# First brew questions



## Spikedlemon (Mar 16, 2017)

I've an extract kit (English Pale Ale) I want to make, a 5G kit, but I'm travelling next week for business.

Can I make it on Saturday afternoon, let it ferment in primary for the week , and return to rack/bottle it?

Or should I keep an eye on it?

And, for primary, should I be using a bucket or can I use a 6G carboy without worry of it blowing the top off?


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## BernardSmith (Mar 17, 2017)

I don't brew a lot of beer but with beer you pitch and leave it alone until it's done. But a week fermenting is a very short fermentation. You usually want to allow the beer to sit in the primary for about 3 weeks. 
If your kit size is for 5 gallons and you are using a 6 gallon fermenter you should be OK. One thing that many brewers use is a blow off tube. Rather than use an airlock you fit a tube to the cap or the mouth of your carboy and you place the other end of the tube inside a bottle half filled with sanitizer. Any excessive foam from the krausen will then be forced into the tube and so into the bottle. There is then no airlock that can be blown off because of the amount of pressure that sometimes builds up if the airlock gets filled with gunk.


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## AkTom (Mar 17, 2017)

Your carboy should be fine. Where are you fermenting at? And what is the temp? Typically beer yeast like slightly cooler temps than wine yeast. The temp ranges should be on the back of the package. Beer can ferment about 10* warmer than the ambient air. The first 3 days are the most important to keep in control. I usually let my beer go 2 weeks or so before bottling. More is fine too.


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## Spikedlemon (Mar 17, 2017)

AkTom said:


> Your carboy should be fine. Where are you fermenting at? And what is the temp? Typically beer yeast like slightly cooler temps than wine yeast. The temp ranges should be on the back of the package. Beer can ferment about 10* warmer than the ambient air. The first 3 days are the most important to keep in control. I usually let my beer go 2 weeks or so before bottling. More is fine too.



Basement. Probably around 16-18C (60-65F) depending if it's on the concrete floor or up from it.

The kit's instructions (Brewer's Best) called for 1 week fermentation and, prime and then bottle but had optional instructions for secondary for ~2 weeks. In either case: fermentation would complete in the bottle with the priming sugar.


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## BernardSmith (Mar 17, 2017)

But the yeast will survive far longer than two weeks without additional sugar. Most brewers I know allow 3 weeks in the fermenter and 3 weeks to bottle condition after priming.


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## Elmer (Mar 17, 2017)

Pitch your Yeast in either the bucket or carboy (either is fine)
Leave it alone for atleast 2 weeks and then check the gravity. If it is done bottle, if not let it go another week.
I let my beers go 2 to 3 week primary.
Don't rush.
RDWAHAHB!!!!!


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## AkTom (Mar 18, 2017)

Spikedlemon said:


> Basement. Probably around 16-18C (60-65F) depending if it's on the concrete floor or up from it.
> 
> The kit's instructions (Brewer's Best) called for 1 week fermentation and, prime and then bottle but had optional instructions for secondary for ~2 weeks. In either case: fermentation would complete in the bottle with the priming sugar.



I wouldn't secondary it. I'd keep it on the cooler side. 2-3 weeks bottle. 2-3 more weeks and you're drinking good beer.


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## ceeaton (Mar 18, 2017)

Agree with all of the above. I will occasionally put it in a secondary after hitting 1.020 or lower, but that is only with really strong batches (barley wine/old ale types). As long as you are under airlock you should be fine. I will do an extended secondary but only with lagers, I've been known to go two months (actually have one at 7 weeks right now and it's still slowly chugging away, but at 35*F).


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