Primary fermentation in beer（2）

How Long Until Primary Fermentation Starts?

To get the microbe party started, they need a warmup period of around 12 hours. You don’t need to do anything after pitching them. Just make sure you made all the needed preparations beforehand like:

• There is enough starter oxygen in the wort.

• Setting the temperature right on the money. If you don’t have a handle on the vessel’s environment, this can change.

• Keep away from light sources. Covering the glass container is a must if the light is an issue.

How Long Is Primary Fermentation for Beer?

Primary Fermentation has roughly two stages. The first stage lasts two to three days. This is when the yeast is very active. The second stage goes from one to two weeks. This is a very common recommendation from beer kit makers. What affects the ranges are based on:

How Cold or Hot the environment is.

• Colder takes a longer time.

• Hotter takes a shorter time.

• Too hot or too cold kills your yeast so take care.

Type of Recipe

• If the grain bill results in a lot of sugar in the wort, this takes longer to digest.

• High alcohol brews take longer because alcohol limits yeast growth like cold does.

Type of Beer

• Lagers take a longer time. This is because of the fermenting temperatures.

• Ales takes a shorter time for the same reason as lagers.

DEGONG 10BBL Conical Fermentation Tank

How Long Does Primary Fermentation Take for Lager?

Depending on the Lager class, Primary Fermentation runs for one to three months. Science and Physics have established the fact that the cold slows down metabolism. That said, lagering makes yeast slower to go about its business.

How Long Does Primary Fermentation Take for IPA?

Ales like IPAs have Primary Fermentation runs of one to two weeks. Some high alcohol ones like DIPAs could go for two weeks. You could argue that the alcohol content drives the duration in this case. However, always make validations with your hydrometer.

How Long Does Primary Fermentation Take for Porter?

Porters are dark beers, and dark beers need one to two weeks in Primary. There really is not much to say other than follow the instructions of your recipe. And, use the hydrometer sparingly.

How Long Does Primary Fermentation Take for Stout?

Stouts are like Porters when it comes to Primary Fermentation. One to two weeks and you are done. Higher alcohol versions can net you two weeks of waiting. Of course, we are only talking about Primary here. This range excludes plans for racking your beer after.

What Do You Do During Primary Fermentation?

There are many things you can do while Primary Fermentation is underway. It is more than just a waiting process. You can do the following:

• Pick up your hydrometer and record readings. You would do this at specific intervals only.

• You can do taste tests if you have a spigot on your fermenter. Avoid opening the vessel needlessly otherwise.

• You can Dry Hop your beer with some fine aromatics. Spiking with “special” ingredients is not uncommon at this stage.

• And finally, you can clean up the mess from beer foam if you have sealing troubles.

How to Dry Hop During Primary Fermentation?

You can do the Dry Hopping process in Primary Fermentation. Some brewers swear that the most active phase is the best time to send in the hops.

Some unverified research suggests that yeast strains bring out beneficial compounds from hops. Allegedly, the best time to put in hops is when the yeast is most aggressive. You should try the beer experience yourself and note the difference.

The more mainstream time to do dry hopping is after the peak of active fermentation. This is after three days from the introduction of yeast. Brewers dry hop at this point because there is less CO2 that will carry away the advantages of dry hopping.

Does Primary Fermentation Need Oxygen?

Oxygenating the wort is essential for yeast growth. However, you should do it before Primary Fermentation. If you add oxygen during fermentation, you will be dealing with some bad oxidation. Oxygen will spoil your beer and bring about a permanent haze.

Imagine metal oxidizing. Rust is a bad thing. Now, imagine a rusty beer. Nasty stuff.

How to Avoid Oxidizing Beer

You can manage oxidation during fermentation through the following precautions:

• Minimize Transferring Beer from one container to the next. This is the reason why some brewers frown upon secondary fermentation.

• Bottle Directly After Primary Fermentation. This follows the same logic as avoiding beer transfers.

• Use Glass Fermentation Vessels. Glass is impervious to air, unlike plastics.

• Minimize Splashing. If you do go about moving beer around, keep it calm. Work slow and steady.

• Check Your Seals. Be conscious of the airtightness of your vessels. Check them regularly.

• Purge Your Headspace With CO2. This heavy gas forms a nice layer above the wort.