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samg

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Hi guys. My first brew (Coopers Brewmaster IPA) is fermenting as we speak (5th day) and I had a few questions about bottling:

Currently its a bit cloudy. I plan on bottling in 2 days (pending readings), will the conditioning in the bottle clear this? Also, my father has said something about 'finings' and it making it clearer.

How do you siphon the whole vessel? My syphon has a black cap on the end that looks like it'd leave the last 2-3 litres in the vessel. Is this normal? If I take the cap off, it'll get the lot but it'll also bring up all the sedement from the bottom of the barrel.

Do I use some kind of filter on the funnel I fill my bottles with? Or will the sugar help clear anything up?

I also mis-read the instructions and ended up putting a whole KG of this, rather than the recommended 300g! Yes, I know, read twice cut once and all that! Any adverse effects? It taste brilliant, not to sweet etc.

I have taken the initial reading of 1045 and the reading the last 2 days have both been 1008.

Thanks for answers in advance!

photo.jpg
 
samg said:
Hi guys. My first brew (Coopers Brewmaster IPA) is fermenting as we speak (5th day) and I had a few questions about bottling:

Currently its a bit cloudy. I plan on bottling in 2 days (pending readings), will the conditioning in the bottle clear this? Also, my father has said something about 'finings' and it making it clearer.

How do you siphon the whole vessel? My syphon has a black cap on the end that looks like it'd leave the last 2-3 litres in the vessel. Is this normal? If I take the cap off, it'll get the lot but it'll also bring up all the sedement from the bottom of the barrel.

Do I use some kind of filter on the funnel I fill my bottles with? Or will the sugar help clear anything up?

I also mis-read the instructions and ended up putting a whole KG of this, rather than the recommended 300g! Yes, I know, read twice cut once and all that! Any adverse effects? It taste brilliant, not to sweet etc.

I have taken the initial reading of 1045 and the reading the last 2 days have both been 1008.

Thanks for answers in advance!
Click to expand...

First...Congrats on beer #1!

Second...I am going to suggest that it is too soon to bottle. Even if the gravity readings tell you it is done. I would leave it for at least 14 days total. 21 days if you have the patience. AFter fermentation is done, the yeast are still working - they will metabolize some of the byproducts of fermentation, which, in essence, "cleans up the beer" in terms of flavor. Also, the yeast will start to flocculate (clump together), which will cause them to drop out of suspension, leaving you with a clearer beer. This will also happen in the bottle over time, but the more yeast you let drop out before bottling, the less sediment you'll end up with in your bottles.

You can use gelatin or other finings if you really want to force the beer clear. I never do...except for some Irish moss in the boil kettle.

As for getting all the beer bottled, I just tip the bucket to get as much as possible.

:mug:
 
As JLem mentioned, finings can be used but most homebrewers that I've spoken with only use irish moss in the boil. I would let it go another week or two and if you have the capacity, cold crash (throw it in a fridge for a couple of days) before bottling. That will help it clear up too.

The extra sugar that you used will have been eaten up by your yeast, so they would add alcohol but probably dry it out a little more than what it would have otherwise been. No harm.

As for your siphon, keep the cap on the end. It will leave some in the bottom of your vessel, but if you have a helper you should be able to tip the carboy/pail to get most of the remaining liquid. Whatever is left is going to be nasty trub that you don't really want in your bottles. I usually just siphon and angle my fermenter until the siphon decides to pull some hazy nastiness into it. Then I just stop and call the rest junk.

Good luck! Sounds like you made beer and did a pretty good job at that.
 
Cooper's ale yeast is high flocculation. So it'll settle out clear on it's own. Hard to believe Cooper'syeast fermented down that low that fast. Must've been a very healthy yeast pitch & great ferment temps.
Also,most importantly,do not just use a funnel to get the beer in bottles! Unless you like wet cardboard. Use a bottling wand. The Cooper's fermenters comme with there version called a "little bottler". It fills the bottles from the bottom up,& when removed,leaves the perfect had space,regardless of bottle size. And no oxidation. And leave the cap on the auto siphon. It'll help keep bigger bits out.
 
JLem said:
Second...I am going to suggest that it is too soon to bottle. Even if the gravity readings tell you it is done. I would leave it for at least 14 days total. 21 days if you have the patience. AFter fermentation is done, the yeast are still working - they will metabolize some of the byproducts of fermentation, which, in essence, "cleans up the beer" in terms of flavor. Also, the yeast will start to flocculate (clump together), which will cause them to drop out of suspension, leaving you with a clearer beer. This will also happen in the bottle over time, but the more yeast you let drop out before bottling, the less sediment you'll end up with in your bottles.

:mug:
Click to expand...

For beers that are naturally a bit cloudy (I've got a witbier in there now), is there any reason other than visual clarity to let it sit, assuming 3 straight equal gravity readings?
 
samg said:
Hi guys. My first brew (Coopers Brewmaster IPA) is fermenting as we speak (5th day) and I had a few questions about bottling:

1. Currently its a bit cloudy. I plan on bottling in 2 days (pending readings), will the conditioning in the bottle clear this? Also, my father has said something about 'finings' and it making it clearer.

2. How do you siphon the whole vessel?

3. Do I use some kind of filter on the funnel I fill my bottles with? Or will the sugar help clear anything up?


#1. Let it ferment for 2 weeks. This will help give you a very clear beer to bottle. You can add finings if you like, but with most Cooper's kits it is not that essential. The extra time will also allow the sediment (trub) to compact down even more, allowing you to get more beer into the bottles.

#2. As JLem stated, gently tilt the bucket and keep the siphon inlet above to sediment.

#3. "FUNNEL" ???? Not a good idea. You will be splashing beer into your bottles and this will most likely cause oxidation to take place. Use the extra time that you have as the beer finishes in the fermenter to get a bottle filling wand. It fills the bottles from the bottom and keeps oxidation risk to a minimum..

bosco
Click to expand...
 
Argh! Just typed a big reply and and it lost it :(

I'd really like to get this bottled this week, so I can keep it in bottles for 3-4 weeks in time for Christmas consumption. Can I bottle it cloudy and it'll clear up in this time? I'd rather not add finings if I don't have to.

My syphon (http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Expandable_Syphon.html#.UKvLpYbdfYc) has a plastic end, which I imagine is to put to the bottom of the bottle to fill from there.

We mixed the brew at about 27degrees, then the temp dropped to 26 for the next few days, now its at 22. I've upped the heating just a little to hopfully settle it on 24-25.

Once successful, I will invest in some extra bits like the bottlers you are talking about, seems it'd make the process a lot easier.

Very excited about serving my own brew to (selected!) family and friends at Christmas!
 
27C is def too high for the average ale yeast to produce clean flavors. At that high temp,you'll likely get fusel alcohols,diecytl,etc. Getting it between 16-20C would've been better. That siphon looks like a bottling wand without the pin valve. You'd have to use the clip thing on the tube to stop the flow to go from bottle to bottle. Could get messy.
 
The instructions said upto 27 degrees, so I just followed them!

Yes, the clip is to stop flow, maybe messy, but all I've got at the minute.
 
The Cooper's instructions say that too. The yeast can take the high temp,but it won't taste as good as the lower temps will produce. I learned that the hard way. Came on here & learned what others did. I was lucky that stuff aged out in the bottles in a couple weeks.
 
You want to buy a bottling wand and some simple pvc tubing to bottle (assuming you also have a bottling bucket).

I know most people say wait 3 weeks for bottles to carb, but all but one (imperial stout) of my brews have been carbed within 10 days. If you give it another 2 weeks in bottles you will be good to go by Christmas, assuming you REMEMBER PRIMING SUGAR! Hahaha.
 
I've had one or two carb that fast,10 & 11 days. but conditioning the flavors always takes at least a week longer for the beer to be at it's peek.
 
I think you're rushing it, and the quality is going to suffer. You fermented way too hot (which probably explains why it finished so fast), you're going to have some very dominant off-flavors. If you insist on bottling right away, you're going to end up with cloudy beer with a lot of sediment in the bottle, that tastes like nail polish remover. Don't get discouraged, we've all made batches like that, you're doing great for your first attempt.

For your next batch, ferment at a much cooler temperature (16 - 20 C), and leave it for at least 2 weeks before you even think of bottling. You'll notice a huge improvement from your current batch.
 
bfinleyui said:
For beers that are naturally a bit cloudy (I've got a witbier in there now), is there any reason other than visual clarity to let it sit, assuming 3 straight equal gravity readings?
Click to expand...

Yes, the most important thing is to give the yeast time to clean up some of the byproducts of fermentation. Certain yeast strains, like those used for wit beers, are less flocculant, so they stay in suspension regardless. Leave the beer for 2-3 weeks and you'll have a better tasting beer. No need to worry about it clearing up on you, assuming you used the appropriate yeast. And you can always swirl the bottles to resuspend the yeast if it doesn't turn out cloudy enough for you.
 
Well, that was all fun. We took readings every day for 3 days and it got down to 998(!), thinking it'd be about 7.5% and it was still going down. The next day we went to take a reading and the hydrometer was smashed on the bottom. So, a new one duly purchased and the reading was 1008 (it was this 4 days prior), we think that the hydrometer must have had a tiny crack and leaked in a little beer making it heavier. 2 more readings at 1008 and it was pretty clear we bottled it.

So, now its in a warm dark place for a week at least before going somewhere cooler.

2nd brew (Coopers larger) is well underway, brewed at a much lower 21degrees (as suggested, thanks) and sitting at 21 still, I'm having to use a fish tank heater as the current brew location is so cold (my lounge! But the temp is very variant)

Can larger go in clear bottles? I've saved about 20, but don't want to ruin the beer.
 
samg said:
So, now its in a warm dark place for a week at least before going somewhere cooler.
Click to expand...

Define "warm?" Room temperature is fine, but I hope you're not actively trying to heat it.

samg said:
2nd brew (Coopers larger) is well underway [...]

Can larger go in clear bottles?
Click to expand...

I'm sure it was just a slip of the fingers, and I don't mean to pick on you, but you did it twice, so I feel compelled to correct you. It's lager, not larger.

samg said:
2nd brew (Coopers larger) is well underway, brewed at a much lower 21degrees (as suggested, thanks) and sitting at 21 still, I'm having to use a fish tank heater as the current brew location is so cold (my lounge! But the temp is very variant)
Click to expand...

The key is to keep that temperature in the 60's (F) during that critical first week of fermentation. Temperature variation is undesireable, as it will confuse the yeast and potentially cause them to go dormant. However, 5 gallons of beer has a pretty sizeable thermal mass, so any minor temperature variations will be smoothed out.

Also, I believe pretty much all LME "kits" are ales, even the ones bearing a "Lager" name. The yeast is probably an ale yeast, and you'd ferment it at ale temperatures, not lager temperatures. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the kit instructions for their "Lager" kits still direct you to ferment at room temperature and don't require any special hardware, such as a temperature-controlled fermentation chamber (which would be necessary for a real lager).

samg said:
Can larger go in clear bottles? I've saved about 20, but don't want to ruin the beer.
Click to expand...

Sure thing. It's not the color of the glass that spoils the beer, it's light. Put it in any color bottles you want - just keep them in the dark (like a closet or a fridge). Sunlight (specifically, UV rays) and oxygen are beer's 2 worst enemies.
 
Well,you're partly right. Cooper's OS (Original Series) Lager comes with ale yeast. The European & Thomas Cooper's Lager cans are true lagers that come with lager yeast. As does the Mexican Cervesa as well.
Leave the bottled beers in the warm place (70F+) for the entire time they need to carb & condition,3-4 weeks on average. Then at least a week in the fridge to clear any chill haze,get co2 into solution well,& compact the yeast trub on the bottom of the bottles for a better,cleaner pour.:mug:
 
My lounge goes from normal temps of 21 to about 14 over night, so I need to regulate it a little. It's happy at 21 with the heater.

Thanks for the correction, but it was a mistake, to autocorrect spell checker doesn't have the word lager in it!

It's all me to me and its for Christmas, so I'm having to do my best. In the new year I'll do it over a longer period of time. For what it's worth, it tasted very good just before bottling
 

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