Conditioning time

[atc]

Thought I understood this but not so sure now, so some advice please.

Most kits say keep at room temp for 3 days then move to a cooler place. I suppose the 3 days is to let the bottling sugar start a secondry ferment hence carbonating the brew. I think my real question is this is 3 days long enough or should it be more like a week and the cool conditioning after what about that I generally find my beer is fine to drink after about 4 weeks but would a bit longer improve it.

Thanks for any advice

[fractureman]

a lot of people on here say 6 weeks, I leave mine about 4 weeks minimum & so far has tasted great

[dunc]

depends on the beer really. most one can kits will be fit to drink after four weeks, the two can kits are better left a little longer, though they all seem to continue to improve up to about eight weeks. best way to leave em alone seems to be to build up a good rolling stock.

as for secondary conditioning, if I'm bottling I give them a full week somewhere warm to make sure they're carbonated. kegging I usually stick a brewbelt on the barrel until it parps or gets a bit weeblish looking - I had to take it off my last Ditch's stout after a day as the keg was off its feet and the tap housing was bulging out a bit ominously already.

[atc]

Thanks guys

Now to find store space for a week