How long to drop bright?

[Stonch]

Another very basic question I'm afraid...

this weekend we'll be transferring our pressure barrel to a cool place (a pub cellar, in fact) to condition and mature. By that point it will have been secondary fermenting in the barrel for a week, having undergone primary for a week in a bin before that.

Now we plan to leave it for two weeks then try the beer. What occurs to me is that when we transfer it back to the flat, the beer will get shaken up and will need to drop bright again. How long would you expect this this take, without finings?

[steve_flack]

Depends on the yeast.

[Hoppkins]

Once transferred back to the flat i think you would be wise to leave for at least a week to settle back down. It may be too much but also beer needs (apparantly by rule of thumb) 1 week for each point of gravity.

So 1.040 SG beer should mature for 4 weeks to reach it's best (Longer the better)

So 1 week will really let it settle out and let it mature a bit more.

Steves right though depending on what yeast you use it will settle faster. Safale s40 settles like mad.

[Stonch]

Thanks people.

You see, our problem is that I don't have anywhere "cold" at home to condition the beer... so it's a case of moving it elsewhere for that, then moving it back. I imagine those of you with cellars / garden sheds at home simply put it in there, and serve it from there.

[Hoppkins]

I wouldn't worry to much about it being "cold" it does help it settle. But i have always kept my kegs indoors during conditioning in a warmish room and they have always turned out fine

[Jim]

I wouldn't worry to much about it being "cold" it does help it settle. But i have always kept my kegs indoors during conditioning in a warmish room and they have always turned out fine

While that's true, beer will clear much quicker when it's cold (e.g. below about 14C).

[Stonch]

I'm tempted to take the shelves out of my virtually empty fridge and stick the pressure barrel in there....

only kidding, i assume that'd kill it or something. Or blow my fridge up!

[Stonch]

If I don't have anywhere cool to keep my beer to condition, would it be OK simply to leave my pressure barrel where it is now for two weeks, and then put it in the fridge (I've got a big fridge that's usually empty!) for 24 hours to hopefully drop bright, and become nice and cool for drinking?

[mysterio]

Yeah, no problems with that. You might find fridge temperatures a bit cold for enjoying the beer however. Of course if there are no perishables in there you could just crank it to its lowest setting.

[Stonch]

Yeah, no problems with that. You might find fridge temperatures a bit cold for enjoying the beer however. Of course if there are no perishables in there you could just crank it to its lowest setting.

Now that's a good plan...with the smallest amount of planning i can arrange that (i pretty much live a hunter gatherer existence and rarely have provisions for more than one or two meals in advance)...

Does keeping the beer at a low temp for some weeks actually assist the beer in maturing, thereby improving the flavour, or is the only advantage that it helps it to drop bright? because if the latter, there seems little point in me moving it to someone else's cellar only to have to lug it back to my flat and up the stairs, disturbing the sediment completely...

[mysterio]

After fermentation theres a lot to be said for leaving the beer at room temperature for a week or so to give the yeast a chance to clear up any of their by-products (diacetyl, acetaldehyde primarily). After that, I reckon cooler temperatures, say 10C give or take 5C, improve the conditioning; a bit like cellaring wine. What you don't want is regular extreme swings of temperature.

[Stonch]

OK so how's this sound for a plan:

7 days primary in bucket (already done)
21 days secondary/maturing in keg (we're five days into that)
A couple of days at the end in the fridge, on it's lowest setting (i.e. not too cold)

then...

DRINK IT ALL IN ONE MASSIVE BLOWOUT WITH A LOAD OF MATES

Get on with the next brew...

[Andy]

Sounds good apart from getting on with the next brew after you've finished the first. You need a production line approach

[Hoppkins]

I think ill just start sticking mine in the shed, its cool at night still. My only fear is when the sun hits the shed its like an oven in there.

I wonder if some white sheeting on top would help the heat problem a bit.

Or standing the keg in a basin of water?

[Stonch]

Sounds good apart from getting on with the next brew after you've finished the first. You need a production line approach

All I need is another pressure barrel... and maybe another bucket ... and maybe ... I NEED TO STOP