Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:23 pm
Any low-standard gravity ale (<1.050) should be finished with fermentation in under 7 days if you pitch appropriately and oxygenate correctly. IME a lot of the conditioning is waiting for yeast to floc. I find that WLP002/Wy1968 and WLP007 produce excellent beers and flocculate very quickly.
Heffe doesn't need to floc, so it's ready quickly
IME I think mild actually takes a bit more time than something like an ordinary bitter. I've always found that malty styles need more conditioning that hoppy styles. Hoppy styles are often better fresher.
I make an 1.065 IPA with Cal Ale that I can turn around (with 10 day dry hop) in 14 days. I dry hop when fermentation starts to subside, and on day 9 of dry hopping, I chill the beer in the carboy and the yeast flocs out overnight. It's kegged the next day and if I shake it, ready to drink. That said, I find the beer benefits from a couple extra weeks of conditioning, but it's not necessary to be drinkable. If you don't have a fridge to help you floc the yeast, stick with WLP002/007. That said, it's in 40s-50s here these days. If your weather's similar you could probably floc the yeast without freezing it in this weather by putting it outdoors.
EGADS! 3 MONTHS WITHOUT BREWING? MOVING YOU SUCK.... NEVER AGAIN
In Kegerator - Hopfen Weiss, Best Bitter
In Primary - Baby Baine Barleywine
Next up: Petite Saison