How long do you brew?

[MashBag]

I was a big-brew-day then 2+2+2 believer for many years.

I now seem to be overnight mash and overnight chill.
Followed by
7 days primary, bottled warm.
Then 4/5 days conditioning.
After that it really is ready to drink.
Carbonated nicely, clear and nice head.
OK that's a session IPA not a big dark stout or a lager.

A few years ago I would never have thought that possible.

What's yours?

 

[Slid]

I think the 2+2+2 is a belief system that dates from the days that this was essentially a Kit Brewing Forum, with a few "elite" AG brewers. Maybe 2013 or so 10 years ago. Six weeks is (or was, it is hard to remember) about the minimum for a one or even two can kit to be good to drink.

My preferences are now AG and malt or yeast dominated beer, so I aim to drink around 3 months after bottling, which is after 2 weeks in primary and a further week in secondary. Maybe less for a wheat beer, but even using PET bottles, I do prefer an aged beer, This is not something I would recommend for a hop forward beer, as is the current fashion, because obviously the aroma after 3 months is long gone and even the hop flavours have mellowed down to, well, not much.

Oddly, the beers I have made most often are English Special Bitter and the Patersbier from the GH book.

 

[Agentgonzo]

6 hour brew day for me

2+2+2 is a very rough guide, which I see more as 2+4 because I don't do anything at the end of the 2 week "carbonation" to move it into the 2 week "conditioning" step. The bottles just continue sitting in the garage*.

I have an ispindel, so I bottle 3-7 days after the gravity has stabilized -sometimes that's at the 10 day mark, sometimes it's at the 3 week mark.

I tend to have a decent stock and in the case of pale ales tend to start drinking it a couple of days after it's achieved the desired level of carbonation (by the PET bottle squeeze test), which is normally 2 weeks after bottling. Darker ales I tend to give another week, so start drinking 3 weeks after bottling.


* This is with the exception of my strong Belgian ales that I carbonated for 2-4 weeks inside the house for a bit of extra richness (from the warm refermentation), then move them out to the garage and condition for 4-6 months (brew in spring for the following winter)

 

[marshbrewer]

Fairly standard brew day, sometimes I no chill, but often not - I usually chill to hop stand temp, then Hopstand for an hour, then chill to pitch temp.

2 weeks in the Fv, hardly ever crash cool now so package at fermenting temp. The exception would be anything using a lager or kolsch yeast where I leave it in the fv for 3 weeks.

4-8 weeks conditioning in a cornie keg, I naturally carb rather than force carb. Longer for anything high in gravity.

However, I'm the first to admit I'm no master brewer!

 

[obscure]

I think the 2+2+2 is a belief system that dates from the days that this was essentially a Kit Brewing Forum, with a few "elite" AG brewers. Maybe 2013 or so 10 years ago. Six weeks is (or was, it is hard to remember) about the minimum for a one or even two can kit to be good to drink.

My preferences are now AG and malt or yeast dominated beer, so I aim to drink around 3 months after bottling, which is after 2 weeks in primary and a further week in secondary. Maybe less for a wheat beer, but even using PET bottles, I do prefer an aged beer, This is not something I would recommend for a hop forward beer, as is the current fashion, because obviously the aroma after 3 months is long gone and even the hop flavours have mellowed down to, well, not much.

Oddly, the beers I have made most often are English Special Bitter and the Patersbier from the GH book.

The thing with the 2+2+2 system is on the whole it works, and one reason I would still mention it to new brewers is it counters the instructions on some kits that still seem to suggest you can have good beer in 10 days.

Of course some styles you really can drink in 10 days, Weissbier I feel you can pretty much drink straight out of the fermentor so if you force carb you could go from grain to glass in 7 days, and some of my Bitters are very drinkable with a week of conditioning.

 

[Redgrave_3]

Probably worth considering that if you’re bottling rather than kegging there’s less margin for error. Generally I’ve found the longer I could leave beers before tapping/cracking the better. I don’t brew neipas though so there might be some styles that benefit from being consumed fresher. 2+2+2 still works for me but there’s plenty of times I’ve shortened it and results aren’t terrible, just tend to be better by the time I’m finishing it.

 

[The Baron]

I always still quote the 2+2+2 for newbies 2 but most brewers once experienced short cut to a system that works with the yeast they are using.
I no chill all the time mostly brew early morning and by afternoon or late evening depending on the time of year is ready to pitch(I put the FV outside to cool quicker).
I also whirlpool most beers unless English ales or bitters then leave to chill further.
If I am using Kveik its all done by 4 days plus 2 to Gelatine and settle then keg so a week for Kveik as a general rule

 

[YeastFace]

10-14 days in the fermenter, including a 2 day crash cool (unless a particularly strong beer or awkward yeast strain).

Try to leave for 2 weeks to condition, clear and carbonate in the keg. Rarely will get older than 6-8 weeks.

 

[Rugby Fan.]

How long is a piece of string?!

For a middle of the road pale ale, I'll go 3 weeks fermenter, then 3 weeks in the bottle. I can shorten the fermentation time but I find my bottles always need 3 weeks.

For some reason my Irish reds are ***** until they've had at least 8 weeks in the bottle

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How long is a piece of string?!

Twice as long as half its length.

 

[Rugby Fan.]

Twice as long as half its length.

Depends on which half though

 

[MashBag]

Does it depend on if you brew by taste or by numbers?