Fermentation Schedule Help

[Hawaiibboy]

I just brewed my 3rd beer and my 1st "big" beer and didn't really think ahead of, "WOOHOO! My first big beer!"

I pitched two vials of WLP090 San Diego Super into 3.25gals of wort at an OG of 1.097.

What I had originally planned was a 1 week primary and 2 week secondary with the last 7 days of secondary having dry hops added. I'm pretty sure this won't work out too well...

After reading some IIPA recipes I realized I might want 2-3 weeks in primary and 1 week secondary just for the dry hops.

Any advice for my IIPA or what ever it may end up being?!

 

[Cyclman]

Don't determine your primary / secondary by time, especially with big beers.

Wait until FG is reached in primary, then, if you want to secondary to clear the beer, go ahead. I personally skip secondary, I hate extra carboy washing. Add Dry hops close to end of primary, or after FG is achieved.

 

[Brewcrew02]

Damn... 2 vials?! Please tell me you have a blow off........

 

[Hawaiibboy]

Don't determine your primary / secondary by time, especially with big beers.

Wait until FG is reached in primary, then, if you want to secondary to clear the beer, go ahead. I personally skip secondary, I hate extra carboy washing. Add Dry hops close to end of primary, or after FG is achieved.

So it sounds like it is more or less a waiting game. Just check it every so often and then see where it is.

I will probably check it after a week and see where it is then just keep checking every other day(If FG isn't reached). Thanks for the advice!

Damn... 2 vials?! Please tell me you have a blow off........

Nope, no blow off. Just a 6.5gal bucket! With my other two beers that I fermented in them I had no problems what so ever. I wouldn't mind getting some 5gal better bottles though instead. It was hard to see the trub layer and where I was racking from when I racked my first two beers.

 

[duboman]

IMO, just leave the beer alone for at least 10-14 days, then check gravity. Active fermentation will probably be done before that but there will still be some clean up phase to go. Yeast don't really pay attention to calendars.

When you take the first reading give it a taste as well to see if there are any off flavors. If so, even if FG, leave the beer to sit so the yeast can cleanup in the primary. Unless you are dry hopping, oaking or adding fruit there is really no need to even use a secondary. You can even dry hop in primary if you like

 

[Hawaiibboy]

IMO, just leave the beer alone for at least 10-14 days, then check gravity. Active fermentation will probably be done before that but there will still be some clean up phase to go. Yeast don't really pay attention to calendars.

When you take the first reading give it a taste as well to see if there are any off flavors. If so, even if FG, leave the beer to sit so the yeast can cleanup in the primary. Unless you are dry hopping, oaking or adding fruit there is really no need to even use a secondary. You can even dry hop in primary if you like

Awesome! Thanks for the advice! I'll be racking this one over to a secondary so I can let more particulate settle out. I had 4.25ozs of hops in this batch and 1.25ozs dry hops for the secondary! I also want to try to get as little trub in this beer as possible since I got a small amount in my first batches bottles.

I'll probably use the long single stage in the future though!

 

[Hawaiibboy]

So I checked my IIPA out today for a gravity reading and wow! The two vials of San Diego super went to work and in one week I had a gravity of 1.017. I'm going to let it settle out for one more week then dry hop and cold crash!