2+2+2=Not Sure

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Andy O'Leary

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So as I understand leave fermenting 2 weeks room temperature. Bottle and leave room temperature 2 weeks. Then cool 2 weeks. My question on cooling, how cool/cold. My fridge is about 2 degrees would this be too cold? From the moment you bottle should you leave bottles alone? I can't help myself at least once a day I will go and turn the odd bottle upside down/upright then upside down again, should I? So many questions, so little Beer.
 
First the 2 +2+2 'rule' is only a rule of thumb. Its a good starting point thats all. And the third 2 weeks is the biggest variable. Sometimes you can drink your beer in less than 2 weeks sometimes it doesn't come good for months. You usually find out by experience but I find that lighter beers can usually be drunk earlier whereas darker beers need more time. There are various views on here about whether a long cold conditioning phase is really needed but if you do it the theory seems to be it's beneficial since it helps drop the yeast and it also enables any haze proteins to coagulate and drop. Latter is more important if you use grain. As for turning the beer I say leave it alone and let things settle and pack down.
 
I’ve used the fridge before for the 2 weeks in the cold and had no problems. As long as it’s cold, it does the job. I try to stick to the 2+2+2 but sometimes I’m just too eager to give that first beer a try to see how it’s turned out
 
I always mark the last beer bottled, so that I can use it for a tasting test after two weeks carbonation. The rest then goes to the garage, where they can flocculate. After two weeks I taste again and then decide if they need longer or if they are already optimal.
 
I always use one plastic/PET bottle per batch, to guage the carbonation.
As soon as it's firm, I know the rest will be pretty much done...
 
I genuinely think 2+2+2 is a great starting point, or if you're not sure. It works pretty well. With experience, like most things, you can go off piste according to requirements. I've done 1+1+? which has worked fine. Another brew has needed 3+3+?.
 
Due to an emergency beer situation at home (i.e. no homebrew left after Christmas) my latest beer is doing a 2+1, 2 in the fermenter and a week in a keg carbing.

Should be good to go for next weekend :beer1:
 
Once the beer's carbed up and clear, is there any point in leaving it warm conditioning?
My lower hopped ones are usually done after 1 week. Just wondering if I'm wasting a week leaving it there for the two.
 
There are many posts on this subject.
Usually all the brews i have made are fermented out and have reached the expected FG within approximately 10 to 14 days.
The FV's are kept at a pretty constant 18 to 22 degrees in relation to this timescale.
However, one of the brews in a FV (A Saisson) is still blowing Co2 at the 21 day stage. This will be left until it shows very little sign of life then Gravity readings taken until they are showing the same reading over 2 or 3 days.

The carbing never takes more than around 10 days for me. My bottles are carbed 2 or 4 crates at a time in an airing cupboard at around 22 to 24 degrees.
There is no point at all (in my opinion) keeping the beer warm once carbing has finished (use a PET bottle per brew to check this). Mine are straight in the garage in the colder months to get them clearing and conditioning asap. I use under the stairs in summer as it is the only "cooler" place i have and cant justify a fridge or fridges for brewing at this time.

The settling / conditioning is the one that has far ranging times. For me clarity has never been an issue, this happens within the suggested first 2 weeks as i always use finings which i feel work wonders. The conditioning can take weeks or months and sometimes years if you so wish. It depends on what you have brewed.

Some beers are palatable at the 2 week mark, only for the last of these beers / brew to be drank weeks later and they taste fantastic, then to think why didn't i wait?
Some beers need drinking younger if they are hoppy but in my experience, these taste better left a few more weeks.

Hope this helps newer unsure brewers in some way, it is only what i do and others views may be totally different.

You are the brewer and what works for you is also as good.
 
I use under the stairs in summer as it is the only "cooler" place i have and cant justify a fridge or fridges for brewing at this time.

Have you tried gumtree? I picked up a functional fridge for free, I just then had to buy a £6 tube heater and £25 temp controller. Works a treat.
 
Yes, I have had an offer of a free fridge before but in all honesty I don't need to go down the fridge route.

I am really trying not to brew this year through the warmer months.
I said in another thread I am stockpiling to see me through the summer and start up again back end of autumn.
The cooler place under the stairs is usually only used for keeping 2 or 3 mixed beer crates at room temperature or just under when they are ready to drink.
 
People get too hung up on all this stuff. I used to follow the 2+2+2 religiously but then couldn't be bothered and actually judge it on a brew by brew basis

Just recently, After 7 days i check the gravity and if it's at the right number, its done. I check the next day and if it's not moved i get it bottled.
It then gets dumped in the cupboard where the boiler is and as others have said, I always have at least a few pet bottles. Once firm (anything from 5 to 10 days) they get dumped in a box in the shed and I have a sample. If it tastes good, party on. If it doesn't then I leave it a week and have another and keep doing that till it's come good and then gets demolished

I've had brew that's been good to sup 2.5 weeks after starting, others have needed a couple of months...
 

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