Bottle conditioning question.

[damlamb]

Typically when bottle conditioning/carbing I leave my bottles in a dark closet at around 70degF for 3 weeks before refrigerating. I bottled a batch recently that the bottles carbed up in 3 days maybe due to slightly warmer temps than usual. Is there any advantage to conditioning them further at room temperature or should I let them age the rest of the time in the fridge? Id hate to leave it at a warm temperature unnecessarily. The only other factor that may be at play is this beer was bottled after primary fermentation was complete. Usually i do a secondary so maybe my yeast was just more healthy/prolific when it went into the bottles with the sugar?

 

[zippy84]

No, they need to condition further for a few weeks before refrigeration. A mini ferment has just happened in your bottles with the priming sugar and the yeast needs time to clean up the beer after itself, just as it does in the fermenter. You wouldn't bottle the beer if the fermenting process happened quickly in a few days, imo, same applies to bottle conditioning.

 

[lowtones84]

I wouldn't chill them yet, but it's very possible they'll be great at 10 days or so in the bottle instead of three weeks. What was the OG? I've had some low gravity stuff taste it's absolute best after about 10 days in the bottle.

 

[dkevinb]

I usually bottle condition my average ABV ales for 2 weeks before refrigerating even though carbonation may be done in less than a week. You will notice some improvement in flavor.

 

[damlamb]

Thanks for the responses guys. OG was 1.049 Amber Ale just reviewed my brew notes. I forgot i pitched a HUGE amount of yeast in this puppy. I pitched a pack of danstar nottingham on brew day but after 3 days it Wasn't getting started probably because the wine making place I picked it up from had it in the sun on a shelf. I usually have all my ingredients shipped and had no yeast on hand so I mangaged to talk a local "ubrew" place into selling me a shot glass full of unknown dry ale yeast from a large container they use. Im pretty sure it was coopers. Anyways i pitched the whole thing since it had been sitting unprotected for almost 4 days and it took off like a volcano about 6 hours later. I only lost a little beer before the blow off tube was deployed haha. I will heed the advice and leave the brew at room temp for at least another 10 days. Thanks again

 

[BeavStu]

I have a question along similar lines. After conditioning for said amount of time, do you then refrigerate all bottles immediately? Or do you leave at room temperature? I understand that by leaving at room temp they will continue to condition/mature is that correct? I do not have the fridge space to place store all beers at a time in my fridge. Is it acceptable to condition till just right, place in fridge for 1-2 days to stall the conditioning process then store at room temp till ready to drink? Or does it matter? Thanks

 

[rawlus]

I have a question along similar lines. After conditioning for said amount of time, do you then refrigerate all bottles immediately? Or do you leave at room temperature? I understand that by leaving at room temp they will continue to condition/mature is that correct? I do not have the fridge space to place store all beers at a time in my fridge. Is it acceptable to condition till just right, place in fridge for 1-2 days to stall the conditioning process then store at room temp till ready to drink? Or does it matter? Thanks

Doesnt matter, you can leave at room temp indefinitely only reason to chill is to prepare for consumption, bit of a cold crash to compact the yeast but it will settle at room temp given time.