How long can I leave the beer in the FV

[jof]

I am going on 3 weeks on these colder months as my utility room is around 15C and less overnight.

 

[Agentgonzo]

My last couple of brews, I've left in the FV for 14 days (latest; Youngs Old Suffolk Ale) and 21 days (previous; Youngs Belgian Style Pale Ale) - they both bottomed out on the iSpindel gravity reading quite early i.e. sat in the FV for at least 7 days after the gravity settled at final level. With both of them, the carbonation and head retention has not been great - pleasant to drink but a flattish look, very little tongue tingle, very little head to retain. I wonder if the yeast has gone to sleep / died before getting round to bottling.

That's not been my experience. How much priming sugar did you add and how long did you condition them for in bottles?

I wonder whether your previous brews got bottled with some residual sugar that wasn't present in the last batch (with the yeast having finished it all off). Or whether less yeast made it into the bottles and secondary fermentation was slower - this has been my experience with leaving it in the primary for a good time after primary fermentation has completed

 

[Victor Churchill]

That's not been my experience. How much priming sugar did you add and how long did you condition them for in bottles?

I wonder whether your previous brews got bottled with some residual sugar that wasn't present in the last batch (with the yeast having finished it all off). Or whether less yeast made it into the bottles and secondary fermentation was slower - this has been my experience with leaving it in the primary for a good time after primary fermentation has completed

I used the priming sugar provided in the kit - 90g for the Suffolk, 120g for the Belgian if I recall correctly, each for a 23l brew (about 21.5 bon bottling)
I had wondered if leaving the brew in the FV for a significant time after primary fermentation finished would mean that the yeast consumed all the available fermentables and then either died or went into a very inactive state such that it didn't really wake up again for the secondary stage.
But it could be that I just should have waited longer for conditioning to work before sampling!

 

[Agentgonzo]

I had wondered if leaving the brew in the FV for a significant time after primary fermentation finished would mean that the yeast consumed all the available fermentables and then either died or went into a very inactive state such that it didn't really wake up again for the secondary stage.

Once the yeast consumes all the sugar it can, it will enter a dormant state, but it won't die. Even if it looks like it has all dropped to the bottom of the FV and you bottle what like like clear beer, it'll still have enough alive yeast to referment in the bottle (unless you filter it).
Once it's dormant, it does take a little longer to wake up, and if there is less yeast in the bottle, it'll take a bit longer to carbonate. But 2 weeks should be plenty. Temperature can also affect it. Room temperature should be 2 weeks. A garage in the winter will take a fair bit longer

But it could be that I just should have waited longer for conditioning to work before sampling!

That's normally the case. How long did you wait after bottling and before sampling?

 

[Jordang]

I’ve had some success and failures with leaving for long periods… I’ve had really grassy taste in hoppy beers (cwtch and a hoppy porter) that was rank. But I’ve cold crashed for months without issue. So I would suggest dropping the temp if you can’t package

 

[Victor Churchill]

Once the yeast consumes all the sugar it can, it will enter a dormant state, but it won't die. Even if it looks like it has all dropped to the bottom of the FV and you bottle what like like clear beer, it'll still have enough alive yeast to referment in the bottle (unless you filter it).
Once it's dormant, it does take a little longer to wake up, and if there is less yeast in the bottle, it'll take a bit longer to carbonate. But 2 weeks should be plenty. Temperature can also affect it. Room temperature should be 2 weeks. A garage in the winter will take a fair bit longer


That's normally the case. How long did you wait after bottling and before sampling?

Started 14 Jan, OG 1050 InkBird set to 22 degC
Stabilised by 22 Jan at 1006, add dry hops
Bottle 28 Jan, add 90g priming sugar as a syrup with syringe - so probably a bit eager with the sampling. Bottles still sitting in a warmish utility room.