I brewed up a Northern Brewer Imperial Stout extract kit a couple of days ago, (OG - 1.08) using 2 packs of Safale S-04 yeast. I'm glad I attached a blow off tube, because it boiled off about half a gallon of foam over the next two days. While it was fermenting I looked at the post-ferment instructions, and they say to rack it to a secondary and let it condition in secondary for two to three months before bottling. that's two or two and a half months longer than I've let any of my other brews sit in the fermenter after fermentation is done, and I've never used a secondary (having read many times in this forum that it is unnecessary and just introduces oxygen).
So the question is, how long is too long for a conditioning brew to sit on the yeast cake? If I'm going to leave the brew in the fermenter for an additional three months after the initial month in the primary, should I rack it to a secondary first? Thanks in advance for your advice.
So the question is, how long is too long for a conditioning brew to sit on the yeast cake? If I'm going to leave the brew in the fermenter for an additional three months after the initial month in the primary, should I rack it to a secondary first? Thanks in advance for your advice.