Bottle conditioning question

[Hoosier]

If you leave a beer in the primary for 5 weeks, chill it (40*F for 24 hrs), then bottle will there still be enough yeast in there to prime the bottles?
Thanks,
-C

 

[Parker36]

Most likely. You may have to give them a little shake to rouse the yeast a week or two in, but 40 isn't that cold to drop everything out of suspension and 5 weeks isn't that long. I would say you are good.

 

[ScottD13]

If you leave a beer in the primary for 5 weeks, chill it (40*F for 24 hrs), then bottle will there still be enough yeast in there to prime the bottles?
Thanks,
-C

If you're chilling at 40f for 24 hours prior to bottling then I would have to say no, you will not have enough yeast in suspension and you will have to pitch yeast with your priming sugar.

I believe that Jamil has said that one tube of White Lab at bottling will give you the equivalent amount of yeast per bottle that Sierra Nevada uses to bottle condition their beers.

If you don't chill it you still may need to pitch yeast at bottling but I'll let someone with more experience with that answer. I've never gone more than 4 weeks before bottling.

 

[Coastarine]

I think you're good. You might find that you need to definitely wait the recommended 3 weeks for carbonation but you may also have less sediment in the bottle. Commercial examples of bottle conditioned beer usually have much less sediment than a bottle conditioned homebrew; barely a dusting. I think this is from having fewer yeast cells in the beer at bottling.

I don't think the amount of time that has passed will affect this nearly as much as the cold crash. Still, when I cold crash I do it for colder and longer than you did. All this with a grain of salt though, as I've never bottled a cold crashed beer.

 

[Hoosier]

This is an American Stout (OG 1.078 FG 1.021) and I just want to make sure that after the chill there wil be enough yeast to carb the bottles. The sample was far to tasty to overlook somthing

 

[TimSTi]

Now this has me nervous. I just took my secondary IPA out of the fridge. I had it in there at 40* for about 36 hours. I plan on bottling this and am now nervous there might not be enough yeast in suspension to carbonate. I have another package of US-05 that I could pitch but I dont know if that would be too much or not to pitch and then bottle. Any help???

The beer was brewed on 12/03. Moved to secondary on 12/24 for dry hopping.

 

[ifishsum]

If you're worried about it, rouse up a little off the bottom with the racking cane. Just a short little swipe, it will settle back out during conditioning.

I certainly would not repitch a whole packet of yeast just for bottle conditioning.

 

[cuinrearview]

If you're worried about it, rouse up a little off the bottom with the racking cane. Just a short little swipe, it will settle back out during conditioning.

I certainly would not repitch a whole packet of yeast just for bottle conditioning.

Beat me to it:rockin:

 

[TimSTi]

Alright a little rousing will be my course of action. Is cold crashing generally not used for bottle conditioning, only kegging? It seems the purpose of it gets defeated when you rouse some yeast back into suspension.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

I'm going to ride along on this post as well, because I too am curious as to whether cold crashing is generally reserved for kegging?

I've got an IPA that's spent about 10 days in primary and almost 4 weeks in secondary. I dropped an ounce of UK in her today and am curious if I can set it out in the garage (about 40) until I plan to bottle on Sunday. Will I have enough yeast in suspension, and if I give it a stir to be sure, was I just as good off just leaving it sit in the closet for the next few days at 65?

 

[ryron01]

Yeah, I'm also curious. I didn't cold crash my beer, but I would consider doing it next time if I could achieve clearer, carbonated beer with less sediment in the bottle. I thought that was only possible from bottling forced carb'd beer from a keg. Also whats this about giving the bottles a shake a week into bottle conditioning? I just bottled my first batch not to long ago. Should I give them a shake? Should I be looking for something that will let me know?

 

[menschmaschine]

The only time I've added yeast at bottling was when I lagered for more than 6 weeks and the one time I completely froze 2 Better Bottles full of ale by accident. Everything else I've done outside of that (and added no yeast) has carbed fine. I think you're fine to not add yeast.

 

[Hoosier]

Thanks for the info everyone. Have a happy and safe New Year!