Adding sugar for carbonation, couple of questions...

[Bootcutboy]

Hi All

I just bottled up my first lager, which tasted bloomin' lovely even when flat! I added half a teaspoon of normal sugar to the bottom of each 500ml bottle but I am wondering do i need to mix/swill this sugar around inside the bottles or is it just best left be, will it blend naturally??

Also how long will carbonation take? How long is best to leave so I will have a nice fizz to my pint?

Cheers All! :drink:

 

[andyco]

I tend to give the bottle a swirl, I also turn then over briefly after about a week .

Andy

 

[kentmark]

I tend to give a gentle swirl as i fill the bottle. A week or two in the warm them move somewhere cooler for the carbonation / conditioning. Patience is your friend, give it time in the bottle and it will get better and better.

 

[nobyipa]

give it a good shake this also ensures you have a good seal
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:thumb: :

 

[Bootcutboy]

Hi all, thanks very much for the replies I shall give all my bottles a couple of tips upside down tomorrow and again in a week or 2.

Kentmark, To carbonate Is it necessary to store the bottles in warm first and then transfer to cold? I only ask because my lager and my 2 cider brews i made a few weeks ago all just went straight into the cold garage after bottling.

Cheers again, all very helpful.

 

[pittsy]

Yes it has to be at least as warm as fermentation was for the yeast in the beer to consume the sugar , i would leave at least 2 weeks and try 1 before moving em all to the cold to be sure . Then a week or so in cold (fridge ) etc they will be good to drink but will get better with time .

 

[Bootcutboy]

Oh dear I was not aware of this, the lager has already been in the cold garage for 5 hours now and the cider has been straight into the cold for a couple of weeks so do you reckon I am gonna be stuck with 70 flat pints of lager and cider? DOH!

 

[nobyipa]

NP
just get em shuck up and put em somewher warm 20C ish
what i'd do is shake em and put all yu bottles in a warm bath till they gat up to temperature
then keep at that temp for 2 weeks o so in a nice warm room
then put em back in yu cold area

i usually bottle a single PET bottle to see if carbonation has happened checking the pressure is easy with PET'S
:drink: