1st Beer Brew "Coopers Bitter Kit" cloudy ?

[Karofin]

Ok my 1st brew and 1s post, though I have read a lot on this forum in the last 2 weeks. I decided to make up some Coopers Bitter for my father in law as he is a bitter drinker....

Started this just over a week ago and everything has run smoothly with the fermentation clearly stopping 2 days ago and confirmed with the hydrometer reading being static for the last 2 days. Now I have a large amount of a cloudy liquid, that seems to taste a bit like beer, but isn't brilliant. The kit states I should bottle it up now adding a small amount of sugar to each bottle as I go.

My question is "Is that truly correct?" Will this cloudy liquid then become a nice clear beer if left for a period of tie in some bottles (kit says 7 days in a warm place - the house I suppose, and then several months in a colder place - the FILs shed I suspect).

I made a batch of wine and I noted I used wine filings to clear the wine but don't seem to do this with the bitter and I suppose I am just a little over cautious so coming to you all for some advice. I have 2 beers kits and 2 cider kits ready to start after this one too ..... not to mention a few batches of various wines.

 

[Gethin79]

It will clear in the bottles, but you will end up with more sediment in the bottom of your bottles if you don't allow it to clear first.

Personally I would transfer to a secondary bucket (assuming you have one) leaving the trub behind (the sludge at the bottom of the bucket) and leave it in a cool place to clear before bottling. This will allow a lot of the yeast etc to drop out of solution in the bucket, rather than your bottles. There will still be plenty of yeast available to act on the priming sugar when it comes to bottling time!

Welcome to the forum by the way. Loads of knowledgeable people here who will willingly help you out. :thumb:

 

[Karofin]

Thanks for the advice (and the welcome) Gethin....

I will transfer it to a secondary bin, seal with an airlock etc like the 1st, but how long should I leave t for before then syphoning again (presumably for ease when bottling?) and then putting it into bottles ?

Also when you say 'cool' what rough temperature range do you mean for that ? It is sitting in the same temp range as it was fermenting at, about 16c in the house at the moment.

 

[Gethin79]

I have an ale clearing at about 10C at the moment, which is probably about right, or cooler. I'm sure lots of people have different opinions on it!

Give it a week in the cool to start with and see how it goes. If it clears in the week, then go for bottling, if not, give it a bit longer! Bear in mind, the beer will have produced another sediment in this time, which you must be careful not to stir up or your clearing efforts will have been for nothing!!

 

[NickW]

10C would be fine. I usually chill at around 2c in the fridge and it works a treat. Especially with less floculent yeasts like S05... the bugger.

 

[Karofin]

Ah that's great guys thank you. So anything between 2c and 10c is going to be great for clearing. I need to get this all made before the summer comes then hehehe or even outside won't be enough. From what you are saying, would this be a good method.

- Put it outside in the shed for a week.
- Syphon once more into another container. (thinking here to leave behind the sediment ? - ie cant hurt)
- Leave a week again in the same shed (thinking here is it would need to settle once more ?)
- Bottle it (adding sugar to each bottle, or is this better done in the barrel and stirred up then bottled ?)
- Leave it in the shed for at least a month ?
- Can be drank anytime now, but probably best left to fully mature for more than 6 weeks ?
- Consume within 1 yr of bottling ?

Sorry but really am so new to this it stings... your help and experience are genuinely appreciated.

 

[Gethin79]

I would syphon (rack) out of the primary fermenter to get it off the trub. Then seal up as you say with airlock. Put it outside for a week and then check to see if it has cleared. If not, leave it as long as it needs to clear. I wouldn't rack it again. The more you do this, the more chance you have of introducing an infection, and it won't benefit you anyway in my opinion.

Once you are happy that it has cleared enough, rack into a bottling bucket (I would invest in a little bottler...great piece of kit). From there you can add priming sugar to the whole batch in one go (batch prime). This is a better way of ensuring a more even carbonation across all bottles, and is less labour-intensive. Give it a stir without introducing to much air into the beer, then bottle.

Keep bottles in the warm (around fermenting temperature) for a week or two, then back into the cool to condition.

Hope this helps. I'm not that experienced myself, but have a couple of brews under my belt now after invaluable advice given here!

Hope it goes well! :

 

[Karofin]

Thanks Gethin, that actually helps a lot. I have put it in the other vessel now and will give it a week and see how it goes... Good advice on the bottling then storing in warm there too as I would have got that wrong for a sure start. As always a little bit of knowledge goes a long way. I have done 4 wine kits thus far and while I am still an absolute novice, I ave learned a huge amount doing them, so appreciate your stance on being new but having a few successful brews under your belt.

I am not a huge drinker, but have to say I am loving the fun of home brewing. It may yet make me an alcoholic though :)