I have just spent nearly 4 hours cleaning/sanitising & bottling my second kit brew, Woodfordes Wherry Norfolk Bitter, and according to the box I should leave the bottles in a warm place for 2 days and then a cool place for 14 days. I am not sure about the amount of days as other posts on here seem to suggest far longer for the conditioning, could anyone advise how long I should leave the bottles for the next 2 stages?
Thanks peeps
Bottle conditioning
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dedken
Re: Bottle conditioning
Hi,
I used to follow their instructions and I ended up with two beers which didn't carbonate properly! I'd say leave them in the warm for at least one week, maybe even two, before you move them into the cold.
I used to follow their instructions and I ended up with two beers which didn't carbonate properly! I'd say leave them in the warm for at least one week, maybe even two, before you move them into the cold.
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Brotherton Lad
Re: Bottle conditioning
The purpose of the first couple of warm days is to allow secondary fermentation to add sparkle to the beer, a couple of days on top won't do any harm. The next cool fortnight will let the sediment settle, make the beer bright and allow the beer to absorb some of the gas. The taste will change over this period and will improve over the following weeks. Very strong beers need months of conditioning. What alot of people do is try a bottle after maybe a week, just to 'make sure it's alright'. It's worth doing if you've just started, to experience how quickly the beer conditions. Just beware of drinking it all because, just as you think it's in tip-top conditon, you'll find you're on your last bottle.
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At. Ailbhe's Brewery
Re: Bottle conditioning
Brotherton Lad wrote:just as you think it's in tip-top conditon, you'll find you're on your last bottle.
This man speaks The Truth.
Re: Bottle conditioning
Amen!At. Ailbhe's Brewery wrote:Brotherton Lad wrote:just as you think it's in tip-top conditon, you'll find you're on your last bottle.
This man speaks The Truth.
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At. Ailbhe's Brewery
Re: Bottle conditioning
Have you tried Star San steriliser? It'll save a helluva lot of time.fatbutthin wrote:I have just spent nearly 4 hours cleaning/sanitising & bottling my second kit brew,
What I do is rinse the bottles ones (they’ll be fairly clean anyway after the last brew, assuming you rinsed them straight away after you slugged them) and then dissolve 1 ounce of Star San in a spray bottle. Spray into each bottle, rotating as you go, 4 to 5 times.
I then soak the bottle in a 25l bucket with 1 ounce of Star San dissolved in it. Leave them a few minutes. Then I rinse them, ‘coz I’m paranoid.
3 dozen odd bottles done in about 45 mins., job’s a good ‘un.
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cbucket
Re: Bottle conditioning
My method is to sterilise the fermentation bin with 5 baby-sterilising tables.
After 2 hours I transfer the water into the bottles, give the fermentation bin a quick rinse and make up the beer in the usual way. I then put the lids on the bottles and leave it there - for about 1 week - until the batch is fermented.
When the beer is ready I then empty the sterilized water from the bottles and give them a quick rinse prior to bottling.
Admittedly, I use vinegar bottles for my beer which have screw caps so I can put the lids on while the sterilised water is in them. If you used beer bottles you would not want to waste caps so you would have to leave them standing upright somewhere.
I have made 10 batches now - since I started about this time last year - and I have not had a bad batch yet so there must be some method to my madness. I also have not had any exploding bottles as there was a suggestion that vinegar bottles might not be strong enough
After 2 hours I transfer the water into the bottles, give the fermentation bin a quick rinse and make up the beer in the usual way. I then put the lids on the bottles and leave it there - for about 1 week - until the batch is fermented.
When the beer is ready I then empty the sterilized water from the bottles and give them a quick rinse prior to bottling.
Admittedly, I use vinegar bottles for my beer which have screw caps so I can put the lids on while the sterilised water is in them. If you used beer bottles you would not want to waste caps so you would have to leave them standing upright somewhere.
I have made 10 batches now - since I started about this time last year - and I have not had a bad batch yet so there must be some method to my madness. I also have not had any exploding bottles as there was a suggestion that vinegar bottles might not be strong enough
Re: Bottle conditioning
I tried this technique with VWP sterilising powder and it was awful. The powder reformed back into a solid at the bottom of the bottle and it wouldnt rinse off. Infact, boiling water and a bottle brush was the only thing I could use to remove it. It took me ages!cbucket wrote:My method is to sterilise the fermentation bin with 5 baby-sterilising tables.
After 2 hours I transfer the water into the bottles, give the fermentation bin a quick rinse and make up the beer in the usual way. I then put the lids on the bottles and leave it there - for about 1 week - until the batch is fermented.
When the beer is ready I then empty the sterilized water from the bottles and give them a quick rinse prior to bottling.
What is the brand of your baby steriliser? I might try that next time.
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cbucket
Re: Bottle conditioning
They are just baby bottle sterilising tablets. I bought them in ASDA.
They just dissolve when I put them in the fermentation bin. I used to used 10 tablets but the box says I only
need to use 5. Perhaps you used too much ?
I have never used campden tablets either with the tap water. I have not had a problem so far.
They just dissolve when I put them in the fermentation bin. I used to used 10 tablets but the box says I only
need to use 5. Perhaps you used too much ?
I have never used campden tablets either with the tap water. I have not had a problem so far.
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fatbutthin
Re: Bottle conditioning
Thanks all, what I have to do now is keep my grubby hands off the beer for a month or two.