Bottle conditioning questions

[stoneyts]

I have a CPA that has been in the bottle for 7 days at 72-74*. How long do you need to maintain that temp before you can cool it down. I have another beer I bottled tonight that will need to beat the 72-74 temp also and don't have but 1 place to keep that temp. As a 2nd question, will bottle conditioned beer give the same type/ quality beer as kegged with homebrews>

 

[Mojzis]

Uhhhhh I think I know what you're asking.

Generally speaking you shouldn't drink the batch until it has been conditioned for 3 weeks. The temperature isn't too important. My own house stays in the low 60's and I get great results after three weeks. Don't waste your time maintaining 70 or above. Let them condition at room temp for three weeks.

*Edit: of course it also depends on how strong the beer is and how much yeast is in the bottle.

Bottle conditioning vs kegging will always and forever be debated. Quality of both will be the same plane and simple. Both have advantages and disadvantages, I suggest you search for those if you wish rather than stir up yet another daily debate

 

[bleme]

The general rule is 3 weeks at 70F.

It will carb at a lower temp, but take a little longer. If your ABV is on the high side it might take longer.

 

[bleme]

As far as which is superior, I'm going to have to go with bottle conditioning since I don't have a keg

Seriously though, commercial craft breweries do both though force carb'ed is more prevalent. Most of the commercial beers that are bottle condition tend to be pricier.

 

[stoneyts]

Both batches are + 7 ABV. I was thinking that maybe starting off at a little warmer temp would help. My house temp fluctuates alot as we only run the heat when we're home. Will keeping it around 70 or a little higher for the first week aid in carbing the beer or not really? These are my 2nd and 3rd batches so I am pretty green with all this. Thanks!

 

[Mojzis]

Yeah the elevated temps will condition faster. They should still be ready after three weeks.

 

[stoneyts]

Cool, so I'm gonna take the beer now in the controlled 72* spot and swap it out with the freshly bottled batch. Thanks!

 

[bleme]

Make sure you get another brew in the fermentor. If it isn't illegal to have an empty fermentor, it should be! ;-)

 

[unionrdr]

I've found that bottled beers don't carb & condition very well at low 60's temps,if at all. The yeast have to be able to tolerate the lower temps well to carbonate at those temps. But conversely,higher temps won't make off flavors in a pressurizing bottle like they would in a fermenter. so 70F or a lil more will carbonate & condition them in the normal time frame of 3-4 weeks for an average gravity beer.Darker &/or higher gravity beers will take longer.

 

[BigFloyd]

72-74*F would not be good for fermenting with most ale yeasts, but it's fine for bottle conditioning. Just make sure to give it the 3-4 weeks it needs and then 2-3 days in the fridge before drinking.

There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to bottling and kegging. Either one, if done properly, will be just fine for your brew.

 

[Mojzis]

I've found that bottled beers don't carb & condition very well at low 60's temps,if at all. The yeast have to be able to tolerate the lower temps well to carbonate at those temps. But conversely,higher temps won't make off flavors in a pressurizing bottle like they would in a fermenter. so 70F or a lil more will carbonate & condition them in the normal time frame of 3-4 weeks for an average gravity beer.Darker &/or higher gravity beers will take longer.

I've found the opposite. Part of home brewing I guess

But yes 70 would be best but isn't imperative.

 

[unionrdr]

I can't imagine how you'd get the average ale to carb & condition at 60F or so. Mine just don't or very slowly & partially.

 

[RM-MN]

In case you hadn't noticed, you asked a question that doesn't have just "one size fits all" answer. How long your beer needs to be in that bottle at 72 depends on what yeast you used, what temperatures you fermented it at, how long it was in the fermenter, what size of bottle, and a few other things. If you have good (really good) temperature control while fermenting, leave the beer in the fermenter for the proper time, and the beer had an OG of 1.050 there may be an answer that is close. Move that OG up to 1.090 and the answer changes a lot.

 

[bleme]

I can't imagine how you'd get the average ale to carb & condition at 60F or so. Mine just don't or very slowly & partially.

My house stays 63F all winter long and I've never had a problem. I am also sitting on 132 bottles of various other brews, and only drink about 5 a week, so I'm not in a hurry to crack one from my latest.

 

[unionrdr]

So maybe they're taking longer & you just haven't noticed?

 

[bleme]

So maybe they're taking longer & you just haven't noticed?

I'm sure they do take longer, but they still get there eventually.

 

[unionrdr]

I was just wondering. I started postulating to myself that maybe ambient humidity might in some way "tone" the ambient temp in the room? The same way it does outside. for instance,drier air won't hold as much cold or heat as moist air. To our senses anyway. Maybe the cooler air in the space is dry enough not to make it "feel" quite so cold to the yeasties the way we feel it. After all,they're alive too,& sensative to weather/temp changes much like we are. That's my theory anyway...

 

[bleme]

Interesting theory but I have a feeling that it stays pretty humid inside the bottle.

 

[unionrdr]

My theory basically follows that drier air doesn't carry the temp as well as humid air. so even though it's,say,64F,it might not be that cold inside the bottle due to less thermal efficiency in the ambient air.