Fermentation question

[ed71]

Ok now that I finally purchased a hydrometer Ive got my OG and FG. My question is, once FG is achieved, is there any other reason to keep the wort in the primary and or secondary fermentor? I purchased a Norther Brewer LME kit and the instructions say to keep it in the primary for at least 2 weeks and bottle another 2 weeks. But my FG was around 1.5 weeks Should I bottle it now? Or are there other benefits to let it sit in primary and or secondary (besides for clarification) beyond the FG?

[ziggy]

The flavors will mature and the yeast might clean up some of the byproducts that they produced. Things will settle out and there might be some residual sugars fermented that are in amounts too small to be detected byt he hydrometer.

[Ozwald]

+1 on the yeast cleaning up after themselves. If fermentation truly is 100% complete, that's all the yeast will be doing. Allowing it to batch age isn't a bad idea either, but that can also be accomplished in the package (bottle/keg).

Keep in mind those instructions aren't the best; they're written so someone with no skill or experience can make a drinkable product when all is said & done. There's a lot of things that you can do differently than the instructions state to make it into a better product but they're either more complicated, require more background knowledge, or more advanced techniques/tools. They'll get you there, but don't think they're the best or only way to get you there.

[ed71]

Thanks guys, I figured there had to be more than just the end of fermentation of the yeasts. I had noticed a few other guys let their wort sit for bout 3 weeks and most others exactly 2 weeks.

[Ozwald]

Honestly, as long as your sanitation/cleaning practices are solid, you can let it go for quite a while with no ill effect. You'll hit that point of diminishing returns, but you won't have to worry about it going south on you.

[spiderwrangler]

You'll hit that point of diminishing returns

Which depends a lot on style assuming everything else was well done. I've had Belgians sit for 3.5 months at 75-90F in the carboy... but also 'ruined' a perfectly ok IPA by leaving it for 2 months...

[Ozwald]

You'll hit that point of diminishing returns

Which depends a lot on style assuming everything else was well done. I've had Belgians sit for 3.5 months at 75-90F in the carboy... but also 'ruined' a perfectly ok IPA by leaving it for 2 months...

I think that was because you got me drunk & I pissed in your carboy when I couldn't find the washing machine.