My brewing partner and I are having a disagreement as to how long the “Holiday Amber Red Ale” should stay in secondary fermentation. The directions specify 2-4 weeks. I have always been told go to the longer length if not longer, what are the brew masters’ thoughts around here?
Thanks - Streck!
I’d be more concerned about how long it says to leave in primary. Secondaries are useful for additions and clearing, but not a mandatory step.
I’ll leave a beer in primary for a month with no concerns or secondary. What matters is that the beer is done fermenting.
Welcome to the forum. :cheers:
I normally take whatever the instructions say for primary and secondary combined and reduce it by about 1 week on average. Take a gravity reading 3 days apart to see if it’s done. On average most of my batches have been about 3 weeks and then bottle with no ill affects.
Unless I’m doing a dry hop, or aging a big beer, I don’t do secondary. 2 weeks primary then keg.
That kit uses English yeast, which tends to ferment out and flocculate fast. But it is also slightly on the high side for gravity, which typically means it would benefit from more time. So it pretty much evens out. I don’t believe a secondary is necessary for a beer like this, and 3-4 weeks in primary would be my best estimate provided the fermentation temperature was kept in the mid 60s. If you do plan to use a secondary, I’d transfer at 10-14 days, then keep in secondary for two weeks or thereabouts.
