1/2 full bottle

[paanderson86]

What will happen if I only have about 6 ounces left at the end of bottling and I bottle it? Will is not carbonate very well?

 

[flars]

The CO2 produced by the yeast working on the priming sugar will mix with the air in the overly large headspace in the bottle. Carbonation will be weak and oxidation a very good probability.

I drink what won't fill a bottle at least three-quarters full. The beer is a little on the sweet side but I made it so I can't dump it.

 

[kh54s10]

I save that last partial bottle for a taste test. Sometimes I actually cool it. It is flat but gives some indication of what the final product will be. I find that some are close to the "sample", others change dramatically with time and carbonation. It is not worth the time or even the cap to condition a partial bottle.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

If I have a half a bottle left, I will transfer two filled bottles into Grolsch bottles and top them with the 6 left over ounces. Waste not, want not.

However, if I have a bottle that's half empty then I would appreciate the next time someone is up to grab me another.

 

[Wynne-R]

When I bottle, I use an autosiphon with a bottling wand. When you start it, it glugs as the beer displaces the air. This happens in reverse when the beer runs out. I combine those samples into a single bottle, cap it, and mark it. I drink that one first because it’s significantly oxidized. Not cardboard oxidized, but dull and stale.

I recommend this method to everyone. Not only does it isolate the oxidized beer, it shows you how somewhat oxidized beer differs from the rest of the batch

 

[paanderson86]

Turned out to be just a bit flat but still pretty darn good. Now I'm all the more excited for the rest of them!

 

[tzaccario]

I save that last partial bottle for a taste test. Sometimes I actually cool it. It is flat but gives some indication of what the final product will be. I find that some are close to the "sample", others change dramatically with time and carbonation. It is not worth the time or even the cap to condition a partial bottle.

I enjoy sampling at different stages of the process b/c it allows me to see exactly how it has changed along the way. I do the same after I bottle.. 1 week, 2 weeks, and of course at 3 weeks once I start to chill more of the bottles.

I can't discard that last little bit since I made it. I either drink it as is, or try to chill it a little. If its good flat and warm, it should be good once its carbed up and cooled

 

[MaryB]

I use it for a sampler to check carbonation. If you just rest the cap on top and let it sit for 30 minutes the CO2 will displace some of the air and help with oxidation prevention. As I cap I set it aside for the very last bottle.