How long in the fermentor for windsor to clear up?

[simpleton]

Afternoon,

Normally I don't really care how long to keep the beer in there, I just wait 2 weeks then crash it down to as low as possible over a few days. So the beer normally stays in there 20 days give or take a day.

But with the Xmas period approaching, I want to get another brew in the fridge. I pitched some windsor into a 1.060 honey pale ale 3 days ago, and it's already down to 1.011. Wasn't excepting it to go so far down (bit strong for me). So if it's pretty much done, what is a sensible time to allow it to clear before I crash cool it?

Never used windsor before so not sure how long it needs. The sensible choice would be leave it for get usual 2 weeks but I really wanna get another brew on

Any thoughts?

Cheers
Si

[Eric]

Hi Si,
Are you certain that readings is right? With Windsor, like you, I would have expected a higher gravity at this stage, maybe nearer 1020.
Windsor is no slowcoach, finding it starts like a Trojan and then relaxes, taking a while to drop out, never seems to sediment and keeps working for ages. My last brew with this yeast is such an example.
OG 1048, it was in the FV for 10 days (long for me as I normally cask as soon as I can get the yeast to drop out) when it was 1015 before 23 litres were casked with 80g sugar. The yeast was then just a sloppy slurry at the bottom of the FV and in 8 days the beer was starting to clear and develope nicely, but when it was moved 20 days later it became more cloudy that is usual with many other yeasts. The beer was still carbonating after 11 weeks in the cask when it came to an end. I found the beer very good but my son could taste yeast up to 6 weeks in a cask, but he's like that.
Will it be bottled or casked? That could be the decider.
If you cask, don't mind a bit of yeast in your beer and you don't have to move it around, check that gravity and go for it. I would in your circumstances despite those findings above.

[simpleton]

The sample was taken with a refractometer and adjusted for alcohol content via beersmith, so it's likely not hugely accurate but it's not normally that far out.

In any case, will take a proper sample shortly.

It's going in bottles.

[simpleton]

Okey doke, you are indeed correct sir. Took a proper reading and it's closer to 1.020.

It still tastes mega sweet, reckon it's gonna end up taking 2 weeks, should just stick to the normal plan.

[Eric]

Then take it out of the fridge, it's far enough on to not get too concerned about that. Trip to Wilko's if there's one near and you're short of an FV and you're in business?

[simpleton]

Eric - I hadn't actually considered that! Sometimes the simplest answers are staring you right in the face.

It's pretty much consistently 19 degrees in my house at the moment too.

[Eric]

I think we amateurs get far too hung up on perfection. No professional could survive with such ideals.