How long to leave it between fermentation finishing and bottling?

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dbg400

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So far all the kits I've done have been bottled as soon as fermentation is over and the the gravity is down to the expected value. I've now read on here that people often leave it a week (or two or three) to allow more of the yeast to drop out, so there is less in suspension going into the bottles.

How much yeast needs to remain in order for secondary fermentation to work properly? I'm quite happy to leave it longer if I know there won't be problems, but I'm concerned that I'll end up with clear but flat beer!
 
How long are you typically brewing for now before bottling?

Looking at my records, average is about 21 days. I never bottle earlier than 14, and 28 is the longest. I think that one did have a reduced amount of carbonation. I've started using a secondary FV too, to get the brew off the trub and into a cool place for the last 5-7 days.
 
Most kits (like Woodfordes & Milestone) have generally been 7 - 10 days, though will get left till the next weekend before working on them. Festival kits have been at least two weeks, occasionally three. I syphon from the FV to a bottling bin (which already has the priming sugar/spraymalt dissolved in 250ml boiling water) so I could just do this stage and leave it a week or two, and then batch prime before bottling. As long as there's enough yeast left it's fine - I just don't know how much is actually needed :)
 
That's a really good question dbg!

More experienced brewers than me will tell you, there doesn't have to be much yeast to carbonate beer in bottles. Might take a bit longer but thats good for the beer to condition longer.

Some reckon leaving the green beer on the trub for a bit cleans up some nasties and improves the ultimate flavour? Some prefer to get it in another vessel and let more yeast drop out so there is less sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I bottle it straight from the original FV as I can't be a***d!!!

I don't worry too much, to be honest! For me it's more about a convenient night for a bottling session but it's usually somewhere between 10 and 20 days, but always when I've had a steady gravity reading for three days and I know primary fermentation has finished.

I just wait at least a month before attacking it, and longer if it's a stronger beer, or the yeast hasn't decided to compact at the bottom of the bottle.
 
I leave it for 2 weeks in the primary and then siphon to a new FV for a week then bottle. I don't really know why but have good results.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll give it an extra week and see how it goes. Not sure if I'll leave it in the FV, or transfer it to the bottling bin for a week - probably the former. The current brew is Evil Dog, which needs the hops adding just a day or so before bottling, which is a bit easier than adding half way through fermentation if you're not certain how long that will take!

@Hopping_Mad - Black Pearl still in the box reminds me I should get mine going - lovely stuff :) Oh, and being a local I don't suppose you know a kit that's close to Mary Jane do you? Razorback is sufficiently close (in flavour at least) to Ilkley Pale, but I'd love a light beer like MJ.
 
I'm a coach/member at Ilkley RUFC and I have probably drunk more Mary Jane in the club house that a mortal man should! :drink:

It's a fairly benign pale ale to be honest - not amazingly hoppy!

Maybe the Youngs Craft IPA, but not using all the hop pellets? An all grain brewer probably knows the recipe and has cloned it!!!

Try the Olicanabrew homebrew club on Facet**t, they might have an idea?

PS - think I'm going to use a can of the black pearl to knock up a Christmas Ale of some variety using added LME and spices - unless you convince me it's worth doing as kit stout. I only got it as it was on offer at £9!!!
 

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