Wait another week in primary?

[MrBIP]

Ok, simple question I'm sure, but I do sit here and wonder:
I'll be two weeks in primary this Sunday. As of today, still seeing a little bubble about every 30 seconds? And it doesn't look like everything is settled out yet.
I was going to transfer to secondary after 2 weeks, but thinking I should just leave it alone for another week and let it finish.
No need to worry about bad flavors for just three weeks in there right?

(Gravity was pretty high, 1.076, on this one, so perhaps it's just going to take a bit longer; my first batch was a 1.060 and it was definitely done after about a week and a half).

 

[LarryBrewer]

You are fine to rack now. In fact, you want to get off the spent yeast and dead crap in the bottom as that starts to break down.

 

[MrBIP]

That's what I was thinking, but wasn't sure if it was ok to move it before it finished.
Thanks, moving over this weekend!

 

[LarryBrewer]

One time I racked a batch after 4 days. I could not see the krausen inside the plastic bucket. I figured it was about done, but when I opened the bucket it still had a nice head on it. Racking didn't hurt it at all, beer turned out fine.

Avoid bottling / kegging early though, that sucks.

 

[Brewmaster Tom]

You could let it sit another 2 weeks if you wanted...I RARELY do secondary an usually let my beer sit in primary for 4-6 weeks to make sure everything is wrapped up.

Autolysis, in my opinion, is a myth as long as you get your beer off the crud within 8 weeks, perhaps even longer.

CHEERS!!

 

[chessking]

I wouldn't call it a myth, but I do agree you got some time before it will effect your beer. For ales, I go two or three weeks in primary and then keg. If I'm not sure its done, I give it another week. Secondary's are only for fruit or lagering IMHO. If you still have some activity and want to transfer to a secondary, you wont hurt any thing. The beer will be fine. Waiting an extra week is better than bottling too early.

 

[MrBIP]

Lot's of different schools on this one it seems. Asked a few people at work that brew and got different answers there too. .. Guess I'll do a gravity check on Sunday, look at how settled out it seems to be and just do what feels right at the time. It seems that getting off the dead stuff would be a good thing.

 

[Nosybear]

I usually rack after a week (I'm talking ales here). If I forget or get distracted or have to travel, I don't worry. In one such case I racked after four days, no issues. Unless you got a lot of grain or hop debris in the trub, the yeast generally won't start autolysis (the thing you don't want) for a couple of months. So why do I rack? It's how I got started. No empirical evidence here whether it helps or not. Lagers that are going to sit on the trub for a month or two, different story.