to bottle or not to bottle

[CliffMongoloid]

I have a nut brown ale that has been in secondary for 1 day.... I will be leaving for vacation on the 17th... So that will give it 8 days if i bottle before i go or 17 days if i bottle when i get back on secondary...

What would you do... Should i bottle before i go or after i get back?

 

[passedpawn]

No brainer. Bottle now so it's ready when you get back.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

I guess ill wait

 

[lumpher]

secondary? it can secondary in the bottle. i'm with passed on this. bottle now, then when you get back it should be all carbed up and ready to chill

 

[CliffMongoloid]

Really? It was in primary for 10 days

 

[Yooper]

You really made me laugh out loud, thanks for that. I'm sure it was inadvertent, but you asked for advice and a really good brewer gave advice to bottle and your next post was that you were going to do exactly opposite what he suggested. That made me smile.

The reason it made me smile is that you can do whatever you want, and that's why I love brewing so much. If you want to wait, wait. If you want to bottle, bottle. It's all good.

If the beer is done (and it certainly should be if it's in a clearing vessel), it won't get "doner". So it really doesn't matter. Do whatever you like.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

You really made me laugh out loud, thanks for that. I'm sure it was inadvertent, but you asked for advice and a really good brewer gave advice to bottle and your next post was that you were going to do exactly opposite what he suggested. That made me smile.

The reason it made me smile is that you can do whatever you want, and that's why I love brewing so much. If you want to wait, wait. If you want to bottle, bottle. It's all good.

If the beer is done (and it certainly should be if it's in a clearing vessel), it won't get "doner". So it really doesn't matter. Do whatever you like.

The way he phrased his response i assumed he was kidding... Just wanted to make sure... Thanks for the help tho

 

[Yooper]

The way he phrased his response i assumed he was kidding... Just wanted to make sure... Thanks for the help tho

Oh, I guess it could look that way.

I bottle/keg my beers where they've been finished for at least 3 days and are starting to clear (or are already clear if using a flocculant yeast). I don't bother with a secondary normally.

My beers are routinely packaged by day 14, but if I'm dryhopping or something it may be closer to 21 days.

If the beer is finished, clearing, and not being oaked/dryhopped/fed with sugar then it's ready to bottle. Aging probably won't hurt a bit, but a lower ABV beer doesn't benefit from aging if made well.

 

[passedpawn]

Not kidding. (did I phrase that right?).

I should have said to bottle before you leave on your trip.