Faster way to carb bottles?

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pktshc

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Greetings from Ohio-

I am bottling a batch some time over the next 24 hours. The challenge is that I really need it to be ready to consume by July 3rd. Is there a way to encourage a faster carbonation in my bottles?

Normally I find that three weeks is perfectly fine, but since I have about 2, I wanted to consult the experts to see if there is a trick to quick carbing.

Thanks!

JAH
 
there are no shortcuts. if you keep the bottles at 70, they will probably be carbed in two weeks but the beer will be green.
 
pktshc said:
Greetings from Ohio-

I am bottling a batch some time over the next 24 hours. The challenge is that I really need it to be ready to consume by July 3rd. Is there a way to encourage a faster carbonation in my bottles?

Normally I find that three weeks is perfectly fine, but since I have about 2, I wanted to consult the experts to see if there is a trick to quick carbing.

Thanks!

JAH
Click to expand...

Sorry you can't "rush" a natural process...It takes three weeks because that's how long the yeasties need to do their jobs.

You may be lucky and it'll be ready in 2...but you can't jumpstart it...

You're not making koolaid here.:D

Remember, it's not just carbonation that is happenning, it is also bottle conditioning as well....getting rid of the green taste...read this;

http://homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

You're not the first one to ask this..I'll just direct you to the advice you're going to get from others...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=704803

If you're introducing homebrew to non homebrewers...buy good beer instead of giving them green beer, else they will think either you suck or that homebrew sucks and they're better off sticking to their precious BMC.
 
In my experience, I've found that the 6 batches that I've bottled so far are all pretty well carbed after two weeks, so you might be ok. The only thing that might help is keeping the temperature at or a little above 70F to help the yeasties do their job... But be warned - even though the beer may be properly carbed after two weeks, it will still be green and not taste it's best. It may taste good, but it won't be great for another few weeks. I'm astounded at how much better my beer is after 6 or more weeks in the bottle as opposed to how it was at 2 or 3 weeks.

I say you go for it, but have a back-up plan ready. Like Revvy said:
Revvy said:
If you're introducing homebrew to non homebrewers...buy good beer instead of giving them green beer, else they will think either you suck or that homebrew sucks and they're better off sticking to their precious BMC.
Click to expand...
 
How many days ago did you brew the batch and pitch the yeast? I'm not saying it will matter as far as how quick the beer will carb but I'm trying to gauge the overall rushedness of your brewing process. Try 3-4 weeks in the fermenter, 3 weeks in the bottle warm, and 1 week in the bottle cold. I've been there before but hurry-brew(tm) gives homebrew a bad name. I know Papazian says RDWHAHB but it should be RDWHAHBWIR (when it's ready).
 
Ya, ya'll are all right. I knew the answer to my question, but was just excited to introduce my family to my newest hobby. I have an ample supply of the the last three batches, but I brewed this one special for the reunion over the 4th. Oh well, I guess that I should have gotten started on it sooner. A good lesson for future "special occasion" brews.

I agree with you about the beer being good after three weeks, but REALLY GOOD after about 6. I brewed an amber ale a while back that was good after three weeks, but was a jaw dropper after 5-6.

I guess my ill-timed 4th of July batch will just mean that I have a lot of beer for the rest of the summer, which is not a bad thing...

Thanks again.
 
Hi All,

This is my first post. I have been brewing beer for 3 plus years. I specialize in IPAs and Stouts. I just started making wine last year and already have 4 batches of that including 2 batches that will be bottled this weekend.

Am I doing something wrong? I've made and consumed REALLY good beer in as little as 2 weeks. I brew Saturday, ferment for a week, bottle, and within a week it is fully carbonated and tasting outstanding! Now I usually make IPA as this is my personal favorite so perhaps the extra hops has something to do with it? My beer usually lasts about 1-2 months after bottled and the taste is very consistent throughout the 2 months.

For the priming sugar I use 3/4 cup of corn sugar disolved/boiled in about 1/2 cup of water.

I have waited longer for the beer and occasionally I will transfer to a carboy for another week before bottling - usually when I want less sediment - but in all cases, after a week in the bottle, it is fully carbonated and tasting great!
 
If I had to take a guess, I would say that your's are carbing so fast because the yeast are still working on the beer when you bottle it and add your priming sugar or at least still mostly in suspension. So you are essentially finishing fermentation in the bottle.
 
Slipgate said:
Hi All,

This is my first post. I have been brewing beer for 3 plus years. I specialize in IPAs and Stouts. I just started making wine last year and already have 4 batches of that including 2 batches that will be bottled this weekend.

Am I doing something wrong? I've made and consumed REALLY good beer in as little as 2 weeks. I brew Saturday, ferment for a week, bottle, and within a week it is fully carbonated and tasting outstanding! Now I usually make IPA as this is my personal favorite so perhaps the extra hops has something to do with it? My beer usually lasts about 1-2 months after bottled and the taste is very consistent throughout the 2 months.

For the priming sugar I use 3/4 cup of corn sugar disolved/boiled in about 1/2 cup of water.

I have waited longer for the beer and occasionally I will transfer to a carboy for another week before bottling - usually when I want less sediment - but in all cases, after a week in the bottle, it is fully carbonated and tasting great!
Click to expand...

You're missing out on a lot of good flavors that are absent from the beer when it is that young. In other words, if you like your beer now, you'll love it if you let it age a longer.

Your beer is probably not even finished fermenting yet...I'm surprised you haven't had bottle bombs.

Read the post I refered the OP to earlier....
http://homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

It is also doubtful the beer is fully carbonated..it may be "fizzy" but if you watch the video in the link it shows that although young beers have fizz the co2 hasn't yet been absorbed back into the beer...which is true carbonation.

I bet you though, that if you aren't chilling all your bottles at one time, the last few beers are at their peak.

Try the experiment I mention in that post.
 
Thanks Revvy!

It looks like I will be learning quit a bit from this site. That post was great and the video really helps.

I think I will video my beer at various levels as well so that I have something to reflect upon and study. I am quite sure the head was very full and the beer certainly tasted fully carbonated. But since I do want to get the most out of my beer, I am going to take careful notes with this latest batch, bottled this past Saturday to see what is actually going on.

This weekend too I will make a cream ale - my first time for that - so I'll see how that turns out too.

It may be all for naught because I have decided to start kegging.
 
Revvy said:
If you're introducing homebrew to non homebrewers...buy good beer instead of giving them green beer, else they will think either you suck or that homebrew sucks and they're better off sticking to their precious BMC.
Click to expand...
Sweet Georgina Brown! That is so true. You're a wise, wise man, Revvy :mug:
 
I agree that all my brews so far have improved after the 3wk bottled mark, but I usually test a bottle at 2wks (and sometimes at 1wk) to get a feel for the progression.
 
fratermus said:
I agree that all my brews so far have improved after the 3wk bottled mark, but I usually test a bottle at 2wks (and sometimes at 1wk) to get a feel for the progression.
Click to expand...

That's perfectly normal...I taste mine somewhere after 2 as well...the issue is realizing that there's not necessarily anything "wrong" with the beer at that point if a) it's not carbed, b) it's over carbed and/or C) it tastes "funny." It's nothing to panic about, those are all symptoms of "green" beers, and, except in the most extreme cases will correct and improve with time.

Spending any time one here, one comes to realize that the majority of the "is my beer ruined," "my beer's not carbed," or "my beer taste crappy" threads are from people who tasted the beer before 3 weeks.

And quite a few return several weeks later saying that their beer now tastes fantastic, or is fully carbed that they initially panicked, and they now understand better the process and benefits of bottle conditioning.
 

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