Beer Conditioning on its side

[fdemt84]

I did a little research and from what I can tell, laying the beer on the side to condition isnt widely recommended. But I just bottled my Fat tire Clone and the beer has been bottled for a little over a week now, and I went back and looked at the recipe B/c i thought I remembered it saying to lay on its side and condition for a few months. Sure enough it did. Question is Why? Does anyone know a real reason for why the recipe would recommand this? and Should I do it being that the recipe is calling for it?

Thanks
Nate
Happy Brewing

 

[Revvy]

There's no reason for a beer to be resting on the side, especially if you want clear beer. You now have your yeast cake running up and down the side of your beer bottle. And it's gonna be impossible to pour it out without having yeast in the whole thing.

The only reason bottles are ever placed on their sides, and that's primarily with wine, if to keep the corks wet so they don't shrink and the wine goes bad.

It has no relevance to beer, unless maybe it's a corked Belgian, but even those aren't laid on their side, for the reason I stated, you want your carbonation sediment on the BOTTOM of the bottle, NOT running up and down the side.

 

[TipsyDragon]

well if the recipe recommends it i would do it just in case it makes a difference. my guess, and this is just a guess, is the theory is that the yeast are spread out over a wider area and will have more contact with the beer and possibly be more efficient. i don't personally believe this but what do i know.

 

[HItransplant]

well if the recipe recommends it i would do it just in case it makes a difference. my guess, and this is just a guess, is the theory is that the yeast are spread out over a wider area and will have more contact with the beer and possibly be more efficient. i don't personally believe this but what do i know.

Well you know what they say about theories.

 

[smears]

Maybe that beer is supposed to taste more yeasty? I dunno. But I have seen what happens when you go to pour a beer that's got the yeast all down the side. It does not look clear in the glass.

 

[Burgs]

I would disregard those instructions completely.... but maybe that's just me.

 

[Revvy]

I would disregard those instructions completely.... but maybe that's just me.

+1....I mean it's a fat tire clone for chrissakes, there's no reason in the world why it would have to be on it's side, except if the person coming up with the recipe is a bleeding idiot, who has no understanding of the reason why a bottle is stored on it's side to begin with. And he did it, wrote his instructions and now other folks are gonna do it, for no sane reason into infinity..

Kinda like the Grandmother's Roast story.

A young woman is getting ready to host her first big family gathering and wants to serve her grandmother’s “special recipe” roast. The woman calls her mother and asks for the recipe. The mother begins, “First you cut off both ends of the roast before placing it in the roasting pan. . .” The young woman inquires: why cut off the roast’s ends? To which the mother replies, “I’m not sure. That’s how my mother taught me.” The big day arrives and the young woman serves the roast. Her grandmother is at the gathering, so she inquires, “Grandma, what is it about cutting off the ends of the roast that makes it so tasty?” The grandmother replies, “It has nothing to do with the recipe. The reason I cut off the ends of my roast was because the roast was too big for my roasting pan.”

I'd toss the instructions, turn the bottles back the way they belong, give them a good shake to get all the yeast off the side leave the yeast to settle on the bottom where it should be.

 

[fdemt84]

Sounds good, I didnt turn them. After doing the research I decided against it and sought out a little more wisdom on if it had something to do with this specific beer. I see that it does not and will leave them upright...Once again Thank ya'll for the input and timely responses, as always it is great learning for ya'll..
Thanks
Nate
Happy Brewing

 

[Shift]

I just had an idea, anyone thought of storing the bottles upside down so the yeast collects in the cap?

The point is to get a solid yeastcake on the cap and therefore not having to worry about it when you pour, since it comes off when you open the bottle.

 

[IffyG]

Ever seen what happens when you flip a bottle over that has all the sediment on the bottom? If you haven't, I'll tell you. A bunch of it gets resuspended and comes out in the beer.

 

[Burgs]

I can honestly say ... no, I've never considered that.