8 days and still bubbling

[ncoutroulis]

I made a couple of assumptions and ran a what if check:

• Beer temp at bottling was ~68F
• ~5.4 oz of sugar for 5 gallons (2.7 Vol CO2 = high end of the ale/lager range)

If those are both true you should get carbonation more like a german wheat or lambic from that same sugar in 3.4 gallons (3.6 vol CO2), so no bombs expected

Note: you can stop carbonation by moving them to a fridge when they are carbed enough.

Hey thanks!!!

I was wondering, should i see some type of carbing happening in the neck within the next few days? I saw a video where a guy ever so slightly let some of the CO2 out of the bottle that was over-carbbed, to prevent any bombs.

thanks

 

[whoaru99]

Guess I've never paid super close attention to it, but I don't think you see much happening in the bottles when they're carbing up.

 

[compumasta]

If you didn't put too much sugar in, and it sounds like you didn't, then you will be fine and should not have the need to vent CO2. In 2 to 3 weeks, you are going to have some grubbin beer. Remember to keep the bottles around 70 degrees while they carb up.

Ya gotta relax man, everything you have described has led me to believe you are going to have some good beer in them bottles.

Also, take this as a learning experience. There is such a wide variety of possibilities in fermentation and yeast krausens that you will think you have seen them all, until you find a new one. Even two identical batches often do not look the same in fermentations. But don't worry about it.

 

[ncoutroulis]

If you didn't put too much sugar in, and it sounds like you didn't, then you will be fine and should not have the need to vent CO2. In 2 to 3 weeks, you are going to have some grubbin beer. Remember to keep the bottles around 70 degrees while they carb up.

Ya gotta relax man, everything you have described has led me to believe you are going to have some good beer in them bottles.

Also, take this as a learning experience. There is such a wide variety of possibilities in fermentation and yeast krausens that you will think you have seen them all, until you find a new one. Even two identical batches often do not look the same in fermentations. But don't worry about it.

Thanks so much!

i just tasted the chilled sample from this morning. Supposed to be a Brekle's Brown clone...Smells good, tastes a bit bitter. I know it needs to condition quite a bit, but hopefully it gets some more body and character, cause right now it's pretty flat, both in carbonation of course, but also flavor

thanks for the insight

 

[fimpster]

Uh oh...yes, they are 12 oz bottles...I didn't think i would only get 36, I thought it would be more. How are you to tell with the calculator? I had to leave some wort in the carboy, since there was still some gunk in the bottom.

I used 1 cup of water, with the priming sugar pack the store gave me. Too much?

so what now, bottle bombs??

thanks

This is why a bottling bucket is preferred over bottling from the carboy. You rack from the carboy leaving all the trub behind. Then you have clear beer in the bucket and can see exactly what the volume is from the markings on the bucket.

 

[ncoutroulis]

This is why a bottling bucket is preferred over bottling from the carboy. You rack from the carboy leaving all the trub behind. Then you have clear beer in the bucket and can see exactly what the volume is from the markings on the bucket.

I did rack to a bottling bucket. Guess I wasn't careful to notice how much beer was actually in the bucket—plus, i added my priming sugar to the bucket, then racked the beer.

what's the "best" procedure?

thanks

 

[fimpster]

I agree that putting your sugar in the bucket first, then racking on to it is the best practice. But If you don't know how much volume you will have after racking, you'll be able to measure it easier in the bottling bucket and then gently stir in the correct amount of priming sugar.

Better yet, add volume markers to your carboy. You should be able to see how much volume the trub is taking up and subtract that from the full volume to know pretty much how much will make it to your bottling bucket.

 

[whoaru99]

From a "5 gallon" kit I'd expect 4.75 gallons, give or take, to be the net bottled volume.

If you only got 36 bottles (assuming 12oz) there was a gallon or more (a 12-pack, at least) left on the table somewhere.

 

[ncoutroulis]

posting an update to this brew:

Just cracked a bottle—been 2 weeks today, so probably a little early? It's been in the fridge since Friday...Under carbed for sure, so hopefully by next week (week 3) it gets better.

Color looked ok, a little lighter than I expected, since this was to be a Brekle's Brown clone (brown ale)

Taste was OK...definitely a bit more bitter than i wanted, hopefully this will mellow out a bit in the coming weeks. I used Citra Hopps, which is what is in Brekle's Brown.

Any thoughts on why the bitter aftertaste ??

Thanks