Bottle size and bottle conditioning

hey guys, this is my first post here so hello! I'm currently waiting on my first batch of beer which is currently hanging out in the primary fermenter.

I was wondering.. Is there any reason that bottle conditioning would take any longer in a larger bots than a smaller one?

Thanks!
MK

Glad to hear your brewing. Bottle conditioning will take the same amount of time, big or small, about 2 weeks at room temp. (70f.)
mark
Beer Diary...

Awesome, thats what I figured, but I wasn't sure.

Thanks!

I don't find that to be true. For me it usually takes longer the larger the bottle. YMMV...

I've got to go with double e5 on this, larger can take a little longer. The standard is 3 weeks at 70° but bombers may take a week or two longer for complete carbonation.

I've opened 12 ounce bottles at one week and found them to be "satisfactory." But the usual rule always applies - the best bottle from any batch is always the last one!

I have some pints, 22 oz bombers and other sizes that I often use, but since I enter contests I usually also do a sixer or two of standard 12 ouncers for entering. And inevitably the 12 ouncers are done at least a week faster than the larger bottles....some times two weeks ahead of time...

Also the rule of thumb is 3 weeks at 70 degrees for a normal grav 12 ounce bottle....to carb and condition....It takes longer for the yeasties to convert the larger volume in the bigger bottles to enough co2 in the headspace to be reabsorbed back into the solution...A ration I don't know how much...

Big Kahuna gives a good explanation here...

BigKahuna said:

Simple. It's the ration of contact area just like in a keg. The c02 will need to pressurize the head space (Which takes LESS TIME) in a bigger bottle (More Yeast and sugar, roughly the same head space) but then it has to force that c02 into solution through the same contact area...thus it takes longer.

Click to expand...

Also read this...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Of_Patience_and_Bottle_Conditioning/

You'll find that many people have observed that larger bottles take longer...And comparing 2 at the same time often results in a different taste, becasue they are conditioning at different rates...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/flavor-differences-bottles-103127/#post1133388

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottle-observation-size-matters-101628/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/does-bottle-size-affect-carbonation-78194/

I also agree that larger bottles tend to take longer to carbonate. 12-oz bottles usually take between a week or two to carb up for me, depending on the style, with the occasional high-gravity brew taking 3-4 weeks. Larger bottles take a week longer.

Awesome, Thanks for the links.

I'm really excited to be making my first batch (and maybe my second sooner, rather than later.) I have an assortment of bottles at my disposal and was planning on bottling in 12's, 22's and possibly even in growlers, just to have a variety.

Is that a bad idea (this being my first batch) or should I be okay as long as I follow the guidelines of conditioning time?

Thanks again,
MK

dotknott said:

Awesome, Thanks for the links.

I'm really excited to be making my first batch (and maybe my second sooner, rather than later.) I have an assortment of bottles at my disposal and was planning on bottling in 12's, 22's and possibly even in growlers, just to have a variety.

Is that a bad idea (this being my first batch) or should I be okay as long as I follow the guidelines of conditioning time?

Thanks again,
MK

Click to expand...

THe standard growler (from a brew pub) is not made to handle the pressure of the amount co2 needed for carbonation...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/exploding-growlers-89246/?highlight=Growlers

There's plenty of other threads like that on here...

I would stick to normal beer bottles...regardless of the size...just remember store the beer at 70 degrees or higher, and give the 12 ounces about three weeks...If you taste it before, that's fine, but don't expect them to be fully carbed or not to taste a little green...There will be nothing wrong if either of those situations are the case...so don't start a panic thread about it...just know that you are not making coolaid....and most of us wait at least 3 weeks before openning a bottle...and even then if it doesn't taste right, we wait a little longer..

Panic Threads are not my thing.

Waiting is the name of the game when in comes to beer. That much I know.

Thanks for all the input, I hope to be adding more to this forum soon!

-MK

Does it take longer to naturally carbonate a keg?

I've had an interesting experience with this lately.

Brewed a Belgian Pale Ale on January 1, 2010.

Transferred to secondary on January 8.

Bottled on January 15. (a dozen 24oz bottles and 3 dozen 12oz bottles)

After 3 weeks, the 12oz were fully carbonated and tasting great.

HOWEVER, the 24oz weren't carbonated at all so I waited and tasted...and waited tasted...and waited.

An hour ago, I just had my last 24oz of the batch (8 weeks after bottling) and it was flat.

Any ideas?

I cleaned and sanitized all bottles the same way. Only difference was that the 24oz were new from LBHS and I bottled them first...then bottled the 12oz which were reused from previous batch.

How did you add your priming sugar? All that I can imagine is that if you pitched a priming solution on top of the beer and then drew from the bottom, you wouldn't get priming sugar until the later bottles. I doubt you did that though... did you stir it? Or did you use tablets, by chance?