Am using deluxe starter brewer with Irish Red beer kit. Got everything done per instructions with wort for first fermentation in 6 gallon plastic carboy. My, what i call active fermentation, in carboy only lasted for about 72 hours (brew day was Saturday 2/19) using dry yeast pack. Pretty much gas bubbles have stopped and hardly any foam layer on top anymore. Does fermentation continue on for the 1-2 weeks that instructions said to expect even though it doesn’t seem active anymore? At this stage i would think i need to proceed on to 2nd fermentation at the 1 week mark? i was expecting that wild yeast fermentation to last for at least a week. Is this within the normal time range of active fermentation?
What temp did you ferment at? If it was pretty warm it can go fast. You typically want to ferment in the mid-60’s, with the understanding thta the beer will warm up a few degrees from the heat given off by the yeast.
Probably used a British ale yeast and they go fast anyway and drop out just as quickly. I’d leave the beer on the cake for a minimum of seven days anyway, the cake will clean up off-flavors even after the majority of ferm is done.
Visual active fermentation will only last a few days. The warmer the fermentation, the faster the fermentation, and the sooner it will cease. 72hrs is not abnormal. But know things are still going on with your beer even if you don’t actually see anything happening. Leave it on the cake for 2-3 weeks. Then bottle or keg. No need to secondary unless it’s a big beer you are aging, want to collect and reuse the yeast, want to dry hop and reuse the yeast, or just need to free up the fermentor for another brew day.
For me, even 7 days is too soon. I’d go no less than 10-14, but 3 weeks is usually a good time frame to start thinking about bottling or kegging. Of course this is all dependent on the strength and style of beer.
Skip the secondary - especially since this is your first brew. There are too many things that could go wrong trying to secondary. Get your process and flavor down first, then experiment with secondary.
Let it sit in primary for 3 weeks. Don’t touch it. Don’t worry about it. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do.
After 3 weeks, go ahead and bottle, and then let it sit in the bottle for 2 weeks.
I’d agree that a week is pretty quick, but if its a small beer and a fast-fermenting ale its possible. Certainly ten days would be more prudent. I’d go two weeks for an ale made with one of the slower-settling yeasts like US05. Three weeks is unnecessary unless the beer is getting up over 1.060. It really won’t hurt but its not generally necessary unless its being slow to settle clear.
