My buddy has been brewing a few batches of beer, and what I've found is that each bottle is incredibly different from the next.
The biggest problem we could originally see is that some of the bottles I gave him were not actually rinsed after I finished drinking them... and rinsing them out with hot water, MONTHS after the fact, didn't really clean them out as well.
I think that those bottles are the ones that "fizzed" the most, often uncontrollably... but even after that problem should have been solved, there are still a few bottles of his that fizz slowly.
I finally got to help brew a few 5-gallon batches with nothin but hops (and extract, of course, just no grains) so if I had to make an EDUCATED GUESS, it looks like his brewing process is pretty "foolproof" until the last step -- bottling. I've got a few things in mind that could be causing such a huge discrepincy from one batch of beer to the next....
(1) When cleaning out the bottles, he doesn't wait for the iodine water to dry, and there could be maybe a half ounce of this iodine water in any given bottle. This could be problematic, no??
(2) What is the proper amount of sugar/water to add in a 5-gallon batch? He says it's not terribly important, and while I can see his point... I think that the PROCESS of mixing the sugar water is important. What is the best way to mix it in the batch?? He just wanted to pour it and not disturb the brew, but I figured a vortex swirl would be best. Or perhaps use a siphon to get 1/3rd of the brew in the bottling bucket (one with spicket), then pour the sugar water, then siphon the remaining 2/3rds?? I feel like either of those choices would be better than dumping the sugar water into the bucket and letting a slow flow siphoning effect expect to mix it up well enough. What do the pros have to say about this??
(3) Finally, we're trying various bottling techniques this time --- 12-oz bottles. 24-oz Sam Adams bottles. 16-oz Grolsch bottles. 1.89-liter Ocean Spray bottles (my idea, just wish they were darker). And maybe 4-Liter [or greater], oblong plastic "keg" bottles that are designed to be tapped.
So my real question for this last bit is... How long do these larger, plastic keg bottles need to "condition" before being ready to drink?? It's already been 3 weeks, so it should be good, considering we're adding CO2, right?? If we're adding CO2 to the mix, then it should be ready as soon as we bottle it, right? Instant carbonation? Or is there more to the "conditioning" process than just carbonating?
Thanks for the help!
The biggest problem we could originally see is that some of the bottles I gave him were not actually rinsed after I finished drinking them... and rinsing them out with hot water, MONTHS after the fact, didn't really clean them out as well.
I think that those bottles are the ones that "fizzed" the most, often uncontrollably... but even after that problem should have been solved, there are still a few bottles of his that fizz slowly.
I finally got to help brew a few 5-gallon batches with nothin but hops (and extract, of course, just no grains) so if I had to make an EDUCATED GUESS, it looks like his brewing process is pretty "foolproof" until the last step -- bottling. I've got a few things in mind that could be causing such a huge discrepincy from one batch of beer to the next....
(1) When cleaning out the bottles, he doesn't wait for the iodine water to dry, and there could be maybe a half ounce of this iodine water in any given bottle. This could be problematic, no??
(2) What is the proper amount of sugar/water to add in a 5-gallon batch? He says it's not terribly important, and while I can see his point... I think that the PROCESS of mixing the sugar water is important. What is the best way to mix it in the batch?? He just wanted to pour it and not disturb the brew, but I figured a vortex swirl would be best. Or perhaps use a siphon to get 1/3rd of the brew in the bottling bucket (one with spicket), then pour the sugar water, then siphon the remaining 2/3rds?? I feel like either of those choices would be better than dumping the sugar water into the bucket and letting a slow flow siphoning effect expect to mix it up well enough. What do the pros have to say about this??
(3) Finally, we're trying various bottling techniques this time --- 12-oz bottles. 24-oz Sam Adams bottles. 16-oz Grolsch bottles. 1.89-liter Ocean Spray bottles (my idea, just wish they were darker). And maybe 4-Liter [or greater], oblong plastic "keg" bottles that are designed to be tapped.
So my real question for this last bit is... How long do these larger, plastic keg bottles need to "condition" before being ready to drink?? It's already been 3 weeks, so it should be good, considering we're adding CO2, right?? If we're adding CO2 to the mix, then it should be ready as soon as we bottle it, right? Instant carbonation? Or is there more to the "conditioning" process than just carbonating?
Thanks for the help!