Confused about pre-bottling beer cooling

[Mr Fro]

Hello everyone,

Here's my first noob question:

I'm due to bottle on Friday (2 weeks since start date). Hydrometer reading already shows ~1012 so what the destructions state.

Now, I've read on here about cold crashing for 24 hours prior to bottling but am unclear whether this is the fv as it is or whether I need to decant to a bottling bucket first.

I also read about the 2+2+2 thing bit can't for the life of me find it again* so can anyone give me a quick run down please?

*Probably because I'm on parental leave and have only had about 2 hours sleep a night for the past few weeks.

Cheers,
Fro

 

[Clint]

Right...make sure your 1012 is stable over a few days...ie. it's finished!
Leave the beer in the fv and if you can cold crash for a couple of days.
On bottling day carefully Syphon into your bottling bucket with your required sugar. Bottle.

 

[marshbrewer]

Exactly as Clint says. The cold crash makes the yeast go dormant and drop out of suspension / compact down a bit it the FV so that when you siphon into the bottling bucket you are taking less yeast over, if that makes sense.

 

[Clint]

...but there's still enough to carb your brew without creating excess in the bottle.

 

[MyQul]

Two weeks to ferment. Two weeks to carb up. Two weeks to condition. Not that I ever stick to that, as I'm two (boom,boom. I've here all week ) impatient

 

[Cwrw666]

I only ever cold crash my FV if there's great gobs of yeast floating around on the surface. A couple of days in the fridge, or a cold room in winter, makes the blobs settle out.
Otherwise I just bottle while still warm - you get quicker gassing up in the bottle that way but you do get more sediment in the bottle. This isn't a problem if you're using a yeast that compacts down well and sticks to the bottom. S04, gervin both good, US-05 good but after longer in the bottle. Saison yeast non-sticky at all.

 

[Mr Fro]

Perfect, thanks chaps.

I can't tell you what yeast I'm using as I lobbed the packet when I created the starter - the only thing it had on it was 6g...

It's been steady at 1012 since I checked it at the end of the first week. There was still a bit of froth on the top so I let it be.

I'll bung the fridge on and get it cooling down then - I'm quite looking forward to bottling day now.

Question two then:

What is the normal conditioning stage? I was thinking to put the bottles in a cupboard or something for a couple of weeks to gas up then chill before consumption.

I remember reading to move them to the shed for conditioning - surely that would be a bit too warm at this time of year...

Thanks again,
Fro

 

[Clint]

Be aware the 2+2+2 is only a guide...I have a Belgian ale fermenting that is in its third week.

 

[Mr Fro]

We'll it's all bottled up and doing it's thing.

The process wasn't too bad except for the sprog wanting to get his fingers in to everything.

Roll on two weeks time!

 

[The Baron]

some beers do carb up quicker you can always put one in the fridge after a week to see how carbonated it is also some clear quicker than others too. us impatient ones don't mind it being a little hazy

 

[GerritT]

I try to bottle a few .5 L plastic water bottles. Makes it easier to follow the proces, because the bottle gets harder. And it's fun to watch it :) And no conditioning: those few bottles are consumed after 2 weeks of carbing.
Did anyone say impatient