Activity ceased, how long should I wait to bottle?

[BruinTuns]

I have three brews coming to the end of their fermentation. I want to bottle asap in the hope that at least one might be drinkable for Christmas but I keep reading advice to leave it in the fv for a while to allow the yeasties to 'clean up after themselves'.
Does this mean in the primary fv, or after racking to secondary? Or doesn't it matter?
And for how long after cessation of activity should I wait to bottle? I assume that the beer is currently still vulnerable to infection or oxidation so I imagine that waiting too long isn't a good idea..

 

[Sandimas]

How long has it been going, and what's the gravity reading?

After 14-18 days or so and when the gravity has dropped to around 1010, I move it to another FV and store in the cool for 5-7 days prior to bottling. The cool temp helps the yeast drop out, which results in a clearer beer bottling and less sedement. The worst thing you can do is bottle too early, because if it's still fermenting too much it'll create exploding bottles.

I'm less fussy when kegging as the beer can clear in the keg.

 

[Cwrw666]

I would have said a week after fermentation has stopped and leave it in the primary. It's not extending the time till your beer is drinkable really as if you bottled straight after fermentation ceased, the beer would need longer in the bottle.

 

[MyQul]

I'm a properly lazy brewer and do the mimimum amount of processes I can get away with. I just leave my wort in the fermenter for two weeks then bottle, can't even be arsed to take a FG reading.

If you want to be absolutely sure though that fermentation has ceased take a gravity reading for three day running after about 10 days in the FV and if the reading is the same for three days - bottle

I used to leave my beer in the FV for three weeks so the yeast can clean up after itself but cant be bothered to wait that long any more.

As for racking to a secondary, if you google 'rack to secondary' and begin reading you will soon become VERY, VERY confused. There's a myriad of opinions on this most of them contradictory - I've come to the conclusion racking to a secondary is personal preference - personally it's another thing I cant be bothered with, although I do rack to a bottling bucket prior to bottling as I have found doing this greatly reduces sediment in the bottle

 

[klaus]

I'm a properly lazy brewer and do the mimimum amount of processes I can get away with. I just leave my wort in the fermenter for two weeks then bottle, can't even be arsed to take a FG reading.

Love it mate - I started brewing before the internet was available (I still remember the ARPAnet) and never used a hydrometer. Then all the forums suggested it is necessary to have one and I got one. Often I can't be bothered, the rule of thumb works very well....

 

[BruinTuns]

MyQul: "If you google 'rack to secondary' and begin reading you will soon become VERY, VERY confused.."

I did. And I did get .

darellm, there are 3 brews, average time 14 days. Graviities are different for each but all are well below 1010. They're virtually done now.

cw, that's a good point. I won't rush to bottle.


Seems this is one of those areas where the you find a way that works for you..Thanks as always for the input :hat:

 

[BruinTuns]

I'm still googling around for a definitive answer but it looks unlikely I'll find one, it seems 'to rack to secondary or not' is is quite an opinion divider..
Came across this quote from John Palmer:

"Therefore I, and Jamil and White Labs and Wyeast Labs, do not recommend racking to a secondary fermenter for ANY ale, except when conducting an actual second fermentation, such as adding fruit or souring. Racking to prevent autolysis is not necessary, and therefore the risk of oxidation is completely avoidable. Even lagers do not require racking to a second fermenter before lagering. With the right pitching rate, using fresh healthy yeast, and proper aeration of the wort prior to pitching, the fermentation of the beer will be complete within 3-8 days (bigger = longer). This time period includes the secondary or conditioning phase of fermentation when the yeast clean up acetaldehyde and diacetyl. The real purpose of lagering a beer is to use the colder temperatures to encourage the yeast to flocculate and promote the precipitation and sedimentation of microparticles and haze.
So, the new rule of thumb: don't rack a beer to a secondary, ever, unless you are going to conduct a secondary fermentation."


But I expect I'll shortly find an equally authoritative counter-opinion...

 

[MyQul]

But I expect I'll shortly find an equally authoritative counter-opinion...

Proper confusing innit?

What I'd suggest you do is try it. Forget about all the confusing contradictory info and if it gives you any PERSONAL practical benefit carry on doing it if not, it's just something else to do and drop it.

As mentioned I rack to a bottling bucket which is effectively racking to a secondary, the difference is the beer only stay in the 'secondary' for less than an hour. I find that this gives me about 2 millimetres of sediment (which is probably yeast) when previous to me starting racking I would have about 1cm (sometimes more when getting to the bottom of the FV when bottling) of sediment. This 2mill sediment is hard packed down so when I pour I can up end the bottle and it doesn't come out, so I don't have to leave any beer behind in the bottleand waste any. For me the benefit or racking to a bottling bucket is more than the PITA of doing it so I will continue

 

[MyQul]

Just discovered a good reason to rack to secondary - brewpirate posted in another thread that it is useful if you want to keep the aroma and flavour when dry hopping - useful to know that, when I eventually get around to have a go a dry hopping

 

[Covrich]

It is a personal preference to what works for you

Given where you are now I would personally wait a week and then bottle them

Like I said on other threads I use a priming solution and FV with bottler to bottle so I would in this case do one at a time..

Bottling 3 brews though... I do not envy you :razz: