First brew - few questions

[rootsbrew]

Hi Bert,

I might have been a bit hasty saying "get on with bottling"! Apologies. MonkeyBrew is probably right - unless you've brewed really short and the ratio of malt to water is quite strong, then the SG should probably be in the region of 1.010 when fermentation is finished e.g. if you've made 23 litres.

The yeasty taste is from all the yeast in solution. The beer needs to clean itself up a bit and a lot of the yeast will fall out of solution into the trub. The longer you leave your brew, the less of this will be transfered to your bottles, and as a consequence the less the sediment in your bottles.

In another few days, if the SG is still at 1.016, the worst that you'll have done is lost 3 days. However, the beer will probably be a bit clearer and if the SG has dropped, your bottles will be a bit safer!

Just noticed - this is a lager kit. Coopers are known to supply their kits with proper lager yeast. Lager yeast metabolises more complex types of sugar than ale yeast, so you should be able to get the SG down. I retract my previous suggestion completely: keep the beer in the FV. Lagers do well when brewed low and slow. Although not the lager way, you can ferment at 20°C ish to get the job done quickly, seeing as it's you're first brew.

I notice you've used plain sugar. Even if you like pale beer, may I suggest using a minimal amount of pure sugar in your brews? This makes a good brew: 1 x lager kit, 1 x 500g Pale/extra-pale DME, 1 x 907g tin Golden Syrup, 22 litres cheap bottled water; use ale yeast to make a golden ale, which'll be ready faster, or lager yeast to make a lager. Bulk prime with Wheat DME, 100g for Ale and 200g for lager.

[RussBLS]

As a general rule of thumb, 2 weeks in the bottle at room temp to carbonate, then 1 week per 1 percent abv to condition somewhere cool. I have a beer fridge which is ideal but anywhere cooler than average would do the trick.

Is it best to let carbonate at room temp rather than somewhere cooler?

[Bert]

I went down to 1010 and I bottled it. The last few bottles are very cloudy though!

[rootsbrew]

Is it best to let carbonate at room temp rather than somewhere cooler?

Carbonation will occur over time, so long as you primed the bottles properly - champagne carbonates at <= 13°C but if you want to drink your beer in less than 15 months, yes - keep the freshly filled bottles at 18°C - 32°C for at least a week.

The beer may start to clear as the priming sugar gets consumed. it will become progressively clearer over time. Expect this to take at least 2 weeks from the day you move it from the warm, carbonation area, to the cool, conditioning area; it usually takes longer.

[RussBLS]

Is it best to let carbonate at room temp rather than somewhere cooler?

Carbonation will occur over time, so long as you primed the bottles properly - champagne carbonates at <= 13°C but if you want to drink your beer in less than 15 months, yes - keep the freshly filled bottles at 18°C - 32°C for at least a week.

The beer may start to clear as the priming sugar gets consumed. it will become progressively clearer over time. Expect this to take at least 2 weeks from the day you move it from the warm, carbonation area, to the cool, conditioning area; it usually takes longer.

What happens if I move it to an area colder than 18°C straight after bottling? Will it not carbonate at all or will it just slow the whole process down? I only ask as without heating on it is currently pretty cold in my house. Especially after the sun has set!

[rootsbrew]

... What happens if I move it to an area colder than 18°C straight after bottling? Will it not carbonate at all or will it just slow the whole process down? ...

It will just slow down - a lot. Hence, the Champagne for 15 months analogy. If you've got a cold house, try this: put a few bottles in a bin/bucket/fv and fill it with water. Then put one of those thermostat heaters in the bucket too and this'll keep the bottles warm - a bain-marie for beer bottles!