When to Bottle

[Naturallight16oz]

I brewed my second batch 4 days after my first. they are both in my ferm fridge, I would like to bottle them both on the same day. should i bottle at 3 or 4 weeks? In other words, should i let one go a week over or should i bottle one a week early?

 

[cvstrat]

the short answer is to bottle them when they are ready.

the long answer is after all visible signs of fermentation have stopped, take a gravity reading every other day until you get the same reading twice. This means your beer is done fermenting. If you are at your expected final gravity, you are safe to bottle whenever you want.

In all honesty you can just let most beers sit about 3-4 weeks in primary and then they are almost always ready by that point, and had some time to settle out a bit as well.

Only beers that you need to age a bit would need to vary from this general rule.

 

[Naturallight16oz]

Yes, I've read that 3 weeks should be sufficient, just didn't know if an extra week in primary would matter. In this case i'll just wait until my latest beer makes 3 weeks. then i'll bottle both the same day.

 

[HappyDrunk]

99% of people on here are going to tell you to let the first one go a week over. It's good advice I'm sure, although I can't speak from experience. I have given the three batches I've done 3 weeks before bottling. In general, more time = better.

 

[djfriesen]

Might also depend on what the styles are. I would be more comfortable over-aging a wheat than under-aging a stout, for example. Are the two beers similar in style and/or gravity? Are they going to be mellowing at approximately the same rate?

 

[Naturallight16oz]

First is a moose drool clone, 4 days later it's an Oatmeal Stout. I figure they should be close enough in style. I plan on bottling when the oatmeal stout turns 3 weeks. any problems with this?

 

[BradleyBrew]

First is a moose drool clone, 4 days later it's an Oatmeal Stout. I figure they should be close enough in style. I plan on bottling when the oatmeal stout turns 3 weeks. any problems with this?

As long as they are done you should be fine. Sounds like you have a ferm chamber to help control temperatures which can significantly cut down on the time a beer needs to be conditioned. I like to bottle multiple batches at the same time. I say go for it!

 

[cvstrat]

I got to the point that I was brewing so much I'd end up always having my beers in primary at least a month. It's a good plan. The only beer I'd have a problem with less might be a hefeweizen, but again you could just agitate the carboy to rouse up a bit of yeast before you bottle.

You'll be fine like that