Correct Time to Rack Off

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Harpo84

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I have my first batch of homebrew bubbling away in my dining room right now and I've read some contradictory things about when to siphon out of your fermenter.

The instructions say when you have a stable FG under 1008° over two days.

I heard on Youtube that you need to do it immediately when airlock activity ceases.

And I read somewhere else that it's good to wait two or even three weeks after pitching.

What are the pros and cons of waiting / not waiting and how do you decide?
 
If you don't wait you risk:
Fermentation not complete
yeasty smell/taste (see above)
off flavours due to not giving yeast time to do it's clean up job

If you wait:
Fermentation def complete
lower final SG (higher alcohol)
better flavour (yeast completed clean-up job)
brew starting to clear

I was advised early days that wine & varients (wow's) are good for a month on primary fermentation yeast cake. Never done mine any harm.

Beer I normally do two weeks but next batch I'm gonna go lower temps (~18-19) and 4 weeks. Got a right yeasty smell/taste of my last stout (2 weeks).

Exact same reading for 2-3 days is norm a good indication of finished. Especially if it's the same as quoted in the destructions :-/

At the end of the day it's protected by a layer of CO2 on top... I'd rather be a few days late than early :-)
 
Thanks Baggybill,

Is there no risk of picking up off flavours from sitting on the yeast / trub for 2-3 weeks then? This is all very interesting.

My instructions say 4-6 days. It's now been 7 and the airlock is still slowly bubbling. I'm going to check the gravity tonight to see how it's doing :smile:

Also going to move my FV onto a chair to give it a chance to settle properly before racking off as I didn't have the foresight to store it off the ground in the first place :oops:
 
Update: 7days in and it's at 1008°

Also sneaked a little taster from the trial jar. Not the best but already decent-ish although quite cloudy and a little flat.
 

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