Bottles carbonated in two days?

Hi everyone.

I bottled my first batch of Pale Ale (OG 1.054) on Sunday, using the plastic PET bottles that came with a Mr. Beer kit. On Tuesday, I picked one up and noticed that it is quite firm, implying that carbonation has already taken place. It was my understanding that it is supposed to take a minimum of one week.

My gravity settled out at 1.016 after a week in primary, and was the same after a week in secondary. I should mention that the temp in my apartment hovers in the low - mid seventies, and the dry Cooper's ale yeast I used was pretty much done with the primary fermentation after a day and a half (1.019).

I primed with corn sugar, using an amount equivalent to 3/4 cup to 5 gallons ( I made a 2.5 gallon batch). I boiled the sugar in a cup of water for 5 minutes. I'm fairly confident that I used the right amount of sugar.

Do you think my beer is infected? It tasted good at bottling time, though I suppose if it got infected during bottling, there could be bacteria creating extra CO2. Have any of you experienced fast carbonation? Opinions?

Thanks for your insight.

Well, if it's getting started, it'll be firm. That's the first thing that will happen. Then, as more CO2 is generated, it dissolves in solution and carbonates the beer. My guess is it isn't done yet.

It's probably not infected. Infections rarely happen at bottling time. The beer is a pretty inhospitable environment at that stage, so if you're careful, you're usually OK.

Cheers

Thanks Janx.

I was careful when bottling, so hopefully I'm just panicking for nothing. I suppose I should just leave it alone.

Say I just thought of another question.

I ran out of beer, so my last bottle is only about 2/3 full. Will this one ever carbonate fully?

Thanks.

When you seal up the bottles, pressure from the generated CO2 starts to build up in the airspace. This increased pressure in the headspace causes further gas to remain in solution in the beer.

You are seeing the first part of bottle conditioning happen. The headspace is pressurized now, and more gas is still being generated (and it's staying in the beer for those wonderful bubbles.)

If you open one now, you will probably get a slight "fshhhhhh" from the bottle, but the beer is probably going to still be pretty flat.

-walker


edit: Janx beat me to it.

samuelzero said:

I ran out of beer, so my last bottle is only about 2/3 full. Will this one ever carbonate fully?

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Maybe not quite as much as the rest of them, but it'll still get bubbly...probably not a very noticeable difference.

What difference there is is because there is more headspace. Air is far more compressible than beer, so more of the generated CO2 will be in the headspace than in a bottle with less headspace. In the bottle with less space, more of the CO2 is forced into the beer.

In the end, I don't think it'll bother you. Just give that one as long as possible to fully carbonate. It'll be close to the others when all is said and done.

samuelzero said:

I ran out of beer, so my last bottle is only about 2/3 full.

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If you can't wait any longer after a couple of weeks and get the urge to open a bottle this is the one to choose first. It may not be as carbonated as the rest but it'll give you an idea of how good the other's are doing.
Call it a 'tester' Also keeps your hands of the others a little longer!

I've had brews with a tolerable level of carbonation after three days in the bottle. The heads are not usually so well formed or long lasting that quick, and the flavor won't be mature, but if you are thirsty, you can drink them.

Loose bottles on a high shelf will be warmer than a case of bottles on the floor. n And carbonate a lot faster from the heat. I'd try one, just to 'calibrate' my taste buds/ bottle sqeezers. Brown beer is OK flat , to me...

i drink those bottles that don't get filled up at the end of bottling instead of capping them

t1master said:

i drink those bottles that don't get filled up at the end of bottling instead of capping them

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I find the corn sugar makes them taste off?? I always steal a half pint for bottling duty before priming.