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New Tech: Fermentation Schedule


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#1 BrewerGeorge

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 12:31 PM

I'm interested in what you folks are doing with your fermentations.  I've heard some of you mention doing away with secondary and such.  So are you just doing three weeks on primary? Less?



#2 positiveContact

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 12:39 PM

I'm interested in what you folks are doing with your fermentations.  I've heard some of you mention doing away with secondary and such.  So are you just doing three weeks on primary? Less?

 

2 weeks for me.  I usually ramp the temp after 2-3 days of active ferm as well.



#3 positiveContact

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 12:43 PM

for ales I'm often starting in the low to mid 60s and finishing around 70F.  for lagers I start around 50F and ramp up to the mid 60s by the end.



#4 denny

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 01:13 PM

I'm interested in what you folks are doing with your fermentations.  I've heard some of you mention doing away with secondary and such.  So are you just doing three weeks on primary? Less?

 

Maybe 10-14 days brew to glass for me.  Let's see....3-4 days at 63, 2-3 days at 70-72, 3 days at 33.  Few more days for lagers.  Of course, that gets adjusted of the beer isn't cooperating.   No secondary unless I'm adding fermentables post primary.  I like to get the beer off the yeast before dry hopping, so I dry hop in the serving keg.

 

And BTW, while this may be "new tech" for homebrewers, it's pretty close to what commercial breweries have been doing for years.


Edited by denny, 10 September 2017 - 01:15 PM.


#5 positiveContact

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 01:25 PM

Maybe 10-14 days brew to glass for me.  Let's see....3-4 days at 63, 2-3 days at 70-72, 3 days at 33.  Few more days for lagers.  Of course, that gets adjusted of the beer isn't cooperating.   No secondary unless I'm adding fermentables post primary.  I like to get the beer off the yeast before dry hopping, so I dry hop in the serving keg.

 

And BTW, while this may be "new tech" for homebrewers, it's pretty close to what commercial breweries have been doing for years.

 

that's pretty accurate for me as well.  :cheers:



#6 HVB

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 02:24 PM

Maybe 10-14 days brew to glass for me. Let's see....3-4 days at 63, 2-3 days at 70-72, 3 days at 33. Few more days for lagers. Of course, that gets adjusted of the beer isn't cooperating. No secondary unless I'm adding fermentables post primary. I like to get the beer off the yeast before dry hopping, so I dry hop in the serving keg.

And BTW, while this may be "new tech" for homebrewers, it's pretty close to what commercial breweries have been doing for years.

Pretty much the same for me unless I am doing a NEIPA style beer.

Eta-I just don't hop in the serving keg.

Edited by drez77, 10 September 2017 - 02:24 PM.


#7 matt6150

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 02:33 PM

Yeah sounds like I'm about on the same page as everyone else. I do DH in primary tho.

#8 Big Nake

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 02:34 PM

I starting skipping secondary earlier this year. For ales I still ferment in a tub of water to keep things on the cool side. After 4-5 days of good fermentation I take it out if the water and let it free-rise. For lagers it's very similar... place it into the 50° fridge and let it go about 5 days and then just take it out and leave it on the cement floor of the basement. I generally leave beers in primary for about 2 weeks and then they go to a keg. If I don't have an empty keg then I will send a beer to a CO2-purged secondary but I've only had to do that once. The new schedule is working nicely and the beers have been stellar lately.

#9 djinkc

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 03:59 PM

Ales here are 7 - 10 days.  Fermented at mid 60s for the first 3 - 5 days.  If I want it turned in a week or so then it's finished at ambient - 72-73df this time of year.  I never secondary although I am using a conical to I can bottom dump if there is a need.  I don't remember the last time I did.  Transfer to kegs and start conditioning.  I would guess lately I'm 50/50 for 1/2 weeks to kegs.  Occasionally longer.  I do pitch big so I expect it to be done quickly.  Almost always around 1.050 - 1.054 around here.



#10 MyaCullen

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 04:48 PM

The above procedures where a 7-10 day primary is normal and straight to keg is my normal these days too.



#11 Big Nake

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Posted 10 September 2017 - 06:49 PM

I think that the big boom was the lager fermentation that was brought about by Tasty McDole. Anyone who is more familiar with it, please correct me but his process is as follows: Get your lager wort down into the 50s, pitch your yeast and get the primary into your cool spot (50 or so) and let it go. There are more complex ways to do it (like when fermentation is 50% done raise the temp a few degrees, when it's 75% done, raise it more, etc). I have been letting the lager sit in the fridge and on day five I simply take it out of the fridge and let it go the rest of the way at basement temps. I believe the key is that any off-flavor (from being too warm) would occur early in the process so taking it out of the cool spot later in the process is safe. But also... you now have active yeast still in suspension which will work hard to drive off any diacetyl, sulphur, etc. I have sampled lagers 15-20 days after brewing them and they may not be super-clear yet and they may be a little young but they're generally ready to drink. The long, 2-months-at-35° is not necessary with this technique. Also, I make quite a few wimpy gold lagers where any issues would be clearly detected and they come out really nicely with this process. Please correct or add on if I have misspoken or forgotten anything.

#12 EnkAMania

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Posted 11 September 2017 - 07:57 AM

Maybe 10-14 days brew to glass for me.  Let's see....3-4 days at 63, 2-3 days at 70-72, 3 days at 33.  Few more days for lagers.  Of course, that gets adjusted of the beer isn't cooperating.   No secondary unless I'm adding fermentables post primary.  I like to get the beer off the yeast before dry hopping, so I dry hop in the serving keg.

 

And BTW, while this may be "new tech" for homebrewers, it's pretty close to what commercial breweries have been doing for years.

This is pretty much my schedule.  If dry hopping, I do that in the keg for 2-3 days and then cold crash.



#13 denny

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Posted 11 September 2017 - 08:33 AM

I think that the big boom was the lager fermentation that was brought about by Tasty McDole. Anyone who is more familiar with it, please correct me but his process is as follows: Get your lager wort down into the 50s, pitch your yeast and get the primary into your cool spot (50 or so) and let it go. There are more complex ways to do it (like when fermentation is 50% done raise the temp a few degrees, when it's 75% done, raise it more, etc). I have been letting the lager sit in the fridge and on day five I simply take it out of the fridge and let it go the rest of the way at basement temps. I believe the key is that any off-flavor (from being too warm) would occur early in the process so taking it out of the cool spot later in the process is safe. But also... you now have active yeast still in suspension which will work hard to drive off any diacetyl, sulphur, etc. I have sampled lagers 15-20 days after brewing them and they may not be super-clear yet and they may be a little young but they're generally ready to drink. The long, 2-months-at-35° is not necessary with this technique. Also, I make quite a few wimpy gold lagers where any issues would be clearly detected and they come out really nicely with this process. Please correct or add on if I have misspoken or forgotten anything.

 

There are a lot of variations of that schedule, but the basics are the same. 



#14 Big Nake

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Posted 11 September 2017 - 08:53 AM

There are a lot of variations of that schedule, but the basics are the same.

Leave it to me to try the lowest-effort strategy just to see if it works. :D I would have no good way to check to see if the fermentation was 50% done, etc. (I realize I could use my hydrometer and check but I don't really want to muck around inside the primary if I can help it) so I just use the "5 days" approach and it has been very solid so far. Not sure how many lagers I have done this with but it's plenty (20+ ?) and they've all been great.

#15 denny

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Posted 11 September 2017 - 10:02 AM

Leave it to me to try the lowest-effort strategy just to see if it works. :D I would have no good way to check to see if the fermentation was 50% done, etc. (I realize I could use my hydrometer and check but I don't really want to muck around inside the primary if I can help it) so I just use the "5 days" approach and it has been very solid so far. Not sure how many lagers I have done this with but it's plenty (20+ ?) and they've all been great.

 

Pretty much my strategy also.  I figure if it isn't down to 50% by 5 days something's wrong, so I don't bother to check.  And I agree on the efficacy of the method.




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