Clearing time

[Trev Sutton]

Hi,My 1st post query.After fermentation has stopped,say 5-6 days,how long is too long to let settle & clear?Do you still add sugar to bottles or kegs later?

[Liam Callaghan]

Hey Trev, if you have a second fermentor you could transfer the beer to the secondary.  This takes the beer of the trub and yeast (called leas - not sure I have spelled that correctly) at the bottom of the fermentor which can start to give your beer off flavours if left too long.  I wouldn't be concerned for any time less than a week, a fortnight is pushing it, three weeks you will have some additional flavours.  From my experience anyway.

I usually bottle or keg when my beer reaches its final gravity (hydrometer reading), if I dont have time to bottle it I often shift them to a secondary.  Once its off the leas it can sit in the secondary for months and clear or as long as it takes.

You can bulk prime with sugar in the secondary or bottle and add sugar per bottle.  The additional sugar at this stage is to condition it in the bottle so it has some carbonation when you open it.

[sockmerchant]

I very much doubt you'll get off flavored after a week. My understanding is that if you pitch healthy yeast it will take a month (or more) for off favors to develop ( due to autolysis)

In fact the current understanding is that keeping your beer on your yeast for an extra couple of weeks greatly benefits the beer. Plus the more you handle the beer, hte greater the risk of infection.

I generally leave it in the primary for 3 weeks. 1 week to ferment, 1 week to condition and for the yeast to clean up after themselves, 1 week to clear (usually crash cooled). Then bottle

[Liam Callaghan]

You get off flavours from the breakdown of vegetative matter too, not just the yeast.  Its this that might give you off flavours, especially if it in an ambient temp shed at this time of year.  I wouldn't recommend 3 weeks in the primary fermentor unless you have it in some kind of controlled environment where the temperature is stable.

Do you have any articles on the current understanding sockmerchant, I'd be interested to read up on that, I'm currently reading through a mountain of yeast books and articles, any insightful new ones are welcome.

Personally I keep it in the fermentor from 1-2 weeks and bottle it or keg from there.  If its not clear I usually bottle of keg anyway and it will settle out.  I'm very patient with my beers.  If its really cloudy, still not completed its fermentation or I just don't have time I will rack to a secondary.  I am not concerned about more risk of infection, if you work cleanly its not a problem.

[sockmerchant]

mainly "Yeast" by the white labs dudes.

And a hundred or so hours of listening to the brewing network podcasts. 

Well, that and personal experience of course.  After a week of temp control i pretty much let things go and then maybe crash cool at the end to clear it up if it hasnt. This being ales of course. I can honestly say i have never had (or at the very least detected) off flavours from being on yeast (and vegetative matter) for up to a month. 

Everything i have read and heard say that you only do primary, and to only do secondary if you are adding stuff (fruit, oak, etc etc) or doing long term fermentation (barley wine, sours, etc etc).

[Liam Callaghan]

Interesting, I'll have to look up the podcasts.  I only just finished the biology section of Yeast so a good few chapters to go.  Maybe I just get more hop through to the fermentor than you but I can get off flavours if its left too long on the lees so I just don't leave it.  I'll be gutted if I am making a really good beer when it could have been an outstanding beer!

I've only ever had positive results from racking to a secondary, usually glass which helps to see whats going on.  Be interesting to find out what the benefits are from leaving it in the primary.

[sockmerchant]

Maybe try splitting the next one? Rack half and leave the rest? When I tried this I really couldn't pick any difference which is why I stopped. I only ever do this when I add stuff at the end of fermentation, mostly fruit.

I don't get much hop matter in the fermenter, but I also mostly brew Belgian beers which have very little hop to start with. I also tend to syphon my wort from the kettle with a fine bag over the line to catch hops etc.

I really do recommend those podcasts. They cover retty much everything to do with brewing, and there are years of them. They do require liberal usage of the fast forward to get past the yanky nonsense though :) still recommended.

[jt]

How long to clear ?
Some yeasts and beers clear better or sooner than others. After you've reached your FG it can be days until it clears, or depending on the yeast, it may be clear then.
If you want to really clear your beer, consider crash chilling in a fridge and clearing with gelatine

[Dan]

I use primary fermentor only and then bottle. I leave my ales in the fermentor for 2 weeks before bottling and my lagers stay in for 3 weeks due to colder fermentation temp. Seems to work well for me.

[Trev Sutton]

Thanks guys,appreciate your help