How long should you ferment a American Pale Ale?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hey guys seems there is a bit of a debate going on here about the waiting for fermentation period of an APA. I believe it is 4 weeks then bottle for 2 to 3 weeks for carbonation and conditioning. What are your thoughts please??? The recipe I got from  Brewshop said 6 weeks from brewing to bottle ready.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

So should I be looking at 3 weeks primary then bottle for 3? It's confusing when done say that they have reached their FG so quickly. I am only using dry yeast US.05 and can take 24 hours before bubbles appear. It's 3 weeks this Saturday I haven't dry hopped yet as I assumed I had to wait to nearly 4 in the last 5 days I still have large krausen on top too. Would dry hopping be a waste of time with that there?

[Kyle Richards]

The general consensus is that It is best to dry hop with the least amount of yeast in suspension as possible. Theory is yeast particles absorb hop oils and flocculate out. I cold crash primary fermenter for 24h then raise temp back to 18 b4 adding dry hops.

I personally think 2 weeks primary is sufficient for a pale ale. Would maybe go to 3 for stronger beers.

With regards to timing, everyone says something different. Best thing is to taste your beer at all stages of development (given you can do it without contamination), you will then be able to determine how your beer develops and be able to taste the difference between green and un green beer. After you bottle, crack one each week to see how the flavour develops. 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Do you need to cold crash again a few days after dry hop?

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I have the large krausen on top what would you do with that if your FG was good and it was day 17

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Try a cold crash now for 24 hrs then bring it back to fermentation temp dry hop for 3 days then cold crash again for 2 or 3 days?

[Kyle Richards]

That is what I do, first cold crash it to flocculate yeast, second coldcrash is to flocculate dry hops (I dont use a mesh bag). I have had persistent Krausen b4 in a pale, not sure what keeps it there. You could wait to see if it drops, depends how fast you want your beer!

[Kyle Richards]

A lot goes one with Krausen formation that I dont understand. I have had some beers that dont form any krausen at all, just looks like its doing nothing but then you take a gravity reading and its completely fermented out in 5 days. 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I chewed on a piece of cascade pellet and that's the taste I have in the beer maybe it's just too much dry hop or the sediment tasted crap too, tried that too.

[Kyle Richards]

Primary fermentation with my pale ales is usually complete within 4 days, ie reached final gravity (with a 1L liquid starter). I usually leave it in primary between 12-14 days then rack to keg. Needs at least 10 days in keg cold conditioning before it reaches it full potential. 

Lots of guys now (including myself) dont bother with secondary, although I get better results with dry hopping in secondary. But if you dont have CO2, racking to secondary isnt worth it. 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Should I stop doing it at 4 weeks in primary? That includes dry hopping and cold crashing, and try 3 weeks?

[Craig Howard]

I have never done 3 or 4 week ferments and I am relatively new to all this...so take this FWIW

The 3  brew shops I used to get me started with product and advice all said "no longer than two weeks in the fermenter".  

I followed that ..plus all the brew vids I ever saw and articles I have read...as well as the notes on the product......and my beer is fine.  Better than fine in fact.

...and from "How to Brew'  (First sentence under the first photo)

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter1-3.html

I dont even do gravity readings.  I simply wait for it all to stop for a day or 2,...fine it for 2 days..and bottle it.

I brew for taste and not alcohol content.  (Probably sacrilege but what ever)

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Been 17 days today. Current gravity is pretty close its at 1.014 instead of 1.012 but my OG was 1.052 at 25C so really it was a reading of 1.053, still pretty close eh? So could be done??