How long is 'too long'?

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Norik
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How long is 'too long'?

Post by Norik » Sun Dec 11, 2016 5:07 am

I'm hoping to get a brew day in between Christmas and new year, but I likely won't be able to bottle until, at best, the end of January.

How long would you say is too long in the primary sitting on the yeast cake?
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Jim
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Jim » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:50 am

I generally leave mine 2 weeks in the primary, but you might push it to 3 without much bother.

4 or 5 weeks would be pushing it imo.
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by scotsloon » Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:54 am

It depends on what you want to brew. If you're going for a traditional English beer then Jim is correct. If you are going for a lager then you can easily consider bottling into February as you need to consider lagering the brew in the Fridge on the basis of 1 week for every 10 SG points of fermentation (40 points equates to 4 weeks lagering)

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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Haydnexport » Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:27 pm

As above i'd say , but definitely rack it off the yeast if you can when its done , then you could leave it for a bit longer before bottling

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Norik
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Norik » Sun Dec 11, 2016 6:06 pm

Thanks for the replies.
Racking off to secondary isn't something I've ever done. Would you add a dash of sugar to guarantee a CO2 blanket on top of the beer, to help avoid oxidation?
Litany For Beer
I must drink the Beer.
Beer is the mind-killer.
Beer is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my Beer.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the Beer has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.



Hitchens's Razor:
"What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Rookie » Sun Dec 11, 2016 6:10 pm

Norik wrote:Thanks for the replies.
Racking off to secondary isn't something I've ever done. Would you add a dash of sugar to guarantee a CO2 blanket on top of the beer, to help avoid oxidation?
No, there will be plenty in suspension that will come out as you transfer to the secondary.
I'm just here for the beer.

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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by BrannigansLove » Mon Dec 12, 2016 11:05 am

Personally I think 4-5 weeks on primary is fine. I leave my beer for at least 3 weeks before bottling, longer if it's a big beer or a saison. IMO moving to a secondary will risk oxidation.

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Laripu
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Laripu » Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:56 pm

The determining factor is taste, and whether the taste will be affected by yeast autolysis.

In case you don't remember your school studies, all cells have lysosome sacs, which are organelles that hold enzymes that allows the cells to break down bio-molecules. Part of the reason is nutrition, and part of the reason is the destruction of damaged cell structures. (Think of it as digestion.)

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysosome

Autolysis occurs when a cell dies, and the lysosome sacs break, allowing the enzymes to "digest" the dead cell. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autolysis_(biology)
Large numbers of autolyzing cells taste bad.

You can slow autolysis by keeping the beer very cold (but above freezing). i.e. lagering.

Ideally, siphon to secondary and drop temperature below 10°C. Then you can keep it for 3 months, no problem.

If you don't have time to siphon, get it cold somehow. If you can, 5°C.
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Laripu » Thu Dec 22, 2016 5:17 pm

BrannigansLove wrote:IMO moving to a secondary will risk oxidation.
In theory.
In my experience, always siphoning to secondary for 26 years, any oxidation is negligible from the standpoint of taste and staling.

I siphon with minimal splashing, and keep the end of the siphon hose under the beer. During the cooler storage phase, the yeast uses up the oxygen and creates more carbon dioxide.

I've kept bottled beer at room temperature for as long as two years, without perceptible staling, only the disappearance of hop flavour and aroma.
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by AdrianTrace » Fri Dec 23, 2016 8:13 am

Come on, Larry. 26 years in the secondary is pushing it a bit
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Jim » Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:35 am

AdrianTrace wrote:Come on, Larry. 26 years in the secondary is pushing it a bit Image

:mrgreen:
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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by WalesAles » Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:50 pm

Jim wrote:
AdrianTrace wrote:Come on, Larry. 26 years in the secondary is pushing it a bit Image

:mrgreen:
Give Lari a break, He is Canadian.

WA

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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Laripu » Fri Dec 23, 2016 10:16 pm

WalesAles wrote: Give Lari a break, He is Canadian.
That's no reason for osteoviolence.
:D
Secondary FV: As yet unnamed Weizenbock ~7%
Bulk aging: Soodo: Grocery store grape juice wine experiment.
Drinking: Mostly Canadian whisky until I start brewing again.

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Re: How long is 'too long'?

Post by Kev888 » Fri Dec 23, 2016 10:51 pm

Hopefully your bone is safe from WA. He uses some unconventional ingredients, but even so..
Kev

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