carbing with bottles horizontal

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fratermus

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Does anyone have practical experience storing bottles sideways during carbing? The reason for this question is I'd like to fit more bottles in my Johnson-controlled fridge. Because of the spacing of the racks I can fit a about another case in the fridge if I stack the last case sideways.

Other than getting a strip of yeast along the side of the bottle instead of in the bottom, is there a big downside? When stood back up later in the normal fridge does any of the yeast settle back to the bottom again?

I'm going to try it unless some sends up a serious red flag.
 
The strip along the side probably wouldn't completely settle to the bottom, and you might get a somewhat cloudy beer when pouring. Might as well try with some though.
 
Just set them up for a while in the fridge (usually a week or so for me), and they will be just like normal. I have a wine cooler that I keep all my big bottles in on their sides, no problems here.
 
Your not bottling and going directly to the fridge are you? They really need to sit at room temps for a week or two to properly allow the yeast to work on carbing.
 
fratermus said:
Does anyone have practical experience storing bottles sideways during carbing? The reason for this question is I'd like to fit more bottles in my Johnson-controlled fridge. Because of the spacing of the racks I can fit a about another case in the fridge if I stack the last case sideways.

Other than getting a strip of yeast along the side of the bottle instead of in the bottom, is there a big downside? When stood back up later in the normal fridge does any of the yeast settle back to the bottom again?

I'm going to try it unless some sends up a serious red flag.

This is after 3 weeks at 70 degrees right? From What I read it seems like u want to throw them right into fridge..not sure just checking

Jay
 
The fridge is Johnson-controlled at 70F +/-3F.

Here is order of events:

1. bottle
2. carb (horizontally) in the 70F beerfridge for N weeks, because fridge is nearly full.
3. refrigerate (normally/vertically) in normal fridge when ready for drinking.

Actually, I already carbed 1 week at 70F vertically, so step 2 would actually be N-1 weeks. :)
 
That will be, just give them a swirl before moving to Cold Fridge, Then let them sit a week or so to the them cold crash, causing the yest to settle on the bottom.
 
One of my friends had one of his hombrewed ambers in a 22oz in a little fridge in his bar laying on its side for about 2 weeks in the fridge. We took it out, cracked it open, poured it - and it tasted damn good.

That's my only experience with bottles laying on their side.
 
Update, in case anyone was following along.

the bottles of hefe have been carbed for 3wks now at 70F; 1 week normally/veritically and two weeks on their side. No side effects I can tell.

So when I bottled my next batch today I stacked them horizontally to save space.
 
The only other thing I can think of is that storing bottles on their side may slightly increase rate of oxidation, as the area of beer in contact with air will be greater than for an upright bottle. For most beers I bet this difference will be entirely negligible - but if you were cellaring a beer for a year or more then upright might be a better way to go.
 
Danek said:
The only other thing I can think of is that storing bottles on their side may slightly increase rate of oxidation, as the area of beer in contact with air will be greater than for an upright bottle. For most beers I bet this difference will be entirely negligible - but if you were cellaring a beer for a year or more then upright might be a better way to go.
I was going to suggest the exact comments...even wine bottles are placed at an angle to reduce the surface exposure. ;)
 
I pointed a fellow to this thread, so I should update it. I carbed two batches horizontally and couldn't tell any difference.

Since several threads seem to think that carbing at higher room temps is ok, I've started boxing my carbing batches and stacking them in the corner. So no more problems finding room in the fermentation fridge.
 
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