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Primary fermentation (How Many Days??)

rjfvt

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Hi I made a Pilsner IPA with a 1lb each of golden Oats and Flaked Rye. I used Wyeast Labs 1332 yeast and set everything up in the Beer Smith software. The instructions said 4 days in the primary fermentation but the yeast is still working great. It bubbles every four seconds.
How long should I go on the primary fermentation?   
 
Let it go on the primary until your gravity readings stabilise. I usually let all my brews go for a week on the primary. I check on day 5 and 6 to rack out on day 7.
 
rjfvt said:
The instructions said 4 days in the primary fermentation but the yeast is still working great. It bubbles every four seconds.
How long should I go on the primary fermentation?

That's a profile in Beersmith that says 4 days. You can edit this profile under the fermentation tab. And also create a new profile for fermentation if you wanted to. Recipes might say it'll take x amount of time, but it really isn't done till it's done.

GrimmReaperSound said:
Let it go on the primary until your gravity readings stabilise.

This is exactly what you want to do. Take a reading and take another reading 3-5 days later. If it hasn't changed, you're done. Most of my brews take between 7 and 10 days but I've had some go longer than two or three weeks.
 
Being that I ferment in a big carboy, I'm reluctant to take samples. It's not like I can turn a spigot or something. So what I do is wait until the yeast has settled out, the brew is getting clear, and the bubbles at the top have subsided. I probably wait longer than I need to, but it works for me.
 
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