Experiment: Fermenting in the bottle

[bsdx]

Just as an experiment, I thought about what would happen if we skipped all the potential steps of primary, secondary, and bottling pail and just racked straight from the cooled brew kettle into a sanitized glass bottle. Sometimes it just feels like too many steps through too many containers. I figured I'd only need some drilled stoppers small enough to fit in the top of a bottle with an airlock, so I eventually tried it. I racked part of a 5g batch into two 12oz bottles, sprinkled a little of the US-05 yeast in each bottle, and put the airlocks on. I left them on the kitchen counter so I could watch them for fun, similar to a satellite fermentation, except that I kept forgetting to watch.
(I know a satellite fermentation is not a good representation of what is going on in another vessel. It is beer though.)

After a few weeks I pulled the stopper off one bottle and poured it into a glass (it was flat) and I was pretty happy with the results in the glass, only a couple floaties, possibly hops. The approx 1/4 to 3/8 yeast cake stayed in the bottom of the bottle as far as I could tell, and the neck of each bottle had an unattractive 1 inch krausen ring. I didn't pour as much out as usual to make sure the yeast stayed in.

I bought some Muntons carb drops (sugar), dropped one into the second bottle and capped it. It turned cloudy for a day or two and then cleared up and the sugar drop was GONE like magic. I could see a tiny bubble rise from the bottom every few seconds, not sure if it was just breaking loose or actively fermenting the sugar while remaining clear. After a few weeks I threw that one in the fridge and it was just about like any other beer other than a few floaties. My palette isn't sophisticated at this point but it didn't taste unpleasant in any obvious way.

Didn't have to worry about splashing into the bottle, cleaning extra fermenters, racking and racking and racking, ... Anyone else tried something similar and drank it? How about fermenting in a hydrometer sample tube or a flask

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I suppose this would be okay to do if you were doing a wheat beer that's drunk fairly quickly. But, anything else and it's a "no way" in my opinion. How's that beer going to taste after it sits on the trub for 6 months?

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

Interesting experiment, but I dont think it's something I'd ever actually try. If racking is driving you crazy put a valve on your kettle, and stop using a secondary!! You'll only have to rack ONCE. From fermenter to bottling bucket/keg.

 

[ScubaSteve]

+1 to that. I've done it before, and it works fine. You can even no-chill if you're feeling extra lazy.

 

[wyzazz]

Cool experiment, I think I'll just start drinking all my beer straight from the primary with a straw! :rockin:

 

[malkore]

could never move the bottles or you'd stir up all that trub too.

 

[cell]

it's interesting. I never thought going that far! You could try a batch of mead!

 

[Beernik]

Because air locking 48 x 12oz, 36 pints, or 26 bombers and carb tabbing is easier than racking to 2 carboys and dextrose?

 

[lumpher]

Cool experiment, I think I'll just start drinking all my beer straight from the primary with a straw! :rockin:

LOL. just make sure you don't cap it off. take a bottle bomb, and magnify it from 12 oz to 5g

 

[a10t2]

I wonder what kind of results you'd get by fermenting in the boil kettle, then bottling directly from there. Probably have to use those carb drops to make it an actual time-saver.

 

[Retrofit]

There's a thread at this site detailing fermenting AND carbonating at the same time in a keg. Don't try this in glass, bottle bomb. In my opinion, thats the kind of lazy I need to get around to, just so... lazy.