Another Bottling Question...

[Tucher]

I know, another bottling question. I apologize if it has been covered somewhere else but I have not found it.

Ok, today I am bottling my batch of Citra Weizen. I will be taking a weekend beach trip to meet some friends in about two weeks, and I want to take a few of these bottles with me. Being a weizen, it should be ready in those two weeks; my question come to the refrigeration needed to let the carbonation absorb into the beer. If I take the beer and refrigerate at the condo on arrival, it will only have a day in the cool before we drink it...not enough time I am thinking..should be 2-3 days? What will happen if I refrigerate before I go on the trip, what will happen by taking it out of the fridge...does that mess with the co2 absorption etc? Not really worried about clarity, it's a weizen.

 

[flars]

When the beer is carbonated the pressure in the bottle will keep it carbonated. Transport the beer iced in a cooler. Give you more chill time before opening.

 

[Tucher]

When the beer is carbonated the pressure in the bottle will keep it carbonated. Transport the beer iced in a cooler. Give you more chill time before opening.

I understand that the sealed bottle will hold in the carbonation, but what I have read is that before refrigeration the carbonation kind of sits on top in the head space and can rush out when opened, gushing etc. causing a flat beer; and that it takes 2-3 days in refrigeration for the carbonation to "settle" into the beer. My question I guess is that if I do the 2-3 days refrigeration before the trip, does it stay "settled" into the beer if I take it out of the refrigerator? The car will be pretty jam packed and its a long trip so the cooler will be hard to do. I could do a small one, but I wont be able to bring as many bottles

 

[flars]

Consider commercial beers. A commercial beer is force carbonated then bottled. We bottle condition then chill to force carbonate. The commercial beers can sit in a hot truck for days, but when the bottles are opened the carbonation is still in the beer.
Your beer will remain carbonated once it is fully conditioned and chilled for a few days to a week. The cooler idea was to allow for more conditioning and chilling time.

 

[kaconga]

Ok, I might upset some folks but here goes. That 2-3 day "rule" is junk. Get the bottles under 40*F and let them sit there for an hour, overnight would be better insurance, and then drink. I keep my bottles at 65 or so and 30 min in freezer with 30 min in fridge does the trick perfectly. I put a sixer in the fridge on Saturday night. Sunday night's beer is pouring the same as Friday's of the same week.

 

[beekeeperman]

I bottled a pale ale 1 week ago. Stuck one in the freezer for a 1/2 hour and am drinking it now, seems well carbonated, stayed carbonated till it was finished.
Might be a little green still but drinkable to my newbie standards.

 

[cantrell00]

Ok, I might upset some folks but here goes. That 2-3 day "rule" is junk. Get the bottles under 40*F and let them sit there for an hour, overnight would be better insurance, and then drink. I keep my bottles at 65 or so and 30 min in freezer with 30 min in fridge does the trick perfectly. I put a sixer in the fridge on Saturday night. Sunday night's beer is pouring the same as Friday's of the same week.

Never knew that where was even such a rule... Bottle. Let rest for 10-14 days - chill & serve.

 

[fartinmartin]

I don't chill any of my brews !
At all !
They are great as they are, I don't like chilled beer, chilled lager, that's different. For me commercial lager that's served chilled, well you might as well cut out the middle man and pour it straight down the loo.

 

[myndflyte]

Never knew that where was even such a rule... Bottle. Let rest for 10-14 days - chill & serve.

Exactly. My beer stays at room temp until I plan on drinking it. The day before I want it, it goes in the fridge and it's fine the next day.

 

[dkevinb]

The main reasons for refrigerating beer are (1) to make it cold enough to drink, and (2) to clear it. Once it's carbonated (1-2 weeks after bottling) a cold beer will keep it's CO2 in solution better than a warm one (i.e., it won't foam as much) but the warm one will still be carbonated. If it's a weizen than #2 doesn't apply. In other words, they should be fine after a few hours in the fridge at the condo.

 

[Agate]

Foaming can be due to particles in the beer causing nucleation points. Chilling for 2-3 days is the same thing as a cold crash in the bottle. It appears to foam less because the beer is clear, not because the CO2 needs to dissolve. It's formed in the beer-- it doesn't need to be re-dissolved. It's already there.

 

[Agate]

Ok, I might upset some folks but here goes. That 2-3 day "rule" is junk. Get the bottles under 40*F and let them sit there for an hour, overnight would be better insurance, and then drink. I keep my bottles at 65 or so and 30 min in freezer with 30 min in fridge does the trick perfectly. I put a sixer in the fridge on Saturday night. Sunday night's beer is pouring the same as Friday's of the same week.

You might upset some folks, but you'd still be correct!

 

[cantrell00]

I don't chill any of my brews !
At all !
They are great as they are, I don't like chilled beer, chilled lager, that's different. For me commercial lager that's served chilled, well you might as well cut out the middle man and pour it straight down the loo.

loo?

Heh.. Damn Yank!

 

[Tucher]

The main reasons for refrigerating beer are (1) to make it cold enough to drink, and (2) to clear it. Once it's carbonated (1-2 weeks after bottling) a cold beer will keep it's CO2 in solution better than a warm one (i.e., it won't foam as much) but the warm one will still be carbonated. If it's a weizen than #2 doesn't apply. In other words, they should be fine after a few hours in the fridge at the condo.

Thanks, that explains things pretty well.

 

[fartinmartin]

Loo = lavatory, the toilet

 

[cantrell00]

I was being facetious.