How long to keep in fermenter?

[Stale Ale Male]

Hi All,
This is my first post on the forum. I am on my third brew ( first one disaster , second a Coopers pale ale - just passable, but now have a fermenting fridge and temp controller ) and have a LCPA clone in the fermenter OG was 1042 latest reading after 8 days is 1012 and smelling and tasting great. My question is how long should I leave it the fermenter? I have heard a couple of different stories but most seem to think 3 weeks all up. Is this right?

 

[manticle]

If final gravity is reached (important) a few more days at ferment temp will help the yeast clean up byproducts. After that, it's up to you - if you can get the brew cold enough, a few days (or more) around 0-4 will help condition the beer, drop out yeast and proteins, etc and result in clearer, cleaner tasting beer. If you can't do this then just package, carbonate and chill.

Don't just rely on number of days/weeks though. Gravity must be in the expected range and stable, especially if bottling.

 

[bradsbrew]

Time is irrelevant, to an extent. Keep taking samples over the next few days. When you get the same reading three days in a row, its done. Also the 3 days at final gravity allows for the yeast to clean up some unwanted flavours. If you leave it too long at higher temps after it has finished the yeast will syart to eat itself which can lead to vegemite notes.

 

[Stale Ale Male]

Thanks for the advice. I will keep taking the readings, when same reading three days in a row, drop the temp to 0-4 for a few days then bottle.

 

[TheBigD]

For me I ferment ales for 10 -14 days max, cold crash for 3 - 7 days then keg and bottle, store for 3 weeks minimum then refrigerated forced carbed for a week and start drinking, they usually hit there straps after about 3 weeks in the fridge but after four I wouldn't know because they're usually empty.

I don't like having brews sitting in the FV for any longer than 2 weeks as I want to get another on ASAP

 

[annapham]

The process of ferment ales could take 10 -14 days, cold crash for 3 - 7 days and then you store beneath the ground for 4 weeks. It would be the best

 

[JB]

Never mind a man cave, get yourself a beer cave!

 

[bonk1972]

I to have just put my first beer down in my fridge with a controller the fridge was a stable 19 deg for 2 day but after 2 days of brewing my brew is reading 22-23 deg ..how accurate is the stick on thermometers on the fv

 

[dcan6303]

I to have just put my first beer down in my fridge with a controller the fridge was a stable 19 deg for 2 day but after 2 days of brewing my brew is reading 22-23 deg ..how accurate is the stick on thermometers on the fv

Not very. However the fermentation process will raise the temp of the brew, so this is why it might read higher than the air temp of the fridge.

What sort of temp controller do you have? If it has a probe you should tape or attach it the outside of your fermenter (assuming you don't have a thermowell) maybe with some foam or other insulation on the outside, so that your temp controller gets an accurate reading on the beer and not just the air in the fridge. This will give you a more accurate ferment temp, and also stop the fridge turning off and on too quickly as the thermal mass of the beer will take longer to change.

 

[annapham]

The process of ferment ales could take 10 -14 days, cold crash for 3 - 7 days and then you store beneath the ground for 4 weeks. It would be the best

I have tried it already, it definitely worth