Couple clarifications needed on Sanitation and Carbonation...

[grndslm]

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!

 

[snccoulter]

I cant tell you what the quantity of sugar is but i do know it is important. you need to mix it well or you will get some gushers and some not very carbonated. when I was bottling i would boil up some water melt the sugar in it then put it on the bottling bucket and then siphon the beer out of my fermentation bucket. That way it gets mixed real well.

 

[grndslm]

That's how he mixed it before I came into the equation, and he still came up with some gushers, some not very carbonated, and some pretty good.

The slow siphon effect didn't seem to be mixing it enough for my liking, tho, so I convinced him to use the siphon to create a vortex swirly in the bottling bucket. He didn't want to disturb the brew, but I know that somehow the carbonation bit is what's ruining some of the bottles.

I'm fully expecting the larger bottles to handle the carbonation better, so we might give up on the 12-oz bottles depending on how it all tastes next week.

 

[Chipman]

There are a few calculators on the online to help figure out how much corn or cane sugar to add, depending on style and fermentation temperature. Around .75 oz per gallon corn sugar always worked OK for me. Less for stouts, more for hefes.

When adding it to the beer I would always boil a cup or 2 of water to dissolve the sugar, then mix it into the beer. Avoiding splashing is a must too.

My rule was to let the bottles condition for 2 weeks, then another week in the fridge. This will let the CO2 dissolve into solution and hopefully help reduce gushing. I used up to 64oz glass growlers and gave 'em the same amount of time (up until one exploded on me and lost 64oz of beer...never again!). Should be the same amount of sugar and yeast per oz of beer in those.

 

[grndslm]

Condition 2 weeks, then 1 week in the fridge.

That sounds like something we should try.

 

[PurdyGood]

Also you have to be very conscientious about the cleanliness of your bottles. Must sanitize and dry.

 

[Yooper]

(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!

1. No, not at all. However, you must clean the bottles thoroughly before sanitizing. You can't sanitize something that is dirty- hence the infected 'gushers'.

2. The amount of priming sugar is critical. It's the difference between bottle bombs and flat beer. 1 ounce (by weight) of corn sugar per gallon of finished beer is a good number for every batch.

3. They should take about the same amount of time as any other bottle- 3 weeks or so at 70 degrees.

 

[grndslm]

Thanks!!

Soo.... Corn Sugar (as in, Corn Syrup?)) should be used instead of "Real" Sugar??

We've been boiling water and letting sugar granules dissolve in the water. And I don't think it's been 5 ounces (by weight) per batch. He's always done that part since I don't really know what I'm doing.

I think this may be the last problem we're faced with.

 

[grndslm]

Oh yea....

Also, what's the best way to mix it in???

Pour the sugar water into the bottom of the bottling bucket and just let the siphon effect mix it up?? Or do people then use the siphon to physically stir the water by hand until there's a vortex swirly going on (no splashing, tho!)??

Thanks again!

 

[APietru]

In this case corn sugar is referring to dextrose as opposed to sucrose, which would be "normal" sugar.

 

[grndslm]

How to mix??

Oh yea....

Also, what's the best way to mix it in???

Pour the sugar water into the bottom of the bottling bucket and just let the siphon effect mix it up?? Or do people then use the siphon to physically stir the water by hand until there's a vortex swirly going on (no splashing, tho!)??

Thanks again!

 

[Yooper]

How to mix??

The best way is to mix up the sugar (measured by weight) into 2 cups of water and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour that into your bottling bucket. When you siphon the beer out of the fermenter, have enough tubing to lay in the bottom of the bottling bucket in a circle, so that the beer fills the bottling bucket from the bottom, and swirls in a circle to mix. That's it.

 

[grndslm]

Just an update...

Gently stirring the sugar water has given us perfect carbonation. If anything, the 5 oz of sucrose (?? he's still not sure whether it's dextrose or sucrose) was on the high side for a 5 gallon batch, so we'll likely try 3 oz on the next few batches.

Also, the half-gallon Ocean Spray bottles *did* actually hold up. They are a much rounder shape now, but they didn't explode or even leak. I don't care for it because it doesn't provide a very stable bottom for sitting still in a fridge or on a table.

I will now be looking toward 32 oz. "sport drink" bottles, like Gatorade and the like... which have much more rigid and reinforced bottoms. Local grocery store has imitation brand for 70 cents a piece with tax... so I'm going to look at those right now, then report back in a couple months.