Bottle carbing too warm

So, I have a bit of a dilemma... I've got about 90 bottles of beer for Thanksgiving, that I bottled last week. They're in a room right now that's about 60F, but the only other option I have for storage is to put them in a closet with my hot water tank that fluctuates between about 70 and 85 or so. Which would be the better choice for the bottles? I'm afraid of the higher temp ruining the beer.

 

No, the optimal temp to carb and condition the beers, is ABOVE 70 degrees....if it fluctuates in the 80's that won't be that bad...there's only a tiny amount of fermentation happenng and not really enough to casue off flavors for the 3 weeks or so the bottles needs.

You can leave them where they are but be aware they will take much longer to carb...so if you are aiming for a holiday put them where you suggest and relax.

 

So you want a warmer place for your bottles to condition? I had mine sitting under a table and the temperature is around 60 F. Could this explain a lack of carbonation or an off flavor when I tried one after 2 weeks?

 

My last batch sat at around 80 and carved up no problem in a week. That was with us-05 . I think it depends mostly on your yeasts temp threshold. I think bottles carbfaster at higher temps so I would think your closet would be best. I'm a noob so I could be wrong.

 

Yes, two weeks at 60 is NOT three weeks at 70....and the 3 weeks at seventy is really a minimum for all but the lowest to average gravity beers.

If you haven't already, read my blog, it's all expalined here in great detail with a nifty video. Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

And remember, just becasue a beer may carb quik, it doesn't mean it's conditioned. It more than likely will still be green...Especially if it appears to be carbed up in under three weeks.

 

I think it is more the "after 2 weeks" part that is an issue. Revvy's rules say 70 degrees for 3 weeks. Colder than that takes longer. My experience is that 3 weeks is a minimum.

 

Man Revvy is fast. I thought I was going to beat him to the answer. :rockin:

 

Thanks guys! I recently had a batch that went all fusel on me because of underpitching. An extended secondary cleaned it up, but i didn't to re-wreck it by overheating it. Appreciate the feedback.

 

Thanks, Revvy. I, too, was under the misapprehension that bottles should carb at cooler temps. I used to haul all my bottles to the unheated basement to condition, but I've now staked out some closet space upstairs for them. It's not quite 70, but a lot closer than the basement. Not to threadjack, but I've heard (from your posts maybe?) that after conditioning, bottles should then be chilled for two weeks. Is that right? What's the point of extended chilling - increased clarity or does it aid carbonation?

 

Chilling doesn't aid in carbonation, except that it helps to draw the co2 into solution, after it is produced in those three weeks, btw.

Ideally chilling the bottles for at least a week increases clarity, it compresses the yeast cake in the bottom, and gets rid of chill haze. But if you don't care about those three factors, then chill them for a minimum 48 hours then enjoy.

 

Rev, you think 68 is too cool?

I usually keep them at 70-72 for about a week and then move them into the basement around 68... condition for 2 weeks and I'm usually good.. I wonder if it would be better to just keep them all at 72? Wadda ya think?

 

55 is too low....the yeast will go to sleep...

68 is fine, like 72 is, but it just may take a couple more days.... 70+/- a couple degrees is close enough. 65 though is pretty much gaurenteed to take longer, I know this from experiences.

 

Ok, so if I move my conditioning beer out of the 65-68 basement and back up into the 70ish degree house it will have no negative effects on the beer right? Light skunks, not temp, right?

 

Correct, you'll be fine.

 

On a side note... it's good to know that carbonating and conditioning aren't the same thing. They just happen at the same time, to some extent. After your beers are properly carbed (maybe 3 weeks... maybe 3 months if your beer is huge) they will continue to condition and at that point, cooler temps could be a good thing for them. But NOT until they're carbonated properly.

 

Hey Chshr, this brings up an interesting question, since we bottle condition and have a mini fermentation going on in there, aren't there nasty fusals that need to be cleaned up from this 'new' fermentation? I figured that is what conditioning does also...

 

It's really good that you point this out. Being a newb myself, this makes a lot of sense and this is the first time I've really come across this concept.

Thanks ChshreCat and Revvy!

 

The amount of fermentation going on is so small that fusels & off flavors should be negligible. I routinely carbonate my bottles at 80 F and have not experienced any problems. Plus, a few more weeks in the bottle after carbonation should clear up anything that could happen...

 

+1 Bottle conditioning after carbonation helps clean up issues with your beers, mellowing out some of the fusels and whatnot. That's why big beers often need more cellaring time, even after they're carbonated.

Talk to some of the meadmakers on the board here about how their mead changes. When they first bottle, it's often tastes like you're drinking rocket fuel. But they cork it up and leave it for months or years and it mellows out nicely. Same general theory.

 

Yeah, ask me about my Belgian strong after a year....

Read some of the more "extreme" examples of that here; http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/nev...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

And I still have yet to have a dumper in my life....even the worst beer I ever screwed up became at least "drinkable" after awhile.

 

And if they don't end up drinkable to you, we all have friends who like alcohol and have no taste.

 

So, I shouldn't toss the 7 or so liters of my Honey Porter that tastes like cough syrup?