AG Cream ale question

skolvikes · September 5, 2012, 8:27pm

Did our first AG batch yesterday - NB Cream ale - Everything went really well, we even hit the 1.040 OG on the nose. Learned a lot from the process, had a blast and am already planning the next brewday.

I noticed a difference between the Extract (which I have made several times) and the AG instructions. The AG recommends 1 week in primary and 1 week in secondary, while the Extract version is just 2 weeks in primary. I dont want to re ignite the debate over weather or not to do a seconday but I am curious about the difference. One difference so far is that the AG version blew out of the airlock after 12 hours and I had to install the blow off hose (I did do a starter with washed yeast from a another batch)

Cheers.

roffenburger · September 5, 2012, 9:54pm

I would do a three week primary and call it good.

mullerbrau · September 5, 2012, 10:43pm

Yes, I would definitely give the yeast time to clean up after themselves. The difference is probably due to the author thinking that AG will have more trub in it and thus require a secondary to help it clear faster.

560sdl · September 6, 2012, 1:10am

I brewed the all grain version and it was very cloudy when kegged after two weeks. Put the other half in secondary for two weeks and it cleared right up.

skolvikes · September 6, 2012, 3:11pm

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I will skip the secondary but give it time to clear up in the keg while it carbonates. I prefer the “set and forget” method of carbing my kegs anyways.

brans041 · September 6, 2012, 4:11pm

The reason I believe is so the Author sells more 5Gal carboys. What size carboy is your primary? I have done 10 batches with AG most kits from NB, and I have never had a blow off happen.

What yeast are you using for the Cream Ale? If it is low flocculant yeast I have found that it will clean up better in a secondary. However, if you bottle, you really don’t have to worry as it will drop out in bottle conditioning.

I like using secondaries, because I usually primary for a week, cold crash for a week in secondary, keg on week three and drink on week 4. The secondary pushes the yeast to flocculate out, in my experience and I have beer in week 4 rather than wait for week 5 with 3 week primary.

skolvikes · September 14, 2012, 11:57pm

Brans041, I used the Wyeast 1056 recommended in the kit. I used some that I had washed from a prior batch with a 1 L starter. Standard 6.5 gal glass carboy. This has been in primary for 9 days now. I havenet taken a gravity reading but airlock activity has stopped. I have been rethinking my decision not to do a secondary. There does seem to be quite a bit of trube in the bottom of the carboy. I did a Caribou Slobber AG this past weekend, also reusing the yeast and I almost had a blowoff but the krausen went down quickly.

mckrakken · September 17, 2012, 3:35pm

I brewed this same AG recipe… I did primary for about 2.5 weeks and went straight to the bottle.

Clarity was great and I had lots of positive comments about the beer. I don’t think this one needs a secondary fermentation at all.

ynotbrusum · September 18, 2012, 11:28am

Hey McKrakken - welcome to the forum! Also ignore the times for fermentation listed in recipes - those are guidelines at best. I typically go at least 3 weeks to a month with ales in the primary, but I always check gravity readings. Those should be stable for a few days in a row to tell you fermentation is done. The post party cleanup is where the primary extended time really shines IMO.

:cheers: