First go at bottling, questions...

[rmp]

Hi

Right, I am going to have my first go at bottling a brew.

St. Peter's golden ale, been in FV for 19 days at fairly constant 19C. OG 1044, now reading 1012 (4.2% ABV)

1. Does that sound about right for bottling, or should I leave it a bit longer? ("Target" was 4.7%, I don't really mind the ABV as long as it tastes ok) How long is *too* long in the FV?

2. For the bottling, the plan is to fill sterlised bottles (with little bottler) add 1.5 wilko carbonation drops, and cap. Is that right or should I be doing it differently?

3. How long does the beer need to condition in the bottles?

Thanks,
Richard

[dasbootfish]

I'm no expert, only been brewing a few months but 19 days should be plenty in the fv. I would give it a minimum of 4 weeks in bottle before sampling.

[Mther]

Hi Richard,

1. Yes it sounds ok to bottle after 19 days. There is no 'too long' value for fermentation, depends on the beer style. For a golden ale 14-21 days is ok but if you leave it for a bit more it does not do any harm in my opinion.

2. This sounds good. In future if you use table sugar instead of carb drops (I don't know the difference, I only know they are more expensive than granulated sugar) it will be good to batch prime.

3. A golden ale should be ready on 2nd week. I usually leave mine for 1 month but sometimes I can't wait and open a few earlier. Try some on 2nd week, if it is not fully carbonated or you are not happy with how it tastes then wait longer. I think it will be fine:)

Cheers

[cellone]

2. This sounds good. In future if you use table sugar instead of carb drops (I don't know the difference, I only know they are more expensive than granulated sugar) it will be good to batch prime.

Top advice.

I tend to use dextrose for carbing. It's always to hand and if I added 100g to the initial brew it seems sense to use it for bottling although as a lager brewer I use double the amount some ale brewers use so it may make more of a difference, could just be bollocks mind.

[rmp]

Thanks for the advice. I presume "batch priming" putting the priming sugar in the FV in one go rather than in each bottle individually. If so, when do you do it, just before bottling? And if so, do you need to mix it in (in which case transfer to 2nd FV to avoid sediment?)

[cellone]

Bang on.

Dissolve x g of sugar in x ml of boiling water, pour into bottling bucket (FV with tap, plastic keg etc..)

Swill around and syphon your brew straight in making sure the syphon hose is at the bottom of the bucket.

Once syphoned leave for a bit (hours not days )

Bottle.

The result is an evenly carbed batch and less faff.

[rmp]

Thanks mate.

I'll give that a go next time, since I got the carb drops, might as well use them this time. Bottling day tomorrow!

Cheers.

[oldbloke]

I do 40 pint kits but brew them short.
I don't have a second 5gall bin to rack into for bulk priming.
With a half-teaspoon (or 1tsp for cider/lager) measure and a funnel, it takes no more than 5 minutes to add priming sugar to 36 bottles. 3 minutes on a good day.
So... no biggie.

[rmp]

Oldbloke, hi. Maybe a dumb question, but what do you mean by "brew them short". And why?

[oldbloke]

Oldbloke, hi. Maybe a dumb question, but what do you mean by "brew them short". And why?

Cheap kits are cheap for a reason - they stretch the ingredients as far as poss. With a lot of them, you get a better result if instead of making them up to the full 40 pints, you just do 36. Bit more body, bit more flavour, slightly stronger. Also I will often use spraymalt for half or all the sugar the instructions want me to add.

[rmp]

Cheap kits are cheap for a reason - they stretch the ingredients as far as poss. With a lot of them, you get a better result if instead of making them up to the full 40 pints, you just do 36. Bit more body, bit more flavour, slightly stronger. Also I will often use spraymalt for half or all the sugar the instructions want me to add.

Worth knowing - will do that meself next time round.

[Redimpz]

Some good points there. However, you can leave the beer in the fermenter "too long". I usually find that 2 weeks is plenty especially if you are fermenting indoors. much longer and you run the risk of a contamination getting in. My first problem which led to a lost brew was after leaving it in the bucket for 3 weeks. Maybe a coincidence? I'm not so sure.
Main reason for this is:- whilst the beer is fermenting, CO2 is being produced which gives a protective coating to the brew, this prevents oxygen coming into contact with it. As the fermentation comes to an end less CO2 is produced and fades away leaving the brew more exposed.

On the subject of "bulk priming". This is a good thing and really works well, especially if you are using a "little bottler". Use a sugar solution (about 70g in 1 pt water) put it in the bottling bucket at the start of the transfer, give it a gentle stir just once after about 2 pints has transferred then leave it alone. There is no need to wait before bottling unless you've dragged some trub up from the bottom.

Once you've got it all bottled, leave it in a warm place for up to 2 weeks to ensure that the priming sugar has done its thing. Then move it into the cold for conditioning. This will help it to drop clear.