Can I do a Ale in 3 weeks
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The 2 weeks in primary works, but then you're only allowing 1 week for bottle conditioning, and no time in the fridge for the CO2 to be absorbed into solution. I think you'll be happier if you let the ale bottle condition for 3 weeks, and then chill them down for at least 2 - 3 days. Good luck.
What they said. Also, with a carbonator cap (retail or homemade) and a PET bottle, you can force carb it. No way with bottles. They need a full 3 weeks to properly carb all by themselves.
Do NOTadd more priming sugar. Doing so could (will) contribute to bottle bombs. It will not make your beer carbonate any quicker.
ludomonster
Well-Known Member
The secondary stage of fermentation is used to clean up the beer. When bottle conditioning, this process takes place. You can't bottle condition in a secondary carboy because you don't have any cap to allow pressure to build. Also, adding a lot of priming sugar will make your beer very dry. Not only that, but your bottles can explode. It's probably better to plan for enough time for everything to go smoothly. When I brew a normal gravity beer for events, I take 3 weeks in primary and 5 - 6 weeks to age, depending on the beer's character. I plan the beer at least 10 weeks out.
All extra priming sugar is going to do is overcarb the ale,(not any faster by the way), and cause possible bottle bombs. And no, you don't secondary and bottle condition at the same time. Wait it out, you'll be happy you did. There's a lot of great commercial beer out there in the meantime. Try a couple of styles that you never tried before, it may give you some future brewing ideas.
Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? Depends on your ability to optimize your fermenting time. If you pitch the ideal amount of healthy yeast into an ideally aerated wort and can hold temps consistently in their yeasts ideal range, you'll have tasty beer in under 2 weeks. Add a little fresh yeast at bottling time and store a bit warm (75 ish), and you'll speed that up too. (Don't double up the priming sugar though!) Commercial breweries crank out beer on that type of timeframe, but they are testing and measuring constantly to make sure they are hitting their marks.
If you were considering doubling up on priming sugar, I'm gonna bet you don't have enough experience to say for certainty that you will 100% control all those key variables. If that is true, then a 3 week turnaround is unrealistic for you. If you need beer in 3 weeks for some event, just buy some microbrew and let your homebrew run it's normal course.
If you were considering doubling up on priming sugar, I'm gonna bet you don't have enough experience to say for certainty that you will 100% control all those key variables. If that is true, then a 3 week turnaround is unrealistic for you. If you need beer in 3 weeks for some event, just buy some microbrew and let your homebrew run it's normal course.
.75- 1 ounce by weight of finished gallon of beer- so for most batches that finish a bit under 5 gallons, 4.5 ounces or so of corn sugar by weight.
If you don't have a scale, I think that's about 2/3 cup.
When I brew a normal gravity beer for events, I take 3 weeks in primary and 5 - 6 weeks to age, depending on the beer's character. I plan the beer at least 10 weeks out.[/QUOTE]
When you say 5-6weeks to age, you mean in bottle conditioning or secondary fermentation?
When you say 5-6weeks to age, you mean in bottle conditioning or secondary fermentation?
If counterpressure bottling, you can drink any time you want
If you're referring to a keg and use of a beer gun... just keg it. If you are referring to what somebody mentioned earlier in the thread of force carbing in a plastic bottle you would still need CO2 and either buy or makea carbonator cap.
I mean this to be in no way condescending to the OP, but I'd recommend reading How to Brew and some other books on the basics of home brewing beer. There will be information about when and how to bottle condition, along with a lot of other useful information for someone just starting out. Again, not trying to be a d!ck, but it seems the OP is lacking some of the basics of home brewing.
+1 NB. Brewing can be a bit overwhelming without doing some reading up first.
Brewing's easy, but there's a lot to learn to do it right. I still read everything I can about beer and brewing. This hobby's a constant learning experience.
The only way it's happening is if you brew something simple, make a starter, control ferm temps (raising slightly after day 5) and bottle after about a week. You'll still be undercarbed and the beer won't be awesome, but after 2 weeks in the bottle it would probably be "OK"...if you do everything right.
There are online calculators for sugar, I would use it and measure by weight. Diff. styles call for diff. carbonation. Fermentation temps may have an effect too as CO2 volule "left" in a beer varies with temperature.
And it is not a rocket science, but "How to Brew" is a very interesting book (I have a new paper version) and, sometimes, helpful (not that I am ever going to do his calculations by hand ever)
And it is not a rocket science, but "How to Brew" is a very interesting book (I have a new paper version) and, sometimes, helpful (not that I am ever going to do his calculations by hand ever)
ludomonster
Well-Known Member
I bottle after fermenting for 3 weeks. Then I let it sit at room temperature for 3 weeks. Finally, I expect most beers to have improved by 2 - 3 weeks after that. I'd much rather enjoy my beers when they're at their best than drink them when they are still green.
Looks to me a lot of you guys are missing the point (but giving great advice) he needs a beer in three weeks, he didn't ask how to make good beer. Yes, it can be done as recommended above. Use dry yeast maybe and get that thing huffing and puffing, raise temps to about 70-72 after three days and 75 after five and bottle at seven IF it's down to an expected gravity. The lower gravity the better and the use of a fast acting yeast (San Diego Super?). Might not be great beer, will be cloudy, but it will be beer.
That's kind of what I was saying. The only way to even possibly do it without bottle bombs is to brew something simple with a starter or very good dry yeast and proper ferm control, then bottle after a week or so and have about 2/3 carb after 2 weeks...which is acceptable but not idea.
exactly...........
Couldn't've said it better. You can turn a beer around quickly, but you have to pitch enough yeast and control temps well. And with bottling, you're a little handcuffed, it needs time to carb in the bottle. With a keg, I've gone grain to glass in just over 2 weeks, but that was 2 weeks in the fermenter, and then a few days in the keg carbing up. The beer was good at first, but still very young tasting, it got much better after a few more weeks in the kegerator. So yeah, you can turn beer around fast, but you have to be ok with the fact that your beer still won't be in it's prime for a bit more time.
WildOnions
Active Member
I'd do something 1.050 or below, pitch dry yeast or make a big starter for your white labs, keep at 68 for 3 days, then let it go, up to 75, check at a week if you are around 1.010 or below pull it out and bottle, then you've got two weeks in bottles and that's probably enough for it to be okay, carbonation might be a little weak but you should be in the ballpark, so to speak. Adding more dry yeast at bottling with your priming sugar is a good idea too. If you pick a good recipe and handle the yeast well (pitch enough, temp control) then you will have a fine beer in 3 weeks
VladOfTrub
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If you're able to do it, here's another idea. In 10 days, rack the beer into another container. Then, chill it down close to 32 degrees. Let the beer rest for 3 days. The cold temps will drop out some of the stuff that aging settles out. Rack it off the goop. Then, force carb. The beer won't be as cloudy, nor as "green", as it would tend to be, if you were going the bottle and prime route.
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
I haven't read the thread, but you can absolutely move a bottle conditioned 1.050 beer in 3 weeks. 1 week in the fermenter with a large yeast pitch, 2 weeks in bottles plus a couple days in the fridge. Some of the things that happen in the fermenter will still happen in the bottle, while it is carbonating. It will be better at 6 weeks, but fine at 3.
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