How am I doing?

[simonlpearce]

I got my first brew bottled over the weekend after 2 weeks in the FV. What a faff bottling is, need to get myself a bottling tree and a rinser i think, should cut down the time + amount of water i used.

Anyhow here are a couple of snaps of said bottled beer, which is a Better Brew Czech Pilsner. Can anyone with their expert opinion tell me how its looking based on colour and clearness. Looks to me like it has quite some settling to do. Each bottle received a tsp of cane sugar.

Bottling in progress.

All tucked up warm and dark for a week or so before moving to the cold.

 

[PD]

looks ok to me. although its rather too cloudy and should have remained another week or so in the FV before bottling. But never mind it will settle out in the bottle. but be prepared to pour carefully.
In future when fermentation has FINISHED, leave it for another week in the warmth and then a few days cooler. Then think about bottling. After its bottled give it 2 weeks in the warmth and a further week cool. Then enjoy.

 

[calumscott]

You're doing great!

That all looks superb to me.

In terms of clarity, you could have gone a little longer in FV, maybe somewhere really cold, but I wouldn't worry - in fact I have no idea how clear mine are when I bottle them as they all go in brown glass...

...they always (with the exception of Better Brew's lager styles which suffer very badly from chill haze) come out crystal clear in the end.

Bottle tree is indispensable in my view, it makes your process so much easier. Rinser... well, I've never felt the need, YMMV of course.

A typical bottling for me uses 5 gallons of water for the bucket of steriliser, then another estimated 7 gallons for rinsing individually...

 

[simonlpearce]

Yeah i thought it looked a little cloudy, which i why i was after expert opinions on here. Will make sure to leave longer in the primary before bottling. Would you say around 3-4 weeks would be more suitable? :wha:

As its my first brew i guess you live and learn. Providing its drinkable then i will be happy.

With regards to bottling i am requesting all the bits as xmas presents, it was rather laborious doing it in/around the bath. I think it took around 3 hours total to get everything sterilised, washed, bottled and capped! Definitely glad i got a little bottler though as i would hate to think of the mess otherwise!

 

[PD]

fermentation usually takes 10 days or so if temps are good.
After this time you can either :-
1 put fv somewhere a little cooler for 5/6 days then bottle.

or

2 Rack the beer off all the **** into a 2nd FV and leave it where it is for another week then bottle
The longer you can leave it ( within reason ) to clear before bottling the better.

All the times are variable and not set in stone, be adjustable with your brew.

 

[Madferret]

Would you get any problems from leaving it too long? Ie with oxidisation or priming? TBH mine usually ends up waiting 5-7days before I have chance to bottle it anyway.

 

[simonlpearce]

See i did move the beer to a secondary FV, but only as this one had the little bottler attached. Next brew i will stick it in the secondary FV and put it in the garage for a week or two to clear.

I also think my fermentation took a little longer as the temp dropped, but today my aquarium heater turned up so the next one should be bang on.

 

[calumscott]

Would you get any problems from leaving it too long? Ie with oxidisation or priming? TBH mine usually ends up waiting 5-7days before I have chance to bottle it anyway.

Nope, if you avoid splashing there will be no oxidation. Your beer will still bubble off a little CO2 which will form a layer to protect it.

Priming is slightly different if you cold crash in your bottling bucket in that you'll have to VERY GENTLY stir your priming syrup into the beer just before you bottle.

 

[simonlpearce]

So had a sneak peak tonight and they are looking 10 x clearer than they were when first bottled, pic below.

Should they have settled so soon? I thought they had to get cloudy again to prime, then clear after say a week? They are tucked away in the top of my wardrobe which is next to the boiler and seems to stick at a steady 17 degrees, should i try and put them somewhere warmer, or just leave them be and stop being impatient? :?

Definitely going to have to be careful pouring though, but i have plenty of bottles to practise on :drink:

 

[simonlpearce]

Out of interest should i be able to see anything happening in the bottles? They have cleared down loads, even after the first day in the bottle, but other than that not much seems to be happening... :wha:

 

[calumscott]

Clearing is good, settling is good...

...there are still billions of yeast cells in suspension, even in what you think is crystal clear beer and they, along with the ones on the bottom will be happily munching away on the sugars.

You won't see them do it though as all the CO2 is going into solution (except a little which builds the pressure in the headspace) - no bubbles get formed at all.

 

[simonlpearce]

Ok cool thats what i wanted to know, thanks.

Will sit back and relax, whilst trying to build my bottle collection large enough for 3 brews at any one time

 

[calumscott]

I think the ideal is two or three beers + a maturing cider in FVs at any one time...

...although, having tasted my AG beer, I think I'm going to have to go 3 or 4 + 1. I have a funny feeling that more friends will "pop round for a bit" more often once they have a go on those!!!

 

[simonlpearce]

Im thinking i might stick one of my beers in the fridge this evening so i can, purely for educational purposes, have a taste tomorrow.

Its been bottled for about a week now but i intend to leave it for another week or two before moving to a cold place. Will then give it a week in the cold before i start properly drinking them.

Again for 'educational purposes i will probably try one each weekend from now until they are ready :drink:

 

[Loetz]

need to get myself a bottling tree

 

[simonlpearce]

^^^^ That would be great.....if only i had a dishwasher!

I tried one of my beers this weekend. After sticking it in the fridge it got quite a bit of Chill Haze, but think this is down to bottling direct from the FV without giving it much time to settle after fermentation.

The beer itself wasn't too bad, although not very carbonated yet. Its had a week in the warm then a day in a cold fridge. I know this is probably too short so will give another week in the warm then a couple of weeks in the cold.

Will 2 weeks warm and 2 weeks cold be enough for a decent fizz? :wha: