Think i bottled too early

[Roadie]

Hey, I have bottled up a batch of coopers australian lager kit into 500ml bottles with a tsp of sugar in each. Looking back I think it was too sweet (may'be the sugars hadnt broken down enough)
2 questions, can this get emptied from the bottles back into the fermenting bin and carry on its merry way... or is coopers lager kit naturally quite sweet till the sediments settle. any answers would be great.. Very new to brewing and would love to learn how to rescue things like this :pray:

Cheers,

Roadie
:grin:

 

[calumscott]

How long in FV at roughly what temperature?

Did you take any hydrometer readings?

How long in bottles so far at what temperature?

 

[calumscott]

Oh, and crucially - glass or plastic bottles???

 

[Roadie]

Plastic bottles, i left it to ferment for like 4 days, just now thinking it may not have been long enought due to the taste.

 

[calumscott]

4 days in the bucket? Then bottled?

Methinks you were a bit eager! 14 days is more like it.

You could empty it back in and let it ferment out but you run the risk of oxidation and infection.

Just let the pressure build in the bottles, carefully and slowly release it, repeat a few times until the sweetness has gone. Then leave them to firm up one last time and clear and then leave them somewhere cool for another couple of weeks and you should end up with drinkable beer.

 

[jonnymorris]

Just let the pressure build in the bottles...

Do this somewhere warm. You'll essentially be letting it ferment in the bottles. The trick will be knowing when to stop and finding the balance between overly sweet, very fizzy lager and flat lager. Best of luck.

 

[alanywiseman.]

I think it would be easier to empty all of it back into a FV and leave it to ferment out for about 10 days then bottle it again. When pouring it back into the FV try and splash it as little as possible to prevent oxidation.

 

[dermy]

Hi Roadie.

I'm guessing you bottled because the airlock had stopped bubbling??

I've done the same think loads of times and it's always turned out fine - and yes, the aussi lager is very sweet coming out of the FV but will improve with time. Even if you bottled a little early it should be OK as the plastic bottles can take a huge amount of pressure.
Give a squeeze test every day to check the bottle pressure.
I would avoid emptying bottles back into the FV - I think it would be quite likely you could ruin the beer doing this.

GOOD LUCK.