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Past my "prime"?
Is it possible to wait too long before bottling? I have a batch that I fermented for 2 weeks (one week in primary and one week in secondary). After about the first or second day in secondary it more or less stopped fermenting (as noted by the lack of bubbles in my airlock). This seemed pretty normal at the time but now I'm wondering if I either left my yeast to settle too long or if I filtered out too much between racks because none of my bottles have carbonated. In 3 previous bottled batches I haven't had this problem but I also didn't leave my beer to ferment for such an extended time.
Any thoughts?
Oh, I used those priming drops instead of regular priming sugar so I know exactly how much each bottle was primed....
You should be fine. Most fementation takes place within the first couple days in the primary. The secondary, little fermentation takes place, its more of a mellowing period for the flavors to settle. I have left beers in the secondary for extended periods of time and haven't had a problem carbing.
Usually waiting too long before bottling means letting the beer sit too long on the yeast cake and getting off flavors( say 3 or 4 weeks), or waiting until a beer is past its prime (like a wheat beer after a few months). Two weeks isn't anything to worry about. Some of my bigger beers I let sit in secondary for months. Sometimes I pitch a little extra yeast if I've let it sit for that long but I've had beer carbonate in the bottle after sitting for a lot longer then 2 weeks. A lot of the visible activity in fermentation happens in the first few days but even after the bubbling slows down a lot of work is still going on. The yeast take a bit of time to "clean up after themselves". They adsorb some of the bi-products of fermentation, and finish off the bigger surges. If you bottle too soon your beer ends up sweet and possibly can become a bottle bomb. I usually wait 10 to 14 days in primary and then either bottle or transfer to secondary if the beer requires aging for an extended amount of time.
Skervy wrote:
Oh, I used those priming drops instead of regular priming sugar so I know exactly how much each bottle was primed....
How much did you use??? and what is the temperature your letting them sit at now???
Your timing on your fermentation is right on the money. All of my Ales are fermented that way. Carbonation troubles has nothing to do with "ageing" time. While the bubbles in the airlock are kinda fun to watch, they are a poor way to confirm fermentation. During the first week, there is a rapid, and sometimes violent fermentation. After you rack, fermentation is still happening, it's just at a slower pace. Always let your hydrometer be your guide. It will tell you when your beer is done. check the tempature where you store the bottled beer. If it on the floor, it may not be hitting proper carbonation temps (70*F).
You're fine. The holdiay ale I just made went two weeks in primary, and two months in secondary (so the adjuncts could meld). I used the carb drops and it turned out beautifully.... I am starting to notice that its much better to wait 3 weeks or longer on drinking (for carbonation) though.
-R
Bubbling in secondary is usually just CO2 escaping from the beer after transfer. The way most homebrewers do secondary there is usually no fermentation going on there.
Lastly, there is always plenty of yeast in homebrewed beer. Even when it looks crystal clear in the fermentor there is still plenty in suspension. Bottle it up and it should be fine.
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