Yeast Cake

[DennyO]

This is my second batch of beer. I have read alot of people leave the beer in the primary for longer than i would have thought. Can you leave it in the primary too long ?

 

[RM-MN]

Yes, of course you can. If you leave it long enough it can develop some bad flavors. The question is, "how long is too long?" Nobody has a real definitive answer but one brewer that I correspond with had his beer in the fermenter for 8 months and said that that wasn't too long yet. I tend to leave mine for 3 to 4 weeks but I have gone for as much as 9 weeks and that beer came out real good.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'm usually 3-5 weeks. I've gone upwards of 7 on occasion without issue, however at that point if I want to let it bulk age I'll usually transfer it to a secondary. You should be more worried about crossing the "not long enough" threshold than the "too long" threshold.

 

[DennyO]

Thanks for the help

 

[Americal]

I usually rack to a secondary at a week or two when the offgassing slows down. I only do this because I like to rack a fresh wort onto an active yeast cake. I typically run a series of beers, low to high gravity on one batch of yeast. By the time I get to an IIPA those little yeasties are really well trained and hungry. Now, my beers in the secondary will rest on that cake for 2 weeks to a couple of months, depends on how bad I need the carboys and IG. Short of actually forgetting a batch, I don't think you can hurt a batch by leaving it on the yeast.
Given this, sanitation is the biggest concern I have with all the handling my batches get. I always CO2 flush my fermenters, paranoid care any time the wort is below 130 deg. and EVERYTHING near the wort/beer goes through Star San. Don't Fear The Foam.

Tom