Well I bottled my beer on monday night. It's a pale ale that was fermenting for three weeks. I know that after I bottle I should wait a week to drink it. Should the beer in the bottle look any different like bubbles or foam? Just want to make sure it is not flat.
Again a flat beer question!
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Golddiggie
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This has been covered untold millions of times...
Leave your bottled beer at 70F for THREE WEEKS before you check one for carbonation. Also, chill the test bottle for at least 3-4 days (4-7 is far better) BEFORE you pour into a glass to sample... Doing anything less than this will give you false results.
Personally, when I was bottling/bottle carbonating, I would simply put the bottles into boxes and leave them the hell alone for at least three weeks.
Leave your bottled beer at 70F for THREE WEEKS before you check one for carbonation. Also, chill the test bottle for at least 3-4 days (4-7 is far better) BEFORE you pour into a glass to sample... Doing anything less than this will give you false results.
Personally, when I was bottling/bottle carbonating, I would simply put the bottles into boxes and leave them the hell alone for at least three weeks.
Golddiggie said:
Concur. I saw no VISIBLE sign that carbonation had taken place. Patience is key. I wouldn't pop a tester until you've waited the compulsory three weeks and put it in the fridge for a couple days. You don't want to chance drinking a substandard brew because you could t wait.
alestateyall
Well-Known Member
Jbird said:
The beer will not look any different. You can't tell it is carbed until you open in it. Waiting 3 weeks lets carbonation process complete and allows beer to mature (taste better). One week is too soon.
Feel free to experiment though. You are the brewmaster of your brewery.
HomebrewMTB
Well-Known Member
Your beer might be ready in 2 weeks depending on the yeast but not 2 days. You can't tell by looking. If you added the priming sugar, it will carbonate. There is nothing to do now but wait. Or drink flat beer. Whatever you want to do.
metaltradie
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My beer carbonated in a week I noticed visually when I took a few bottles to work to trade with other home brewers it foamed in the bottle like a shaken coke I cracked open a bottle and it tasted horrid
Tall_Yotie
Well-Known Member
That is "I can see it is carbonated when I opened it", not seeing anything in the bottle. Sounds like you had an infection in your beer (bad taste and super foaming) or some other factor.
To the original poster, There are very few actual visual signs when looking at a sealed bottle. Give it a couple weeks, then crack one open and listen for that gentle yet audible hiss of CO2.
Let us know how it turns out when you get to testing time!
Yes, like coke, if you shake it and its well carbonated it will foam slightly in the bottle. metaltradie just didn't like the taste of his beer more so than it was infected. I've been lucky and over the past 10 years have never had an infected beer, knock on wood. The closest I've come was when a wild yeast got into one of my brews and gave it a sour flavor like a farmhouse ale.
I've found a couple of my ales would foam out of the bottle about an inch when not chilled at least 3 days before opening. I now chill for at least 1 week. 2 weeks to get thicker head,& longer lasting carbonation
BamaRooster
Well-Known Member
1 week is not nearly long enough, 3 weeks is the rule of thumb. But I have a hard time not cracking one at 2 weeks just to see what I can see, or taste.
As others have already said, one week is really not long enough to get proper carbonation. That said, I think there is a benefit to trying one after a week to 10 days and then another at 2 weeks. First, I know that it is REALLY hard to wait 3 weeks for your first brew. This is a great hobby....have fun...drink your beer (just not all of it too soon). Second, it is good to know how the taste of your beer changes, so that, in future batches, you have a better understanding of the difference between young, "green" beer and potential off flavors and/or problems.
Well I know I should wait three weeks. It's just so hard with my first batch. I will do as you guys say. I sure like a good beer and that's what I want to make. By the way if I drink the first beer at three weeks and I have the 47 others to drink will they be better then the first because of aging?
Tall_Yotie
Well-Known Member
They will be better from aging.
3 weeks is the minimum, and that is after 3 weeks in the fermenter. I usually find that a beer truly develops after 2 months (varying a bit with style). So at 3 weeks you taste, enjoy, and it will get better with more aging.
3 weeks is the minimum, and that is after 3 weeks in the fermenter. I usually find that a beer truly develops after 2 months (varying a bit with style). So at 3 weeks you taste, enjoy, and it will get better with more aging.
Since it is your first beer sure try one after a week then one at 2 weeks then 1 at 3 weeks. You get to see how it develops over that bottling period. I did this on my first beer and glad I did. You can really taste the changes in the beer over time. And really it is not like you are going to miss those 2 beers you tried early is it?
Thanks for asking this question. I just logged in to start searching for answers to this very question and your's was first in the list! Still got at least 2 weeks to wait on my first bottling....
You can't see the difference. But at one week,it'll still be green.
being only 6 weeks removed from my first test of patience (first batch) I can certainly sympathize, you will reap more reward and enjoyment if you wait!
Here's some more advice:
Go ahead and brew some more NOW. The only thing worse than waiting on your first batch to be ready is drinking the first batch of your very own home brew and running out before your next batch is done! Maybe you could try a different style of beer for the 2nd batch. You can share your 1st brew and post your results or any noticeable problems on your first batch then make necessary adjustments to that one in the future.
Happy Brewing!
metaltradie
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If in doubt take a beer to your home brew shop and get them to try it .my lager got a bit hot which changed the flavor still good to drink just the taste isn't too good
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
+5 on establishing a solid pipeline ASAP... Once you do that, you can take breaks in brewing, or weather a spell where you cannot brew.
Well opened my first beer on my first batch tonight. Had a great head and taste great. I'm happy with the pale ale I made. I will now look for my next beer to brew. What do you guys think of wheat beers?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Not brewing wheat's nor do I drink them. Since I only drink what I brew, the second part is easy... 
Congrats on a successful first batch!
I like a good American wheat beer - not a huge fan of classic German hefeweizens though - I don't care for the banana and clove flavors produced by the yeast. A well made American wheat though can be really nice. One of my favorite brews was an Amarillo Wheat. Basically it was 50% Pale malt and 50% wheat malt - if you are doing all extract, just use 100% wheat extract since it is already somewhere in the 50/50 range. I hopped with some Amarillo at 60 min to get about 30-35 IBUs and more at 5 min. I also added some orange zest at 5 min. I fermented with WLP320, American Hefeweizen yeast. The result was clean, crisp, and citrusy. Quite nice. FWIW, it won its category at a local homebrew comp.
That's why I like Franziskaner weissbier. Nice clean wheat flavor with no banana or clove esters. Like to brew one like that myself.
I want to do an American wheat. Thought it would be good for summer. If I wanted to add orange flavor how would I do that? What type of orange should I use? I know that just playing with flavors is part of brewing but I don't want to throw a batch away. So just give me your thoughts.
Tall_Yotie
Well-Known Member
The peel of one orange ( no pith, just rind) will give a pleasant light orange note. 2 oranges will make it more pronounced but still not over done. 5-10 minute boil.
Use the zest (colored part)only. The white pith gives a bitter flavor. An ounce or so of zest is good.
Anyone had Hoegaarden?
I'm not a fan of wheat beers generally and dislike Blue Moon but Hoegaarden is not bad. Has a nice light spice to it from orange peel and coriander, good winter brew, also the bottles are beautiful and the labels come right off for using for your home brew! I would like to brew something similar.
I'm not a fan of wheat beers generally and dislike Blue Moon but Hoegaarden is not bad. Has a nice light spice to it from orange peel and coriander, good winter brew, also the bottles are beautiful and the labels come right off for using for your home brew! I would like to brew something similar.
Interesting bottle shape. Kinda old fashined looking. I like the neck shape to help catch trub a 2nd time at that point.
Regarding a wheat, I found a recipe and was going to brew it tonight. Pretty straight forward. Seemed super easy so decided to give it a try. Worst case scenario, I'll make beer haha
Recipe: Extract
Specialty Grains: 1/2lb Carapils (Head retention and fuller body)
LME: 4lbs Wheat, 3lbs Light
Hops: 2oz Cascade, .5oz at 60 min, 1oz at 15, .5 at flameout
Yeast: Nottingham Dry
Steep grains at 155 for 30 min, bring to boil, add 2lbs of LME, start your hop additions, add rest of LME at 10-15min left in boil...done.
Recipe: Extract
Specialty Grains: 1/2lb Carapils (Head retention and fuller body)
LME: 4lbs Wheat, 3lbs Light
Hops: 2oz Cascade, .5oz at 60 min, 1oz at 15, .5 at flameout
Yeast: Nottingham Dry
Steep grains at 155 for 30 min, bring to boil, add 2lbs of LME, start your hop additions, add rest of LME at 10-15min left in boil...done.
There are a lot of pre-filled bottles that are cool looking and work great for home brew use!
1. Guiness Draught
2. Red Hook
3. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
4. Sam Adams (boring but these bottles cap the best)
These 4 are also easy to remove the labels from, especially Guiness which uses a plastic vacuumed label that comes off in 5 seconds if you use a razor knife.
With all the wheat, you do not need the Carapils for head retention or fuller body. Also, be aware that most wheat extracts are not 100% wheat - closer to 50/50 wheat/barley. So your recipe would really be about 2 pounds of wheat to 5 pounds of barley. True-to-style wheat beers are generally close to 50% wheat. Of course, there is no need to be true to style.
Hopping looks good. This will make a tasty beer.
I was actually following a simple American wheat recipe that called for 3lbs of Wheat, and 2lbs of light LME. I up'd it to 4lbs and 3lbs. A lot of good reviews on that brew, so I figured I'd give it a go. The carapils was a recommendation so thought it couldn't hurt. Unless you have any insight on that?
It won't hurt. I just don't think it is necessary.
Thanks for the info!
iasteeler
Active Member
metaltradie said:
I want to work where you do. Don't have anyone where I work to trade beers with. I've had a lot of volunteers to help me drink what I have
BamaRooster
Well-Known Member
Yep, plenty of those where i work too!
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