First batch on my own

[Amishbrewing]

I am making my very first batch of beer on my own from start to finish. I got an Oatmeal Stout and have progressed to the secondary fermenter. My question is How long do I leave it in there before bottling? The directions say 6-10 days. My one friend who has brewed in the past says leave it in for 14 days. I used the WYYEAST 1056. My buddy who said 14 days reason is that you want to make sure all the fermentables are done so when adding the priming sugar before bottling there is a smaller risk of exploding bottles during conditioning. I don't want to make a mess but want a good product. Any help will be greatly appreciated. thank you. Also up to this point everything has run smoothly. Don't know why I didn't do this before.

 

[Hackwood]

I would either not use a secondary or leave it in there for 6-14 days, whichever you feel like really. The fermentation part is pretty much done and you are just letting the beer "clear".

 

[BlackGoat]

As mentioned, a secondary fermentation is not necessary under these conditions, but it sounds like you already have your beer racked over to the secondary so that is fine. That said, your friend is correct in telling you that you want to make sure that the yeast have fermented all of the sugars to avoid bottle bombs down the road, 1-2 weeks is a typical length of time in the secondary. How long did you have it in the primary, and are you taking gravity readings?

 

[LovesIPA]

How long did you leave it in the primary fermenter? You should have left it there for 3 weeks but I'm guessing you didn't.

Unless you are adding fruit, coffee, chocolate, etc. to a beer there is no need to do a secondary fermentation. 3 weeks in primary, 3 more in the bottle. Ready to drink.

Do you have a hydrometer? If so, check the gravity 3 days apart and if there is no change, it's safe to bottle.

 

[jethro55]

The aging will help flavors too, so a couple of weeks is good.

The only way to know if you have a complete fermentation is by taking hydrometer readings. After a few weeks you will likely be safe to bottle, but only certain with gravity measurements.

 

[Amishbrewing]

I brewed on a Saturday morning and put it away later that afternoon. I racked it over the following Saturday evening. So 7 days and a few hours in the primary fermenter. The main reason I moved it to the Secondary is so I could get a second batch going. After talking to my friend I halted the second batch and will make it this week. I have a few events that I am planning for and want a couple different styles so the timing is key. I've taken a gravity reading upon brewing but haven't since. I was under the impression that you did it at the initial brew and then before bottling. My OG was 1.050. I don't want to disturb the carboy or the process so that is another reason I didn't do anymore readings. I look at it every day and see the bubbles so I know it's still working. Thank you for all your input. I am also keeping a journal as I do it and what I do. This is also on record so I can go back to it. Am nervous/excited about this and want a quality product but know that I will screw up along the way.