I just bottled my first batch!

I just bottled my first batch, it's Brewer's Best Red Ale. I got 30-12oz bottles and 6-25oz bottles.

I should have been able to get more beer out of the batch, but when I racked from the primary to the secondary, I ended up leaving a lot behind.

I'm assuming the 25oz bottles will take longer to carbonate, how much longer it will take? I'm planning on giving some of the 25oz bottles to my grandfather because he gave me most of the equipment needed to get starting in brewing and I don't want to give him any before it's ready to drink.

Congratulations!!!!! Now comes the real hard part - waiting nowing they are in bottles.
Here is a good link for you to check out on the larger bottles:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=63747

Question.....

I guess we are just supposed to rely on the fact that there are enough viable yeasties still floating around in our beer (even after racking to a secondary fermenter) to complete the bottle conditioning?

The beer was very clear when I bottled, but it was only in the secondary about 9 days, so based on what I've read, there should be enough yeast still in suspension and I added priming sugar. I kind of figured I shouldn't worry about it too much and let it condition. I'll open a bottle every week to check on the progress of the carbonation. If I've got no carbonation at all after a couple of weeks I'll think about pitching a small amount of yeast in the bottles, but I'm not too worried.

FSumac said:

Question.....

I guess we are just supposed to rely on the fact that there are enough viable yeasties still floating around in our beer (even after racking to a secondary fermenter) to complete the bottle conditioning?

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Oh, yes, there is plenty of yeast still in suspension, even in very clear beers. I've even lagered for 3 months, and still had carbonation with no problems.

Now get busy and get a second batch going right away. This one will be gone before you know it.

FSumac said:

Question.....

I guess we are just supposed to rely on the fact that there are enough viable yeasties still floating around in our beer (even after racking to a secondary fermenter) to complete the bottle conditioning?

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Yes you are...there are plenty and they KNOW what they have to do next.

So stick them in a closet and go brew something else.

Mutilated1 said:

Now get busy and get a second batch going right away. This one will be gone before you know it.

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It has been done

I've got a 1 gallon batch of a ginger ale (contains no malt or hops, but still gonna be alcoholic) and an Oktoberfest style ale, dare I say, Mocktoberfest.

No clue on how long the ginger ale is going to need to ferment, it's almost been a week and the airlock is still bubbling, I just started the oktoberfest this last sunday.

One more question, one of the things I got from my grandfather was a large bag of bottle caps, at least 100. I didn't use them for my first batch because the red ale kit I bought came with caps, so I used those, but I'm wondering if the old bottle caps are still any good. They aren't rusty and the rubber in them still seems fairly resilient, but they're definitely not like brand new (the rubber looks a little pitted and is turning white rather than being clear.)

Maybe it's best to just not risk it, it looks like I could buy a bag of 144 for about $3 at my LHBS.

Loup said:

Maybe it's best to just not risk it, it looks like I could buy a bag of 144 for about $3 at my LHBS.

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I'd go whith that. $3 is so much cheaper that the cost of new ingredients.

Cool G-Pa by the way!

Next time you bottle do a few bottles with the old caps and the rest with new ones. Then when you drink them compare the old ones to the new ones. If you can't tell you're good to go. If they are bad it's only a few bottles and not a whole batch.

I'd buy new caps. The rubber on there is the most important part and they're cheap.

Loup said:

Maybe it's best to just not risk it, it looks like I could buy a bag of 144 for about $3 at my LHBS.

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That about sums it up. If they look suspect, I wouldn't chance it.

Special Hops said:

Next time you bottle do a few bottles with the old caps and the rest with new ones. Then when you drink them compare the old ones to the new ones. If you can't tell you're good to go. If they are bad it's only a few bottles and not a whole batch.

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Good idea! All that would happen with the old caps is that you'd have is a few flat beers....but if they worked then you'd know...

Revvy said:

Yes you are...there are plenty and they KNOW what they have to do next.

So stick them in a closet and go brew something else.

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Thanks Revvy and Yoop for the help.