Transferring 12 hours early or 12 hours late

[Jaace]

EDIT -- Make that 12 hours early or 36 hours late...

I didn't know if it was this exact... but I have beer I want to transfer and it's supposed to happen at the 4 day mark.

The day/time I need to transfer, I'm not around. I was wondering if it's better to transfer a bit early vs a bit late or visa versa (or if it didn't really matter either way).

I'm leaning towards later is better, just in case the fermentation is still happening at that point.

 

[KepowOb]

When you say you need to transfer it, do you mean from the primary to a secondary? If that's the case, I'm assuming that you're using the instructions that came with the kit you brewed... and if that's the case, ignore those instructions and leave it in your primary for 7-14 days. The instructions that come with a lot of kits are about speeding up the process, not making the beer as good as possible.

Seems silly, since you'd think they'd want their beer to be as good as possible to have repeat customers, but they probably think people will be scared away when their instructions say to wait a month (2 weeks primary, 2 weeks bottle) before drinking.

 

[balrog]

ignore those instructions and leave it in your primary for 7-14 days

^^^+1

Leave it alone and let it do its thing undisturbed, uninfected from transfer or sticking "sanitized" items in it. Let it go at least 2 weeks. I let mine go 3, in the bucket, and although it is a true test of patience, it works out better.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Secondary fermenters are almost never needed. I've left beer on the trub for months with no ill effects. You'll be fine.


Later is almost always better, in regards to beer. Not always, but generally.

Patience is one of the greatest virtues of a brewer.

 

[KeninMN]

I'd leave it for at least two weeks. What are you making?

 

[GrogNerd]

agree with everyone else.

there is very little "supposed/not supposed to" in this hobby

things like "not supposed to add gasoline" or "supposed to eventually bottle or keg," perhaps. but "supposed to use a secondary," no.

 

[jmh286]

I very regularly wait 3 weeks or more in primary with my low gravity beers and a month or more on my higher ones. There is really no reason to do a secondary unless you need your primary for another batch

And as previously stated, take the instructions that come with the kit, read them, forget what you read, and throw them in the garbage. Spend 10 minutes reading the stickies in the Beginners and you will find all you need to know about how to make your beer turn out the best it can be.

 

[VikingChrisColby]

If you transfer early, you run the risk of separating the beer from the yeast while the yeast cells are still taking up residual diacetyl. Transferring a few days late should not have any negative impacts.
Most importantly, remember that the time frames given in recipes are just estimates. Your fermentation may differ and always base your decisions on what the beer is telling you (via fermentation activity, FG, aroma, etc.), not the recipe.


Chris Colby
Editor
http://beerandwinejournal.com/

 

[GrogNerd]

learned a LOT of great info from Chris Colby's interviews on Basic Brewing Radio.

started with Hoppy Pale Ales (re-listening right now) and then downloaded all of his podcasts with James Spencer and learning even more

working thru B&W Journal

thanks for all the brewing info, Chris

 

[Jaace]

Hi All -- Thanks for the responses! I'm making an Irish Red. I'll wait a bit longer like you said; I figured that was the case.

I do have a bunch of beer going though so I can't wait too long to transfer and finish it up. It's good to know that leaving it will not have any bad side effects.

Thanks!

 

[KeninMN]

Also, for what it's worth, the instructions that come with extract kits from Northern Brewer are excellent...

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Also, for what it's worth, the instructions that come with extract kits from Northern Brewer are excellent...

No. They are not. Can you make a decent beer with the instructions? Yes. Is it an excellent way to make an extract beer? No.

 

[jfk69]

Well, my opinion, FWIW, is ALL kits have instructions that pretty much suck balls. Read the threads in this forum, and the stickies at the top, and you will be making very good beers very soon. I personally don't transfer to secondary much anymore, unless it's something like an RIS that I want to bulk condition for a good while. I'm to the point where I even dry hop in primary now.

Also, since I've now had the opportunity to play with a fermenting fridge, I rarely leave a beer past 17ish days before bottling. I'll bottle a good chunk of them at two weeks, some a bit longer, but VERY few that I leave for a month. If proper yeast rates are pitched, and temperature controlled well, the bulk of fermentation is over really quite quickly, and this INCLUDES the "clean up" you'll read about often here. I'm no master brewer by any means, but doing secondaries and unnecessarily long fermentation steps aren't needed as often as they're preached. JMO, and worth the nothing you paid for it!

 

[delarob]

Same as above. All that xtra time does is clog up my fermenter for the next batch. When it's done, it's done.

And a +1 on the instructions. While they are nice for beginners, once you get a few batches under your belt, and start to get the nuances of brewing you understand when someone tells you that the first line of the instructions ought to read "#1. Throw away the instructions"

 

[GrogNerd]

#1 - Do NOT follow instructions

but following the instructions to not follow the instructions is following the instructions