Bottling Question

Crash 2006 · 04-29-2008, 04:13 AM

My first batch of wheat beer was bottled a week and a half ago. I cracked one bottle open after the first week and had good carbonation (I think). I was not as much carbonation as the store bought beer so I was wondering if there should have been. The bottles were stored at around 65°F.

Also, before bottling I just drank the extra beer that did not fit into my two cases of bottles. There was about 32oz of beer a drank and it made my head spin

.

When I cracked my first bottle I ended up drinking seven or eight of them that night. It was so good I could not quit drinking them, but for some reason I really did not get much as a buzz as I would have from just cheap keystone light. Does this sound right? I figured this would have more of a kick to it?

The bottles I used were new and I soaked them in star san for one minute and then rinsed them under real hot water to get the bubbles out. Once that was completed I turned them upside down in the box they came in and waited for about 20 minutes and then put the beer in them.

Also, when I got done drinking each beer, I filled the bottle up with extremely hot water and dumped it out, then repeated this again. Once they were rinsed I put them upside down in the box they came in. I don't have a bottle rack thing to dry them out on, is turning them upside down in the box they came in ok?

Thanks...

**BierMuncher** · 04-29-2008, 04:17 AM

Okay...you sound slightly druck...but that's okay cuz so am I.

Bottles should go 21 days at 70+ degrees for proper carbonation.

Sounds like your bottle washing technique is sound.

AS for different buzz factor...not sure what's going on there except to suggest you repeat the experiment tomorrow night.

Crash 2006 · 04-29-2008, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BierMuncher

Okay...you sound slightly druck...but that's okay cuz so am I.

Bottles should go 21 days at 70+ degrees for proper carbonation.

Sounds like your bottle washing technique is sound.

AS for different buzz factor...not sure what's going on there except to suggest you repeat the experiment tomorrow night.

21 days? Oh **** this is going to be a long wait. The sheet I got from the lady that runs a shop said 7 to 10 days.

**Nurmey** · 04-29-2008, 04:22 AM

and stop rinsing the StarSan out of the bottles
The foam is the good part

**BlindLemonLars** · 04-29-2008, 04:23 AM

Next time, don't rinse after using the Starsan. The bubbles won't harm anything, and by rinsing with tap water, you're essentially defeating the purpose of sanitizing. That's the beauty of a "no-rinse" sanitizer, you don't have to rinse!

Sounds like you're enjoying your beer, as you should!

BrianP · 04-29-2008, 04:26 AM

I'd give your beer a little longer to carbonate - generally you want to keep them at 70F, so 65 may have slowed down the carbonation. If you can, store them at 70F for another two weeks, that might bump up the carbonation. Maybe swirl the yeast up a little.

Secondly, beer will still be 'green' at one week in the bottle; it will be better after three weeks (and longer) in the bottle. As much as you anticipate tasting it, it will taste much better after waiting a couple weeks.

For your sanitizing - don't fear the foam - there is no need to rinse starsan. By rinsing you are defeating the purpose of sanitizing and potentially introducing bacteria. The foam is completely safe and will not affect your beer. Just let the starsan drip out of the bottles as you prepare to fill them - I use my dishwasher rack which I make sure is clean (just having been run) and I spray the rack with starsan for good measure before putting in any bottles.

Putting empty bottles in the box upside down is a good idea as it keeps spiders and lady bugs out of them. I'd shake them out good to get most of the moisture out if possible or drain in a dish rack or something. When it comes time to bottle again, all you'll need to do is rinse with sanitizer.

Congrats on your first wheat beer. Sounds like it turned out pretty good.

TwoHeadsBrewing · 04-29-2008, 04:33 AM

I feel your pain on the waiting part...but it's unavoidable. I just recently had the last of my first pale ale, which was about 1.5 months in the bottle. It was incredible! Much better that the beer at one or two weeks, so now I don't touch the beer until AT LEAST 2 weeks. The only way I've found to make this waiting tolerable: BREW MORE BEER...A LOT MORE!

Crash 2006 · 04-29-2008, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianP

I'd give your beer a little longer to carbonate - generally you want to keep them at 70F, so 65 may have slowed down the carbonation. If you can, store them at 70F for another two weeks, that might bump up the carbonation. Maybe swirl the yeast up a little.

Secondly, beer will still be 'green' at one week in the bottle; it will be better after three weeks (and longer) in the bottle. As much as you anticipate tasting it, it will taste much better after waiting a couple weeks.

For your sanitizing - don't fear the foam - there is no need to rinse starsan. By rinsing you are defeating the purpose of sanitizing and potentially introducing bacteria. The foam is completely safe and will not affect your beer. Just let the starsan drip out of the bottles as you prepare to fill them - I use my dishwasher rack which I make sure is clean (just having been run) and I spray the rack with starsan for good measure before putting in any bottles.

Putting empty bottles in the box upside down is a good idea as it keeps spiders and lady bugs out of them. I'd shake them out good to get most of the moisture out if possible or drain in a dish rack or something. When it comes time to bottle again, all you'll need to do is rinse with sanitizer.

Congrats on your first wheat beer. Sounds like it turned out pretty good.

That is a good idea on the dishwasher rack. So I can soak for one minute in a StarSan bath and then put them on the clean dishwasher rack then start to bottle without the StarSan completely drying out or getting all of the liquid out?

**Yuri_Rage** · 04-29-2008, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash 2006

That is a good idea on the dishwasher rack. So I can soak for one minute in a StarSan bath and then put them on the clean dishwasher rack then start to bottle without the StarSan completely drying out or getting all of the liquid out?

Exactly!

Crash 2006 · 04-29-2008, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoHeadsBrewing

I feel your pain on the waiting part...but it's unavoidable. I just recently had the last of my first pale ale, which was about 1.5 months in the bottle. It was incredible! Much better that the beer at one or two weeks, so now I don't touch the beer until AT LEAST 2 weeks. The only way I've found to make this waiting tolerable: BREW MORE BEER...A LOT MORE!

That beer was so good I am going to just drink around a gallon a day out of my secondary once the fermentation has completed (no carbonation whatsoever). Then keep cycling new beer though my primary and secondary every week. This way I can make and drink 20 gallons of beer a month.

I don't see me as having a drinking problem, do you?