advice please again !! (sorry!)

[bilko]

right i started my first brew ever last week (coopers mexican cerveza) and have hit a bit of a problem. It says on the instructions that it should be ready to barrel or bottle between 4-7 days after fermentation so started it last friday with the intention of bottling it around this friday,

however i have now been told that i have to leave thursday morning to go upto newcastle (i live in devon) to work and wont be back until monday :shock: ! i have no one that can bottle it for me so am a bit stuck, checked it last night and my hydrometer is floating just below the bottle line (sorry i went for the easy amateur hydrometer!) my question is should i add the clearing solution tonight and bottle it tomorrow or should i leave it in the fermenter as it is until monday ?

I know this is not the way to do it but i am totally stuck :evil: any thoughts would be gratefully received !! lagers been fermenting at 18-20 degress since friday evening at 6....HELP !

 

[Moley]

I would leave it alone until Monday. It'll be fine :thumb:

 

[corby_brewer]

I agree with moley leave it till monday. Ive left some of my kits in the FV for up to 2 weeks without any problems. Or you could move it to a secondry FV and leave it there untill you can bottle / keg it.

 

[A T]

If anything, leaving it til Monday will give the yeast some time to mop up some of the by products of fermentation. Most of us on here leave our beer in the primary for 10 days :thumb:

 

[bilko]

phew ideal !! il leave the lager in the fermenter then until monday should i add the fining sachet to the fermenter before i leave thursday morning so i can bottle it striaght away when i get back on monday or shall i add the finings on monday and then bottle on tues?? sorry if im sounding like i havent got a clue but to be honest i really dont yet !! :wha: cheers lads

 

[commsbiff]

I know some people may advise against it, but I left mine (the same kit) in the fermenter for nearly 3 weeks! It then sat in a secondary vessel for 2 weeks before bottling. It's been in the bottle for about 2 weeks and I just had a tester. It's very clear :thumb: , tastes (a bit) like Corona ( :thumb: for SWMBO) but is not yet fizzy enough. That'll be due to leaving it for so long before bottling. I'll give it another 2 - 3 weeks and expect some pretty good results.

I don't suggest you leave it for as long as I have, but it's just to show you there's no panic to get it bottled :thumb:

 

[llannige]

Its best to add finings the day before bottling. :thumb:

 

[bilko]

ideal cheers for this il add the finings on mon then bottle on tues going to leave it for a few weeks then will sample some, if all goes well il then leave it until my mates bonfire night then will take it with me :party:

comms does it seriously taste like corona? the main reason ive done this is because corona's my favourite beer and i hate the fact that it only comes in stupid small bottles yet they charge the same as a pint :evil: have been to cancun in mexico twice now and was in my element out there drinking pitchers of the stuff

 

[commsbiff]

comms does it seriously taste like corona?

Kind of. It's SWMBO who likes the Corona (with a wedge of lime). It's still conditioning so it's hard to tell, but there are definite similarities there - hence it being a 'Mexican Cerveza' I suppose. I think I used beer kit enhancer with mine.