How Long In FV?

[DogLaneBrewhouse]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have heard conflicting things about how long to leave a brew in an FV before kegging, and would appreciate some help.

Some people say to leave the brew in the FV for ten days before transferring to keg / bottles, whereas others say to keg it as soon as it has reached the desired OG. Others again say to shift it over once the OG has not moved for a couple of days and sits around 1012.

My gut feeling is that once it undergone primary fermentation in the FV, and the yeast has stopped working and the OG is where it should be, then get it in a keg ASAP, add some more carbs for the secondary fermentation, and then let it do it's thing under a protective blanket of CO2. Leaving it in the FV seems to me to be asking for the ingress of potential infections. However, my gut is no expert on this, although it is an expert on - and indeed owes it's existence to - the consumption of the end product.

Taking the reason for leaving it in the FV a step further, if the length of time is to help develop the flavour, wouldn't this also happen in the keg as well, if left for the same amount of time?

Hamsteads Home Brewing in Great Barr, Birmingham (very helpful, incidentally) said to get it in the keg as soon as the fermentation has stopped. The reason they gave was that modern yeasts flocculate (eh?) with larger particules (that's a Goon-show pronunciation BTW), and will therefore drop out fairly quickly. There could therefore be no yeast transferred to the keg if it is left too long and all the yeast is in the bottom of the FV. This could then mean no secondary fermentation.

As you can tell, I'm a little confused. Any comments welcomed. It may be either way is best!!

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Use your hydrometer. When you get the reading 2 days running then it's ready to keg/bottle. But you can leave it for some days after that point has been reached and it will still be OK.

[boingy]

I can summarise: both ways is best!