Is there a time that I MUST bottle by? I have a dark belgian that has been fermenting for amongst 3 weeks. Not sure if I must hurry or if I can let out go a while longer? Will the yeast die and not be able to provide carbonation?
It can go longer without a problem. It might even be better. You 'must' bottle before the yeast start to autolyse (burst) in significant numbers, but assuming good homebrewing practices, that would be a long way off from now.
I've gone as long as five weeks without an issue. You could perhaps stretch it a little further, but personally, I would normally either transfer to secondary or bottle/keg if it was much more than five weeks or so. I will probably add a little yeast (maybe a third to half a pack of 05) to the bottling carboy if it had been fermenting more than a month tho, just to be safe.
I'd encourage you to take a chance next time and see what happens. People have successfully bottle conditioned lagers after long, cold, lagering periods without adding yeast. There's generally more yeast suspended in our beers than we tend to think. FWIW, when I used to bottle, I had beers in primary for longer than a month and didn't have any carbonation problems.
and to be clear, if i get tight about it, i could just keg it, co2 it up, then bottle it like that. right?
Yes, you can bottle already carbonated beer from a keg, assuming you have a beer gun, counterpressure filler, or similar device. Just pouring beer from a faucet (without a BG/CPP) into bottles is not a great idea unless it's for near term consumption.
With a counter pressure filler, yes. You can buy one or make one, but its tough to keep the carbonation in beer without some specialized equipment.
The big question to me is, is the beer done? Have you checked the gravity and it's relatively stable? IF yes, and you just haven't gotten around to bottling, you should try to do it relatively soon. If you haven't checked, you might want to do so. Check the gravity, then check again in 2 or 3 days. If it's the same, the beer is done. If you still have airlock activity or the gravities have changed, it's not done yet and you don't want to bottle. I personally leave my beer in fermenter for 3 weeks before even considering checking gravity. I used to do 2 weeks, but after not being able to for an extra, and resulting in the best beer I ever made to that point, I just give it the extra week. You can leave the beer in primary for up to a couple months under normal conditions (no / minimal light, fermentation temps) with no issues. Over that, and I would think about using secondary or kegging.
If you still have airlock activity or the gravities have changed, it's not done yet and you don't want to bottle. Airlock activity can happen after attenuation is finished.
i'll kick the bucket tonight. the airlock is moving a smidge, but not much. i'll have to take the gravity also
Why would you kick it? The point being made was that moving a finished bucket/carboy of beer can cause airlock activity that does not mean that attenuation is continuing.
To ensure proper mixing and increase contact area of the $500/lb truffles, exotic cocoa nibs, fig jam and dinosaur eggs that he added once primary fermentation slowed.
If you still have airlock activity or the gravities have changed, it's not done yet and you don't want to bottle. Airlock activity can happen after attenuation is finished.+1 to that. Simply moving the fermentor a tad can prompt some "activity".
Right... so.... you really shouldn't kick your bucket to cause 'activity' because it's just CO2 being stirred out of solution, and not a restart/continuation of fermentation.
Yes, I was agreeing with Vikeman when I made the comment about "activity" - I even put the word in quotes! Maybe you misunderstood or maybe you were joking. We are saying that you might still get bubbles even after the beer is technically finished fermenting. Do not rely on airlock activity, plain and simple.
