm in no rush, and it clears a lot more during this time as Cwrw says.

The fermentation temperature is 19C. Should I change the temperature when fermentation is complete?

 

[Agentgonzo]

If you have a fridge or some temperature control, then yes you can change it, but don't need to. Dropping the temperature will allow the yeast to drop out faster. But beware as it cools the headspace will contract and it'll draw in air back through the airlock. You can attach CO2, either from a bottle or from a balloon. Or you can not worry about it.

I don't ferment in a fridge, so just leave it at room temperature until I'm ready to bottle it.

 

[Cwrw666]

Dropping the temperature will speed up the clearing of your beer. On the other hand if you maintain the fermentation temperature you may get a bit extra fermentation if it in fact hasn't quite finished.

 

[stubrewworx]

I've just bottled a pale ale after 24 days in the fermenter. 1 day in the bottle and I can read a newspaper through it!

I ferment in kettle and usually bottle at 2 weeks, it's never been so clear.

Thumbs up for extra time in fermenter.

 

[MashBag]

I ferment in kettle and usually bottle at 2 weeks, it's never been so clear.

I noticed that when I started FIK.

Really quick to clear.

 

[Sadfield]

I wouldn't bottle before 2 weeks. There's a reason they refer to it as maturation.


Maturation with John Palmer

 

[jambop]

I wouldn't bottle before 2 weeks. There's a reason they refer to it as maturation.


Maturation with John Palmer

My total time start of fermentation to botting is usually not more than 14 days. Takes about four days then two days at 22C before cooling to 8C for seven days bottled next day. Beer is normally ready to drink 10 days after bottling. Works well for me but what about comercial brewers ? In the bottle a day or two after it finished fermenting ?

 

[jof]

Commercial brewers don't want to tie up their equipment any longer than necessary, so they can get the next batch on.

So things like optimum temperature control (fermentation and cold crash), fermenting under pressure, finings, filtration, forced carbonation at bottling/canning are done.

And it often shows in the end product.

 

[Sadfield]

Works well for me but what about comercial brewers ? In the bottle a day or two after it finished fermenting ?

Probrewer chat suggests longer than 2 weeks is normal. Anything less is a commercial compromise, from a quality perspective not what the brewers would ideally like.

As the podcast highlights, finished fermenting isn't when it reaches final gravity. The masters of bottling beer are Belgian breweries and many of then don't bottle for several weeks after primary fermentation. At the other end of the spectrum the macro lager brewers work on a very short time frame. Some may conclude the proof is in the supping.

 

[jambop]

Probrewer chat suggests longer than 2 weeks is normal. Anything less is a commercial compromise, from a quality perspective not what the brewers would ideally like.

As the podcast highlights, finished fermenting isn't when it reaches final gravity. The masters of bottling beer are Belgian breweries and many of then don't bottle for several weeks after primary fermentation. At the other end of the spectrum the macro lager brewers work on a very short time frame. Some may conclude the proof is in the supping.

Very true that and I do make excellent beer, so I am told. An award winning resto wanted me to make beer for them but I am too old to get into that plus making it legal and could never make enough anyway.

 

[Sadfield]

Very true that and I do make excellent beer, so I am told. An award winning resto wanted me to make beer for them but I am too old to get into that plus making it legal and could never make enough anyway.

????? Cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jambop]

????? Cool. Thanks for sharing.

No worries, I was dining at his resto last weekend and underwent sampling his house beer which is made by a local craft brewer who boasts, even on the label that the beer is fermented under pressure, the beer naturally carbonated and is not pasteurised or filtered... dreadful stuff I can understand why he prefers mine ... French beer? Not great

 

[Madhouse]

Back when I bottled I always went with the rule of 2 - 2 weeks in the fermenter, 2 weeks to carb in the bottle and then chill for 2 weeks. I've adjusted this for kegging now but in general my beers always get two weeks to ferment even if they're 'done' inside a week.

 

[RichardM]

Back when I bottled I always went with the rule of 2 - 2 weeks in the fermenter, 2 weeks to carb in the bottle and then chill for 2 weeks. I've adjusted this for kegging now but in general my beers always get two weeks to ferment even if they're 'done' inside a week.

Yes two weeks in the fermenter, the last few days cold crashing. I have found that they are ready do drink sooner in the keg than when I used to bottle.