[usoldsalt]

Am quite new at brewing.  Thought I would experiment with a Muntons Bock beer kit.  Replaced the yeast supplied with the kit and used a White Labs WLP 833, which a made a 1 ltrstarter. Everything appears fine at this time, 7 days in, but I question how long do I realy need to leave it before I can bottle it.  I have no place to chill it down to lagering temp., just a spare room with the heating off. I have it in the same plastic bucket from the start.  Any help is more than appreciated!!

[morticaixavier]

You can't really know when it is done until you take a gravity reading. No worries about leaving it in primary fermentor. If you have access to a big rubbermaid tub that the bucket will fit in you would be amazed at the temp drop you can achieve by putting the bucket in there with water and frozen bottles of water. Swap out the bottles a couple times a day and you can get and keep the temp down in the 50s or 40s. even that will help clean things up a little.

after 7 days you may or may not have reached final gravity. Take a reading today. Take another in a couple days. If the gravity stays the same it's probably done and you can start dropping the temp or just leave it for another week or so (after gravity stops dropping) and bottle then.

The thing to remember is that the beer, not having eyes, cannot read a calendar. The yeast know when they are done because there is no more sugar to eat.

[jmcamerlengo]

You can't really know when it is done until you take a gravity reading. No worries about leaving it in primary fermentor. If you have access to a big rubbermaid tub that the bucket will fit in you would be amazed at the temp drop you can achieve by putting the bucket in there with water and frozen bottles of water. Swap out the bottles a couple times a day and you can get and keep the temp down in the 50s or 40s. even that will help clean things up a little.

after 7 days you may or may not have reached final gravity. Take a reading today. Take another in a couple days. If the gravity stays the same it's probably done and you can start dropping the temp or just leave it for another week or so (after gravity stops dropping) and bottle then.

The thing to remember is that the beer, not having eyes, cannot read a calendar. The yeast know when they are done because there is no more sugar to eat.

If you do this, consider that you're kind of going in reverse with ferm temps. So after it ferments cool you will probably need a diacetyl rest, Bring it up to 62 or so for a couple days. Then you want to start cooling it back down slowly before lagering.

If you havent pitched yet take Morts advice and start your fermentation colder! then ramp up to around 50.

[usoldsalt]

  Thanks for all the good advice.  Alot of my worry is just that, worry.  So, i'll just relax and have a brew I did earlier.  Thanks again