So I bottled my first batch last night (Midwest Supplies Autumn Amber), and I have a few after-the-fact questions:
1. I totally forgot that the kit came with a bottling wand, and so I simply used the spout on the bottom of the bottling bucket to fill the bottles. A good amount of splashing occurred when filling each bottle - is this something (oxygenation) that will probably ruin my batch?
2. Because the bottles were filled without a bottling wand, a good amount of foam (caused by the splashing) was created while bottling. After looking at the bottles this morning, the foam has dissipated and there is roughly 1 inch of headspace in each bottle. Is this too much?
3. The kit instructed me to simply use the entire 5 oz pack of priming sugar for the 5 gallon batch. While siphoning into the bottling bucket, I left the last 2 inches or so of beer and sediment at the bottom of the primary fermenter. Should I have measure exactly how much beer was in my bottling bucket and then measured the correct quantity of boiled sugar solution to add, or does it really not matter?
And as a bonus, one general non-bottling question: I left my beer in the primary for a little over 4 weeks with temperatures in my apt ranging anywhere from 65-70 degrees. When I opened the primary to prepare for bottling, I noticed a sharp fruity smell, sort of like a strawberry daiquiri. The beer sample I tasted had a slight fruity flavor as well. Did something go wrong during fermentation, did I leave it too long in the primary for a low gravity beer, or is this completely normal?
Sorry if I come across as a nervous wreck (RDWHAHB, I know). It's just that it's my first batch and I want it to turn out half decent. I appreciate any and all feedback!
1. I totally forgot that the kit came with a bottling wand, and so I simply used the spout on the bottom of the bottling bucket to fill the bottles. A good amount of splashing occurred when filling each bottle - is this something (oxygenation) that will probably ruin my batch?
2. Because the bottles were filled without a bottling wand, a good amount of foam (caused by the splashing) was created while bottling. After looking at the bottles this morning, the foam has dissipated and there is roughly 1 inch of headspace in each bottle. Is this too much?
3. The kit instructed me to simply use the entire 5 oz pack of priming sugar for the 5 gallon batch. While siphoning into the bottling bucket, I left the last 2 inches or so of beer and sediment at the bottom of the primary fermenter. Should I have measure exactly how much beer was in my bottling bucket and then measured the correct quantity of boiled sugar solution to add, or does it really not matter?
And as a bonus, one general non-bottling question: I left my beer in the primary for a little over 4 weeks with temperatures in my apt ranging anywhere from 65-70 degrees. When I opened the primary to prepare for bottling, I noticed a sharp fruity smell, sort of like a strawberry daiquiri. The beer sample I tasted had a slight fruity flavor as well. Did something go wrong during fermentation, did I leave it too long in the primary for a low gravity beer, or is this completely normal?
Sorry if I come across as a nervous wreck (RDWHAHB, I know). It's just that it's my first batch and I want it to turn out half decent. I appreciate any and all feedback!