Bottles

[Rico1973]

Hi all so my brew is in my bottles after 9 days in the fv, one carbon drop in each bottle as there only 500ml this was recommended on a note in the kit.
Question 1. Do I need to keep giving them a little shake.
2. Will they clear up if not any idea why.
Thanks

 

[MarkMayf]

No, they don't need a shake. Just leave them to sit for a couple of weeks at fermentation temp.

After the first couple of weeks put them somewhere cool. Garage, shed etc. They will clear up eventually.

 

[braziliain]

No need to shake them, just leave them somewhere warm for 2 weeks to carbonate (same temp that your kit instruction recommended for fermenting).

Then after that move them somewhere cool for 2 weeks to condition

:thumb:

Edit: I see Markmayf beat me to it. But, exactly as he said :lol:

 

[yeastinfection]

as above.:thumb:

 

[Ale]

I'm guessing you are new to this homebrew lark. When you pour your beer there will be some sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Best to leave a little bit of beer in the bottle so you dont tip the sediment into your glass.

 

[chewie]

You might find in a couple of weeks time that the beer is a bit undercarbonated, carbonation drops aren't a recommended addition, if you want to bottle prime then ordinary table sugar does the job and is a lot cheaper and also more consistent. A 5g sugar addition will see you prime 200 bottles per kilo of sugar at 50p per kilo, carbonation drops doing the same number of bottles would cost you nearly a tenner.

You might also find a bit more sediment in your beer with only 9 days in the FV, extend the fermentation time to two weeks for your next brew, this will give more time for particles to drop out.

 

[Rico1973]

Thanks for that

 

[Ajhutch]

I'm not as down on carbonation drops as others at least from the perspective of their effectiveness, I've used them with success in the past. My bigger concern, and why I stopped using them, is contamination. Once you open a bag of sugar if you don't use them all it risks being a haven for nasties that you don't want in beer. If you do have an open bag I recommend a Tupperware in the freezer for storing them.

 

[zippy40]

I don't want to start controversy or appear rude here but when using carbonation drops I do give the bottles a couple of shakes a few times whilst at room temp. The reason for this is that I find carbonation drops don't dissolve well and tend to leave a sugary sludge at the bottom which takes time for the yeast to chew on. The carbonation drops are also a little low in sugar for adequate carbonation (to my level anyway). So I would recommend that you shake them a few times whilst out of the fridge.

Then stick them in the fridge without touching them for a couple of weeks and the sediment will drop out and you will get a clear beer at this stage.

If you are new to brewing then I recommend a teaspoon of sugar per bottle to carbonate rather than use the drops. This will give a high carbonation levels. If you are an ale/porter drinker and like a lighter carbonation then drop it to 4g of sugar per bottle.

This is what I do and it gives me nice results but everyone is different and you will find out what best suits you.