bottle conditioning

[mikes_brew]

any real difference between conditioning in a basement at maybe 70F vs. a refridgerator?

 

[phooka]

any real difference between conditioning in a basement at maybe 70F vs. a refridgerator?

[pointless post warning]

I'd kill for a basement. I can't really speak to your question I guess. I have only had the ability to condition at room temp (72-74).

dale

 

[MikeRLynch]

A refridgerator would be lagering I belive. As an aside, can one lager in a fridge without a temp regulator? Or is that too cold?

sorry for the hijack

mike

 

[Barley-Davidson]

The colder fridge temps are going to slow down carbonation and conditioning. Better to store in the basement for 3 weeks, then move to the fridge.

 

[Beerrific]

A refridgerator would be lagering I belive. As an aside, can one lager in a fridge without a temp regulator? Or is that too cold?

sorry for the hijack

mike

You can lager in a fridge without a temperature controller if you can control the temperature otherwise. Some fridges don't get cool enough for true lagering so you need the controller to get it down that low.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Bottle conditioning at room temp allows your yeast to stay active and alive. During this stage the yeast is eating up the priming sugar. Since the container is capped the offgassing (of CO2) gets absorbed into the brew and creates the carbonation.

Once you put the bottles in the fridge the yeast goes dormant and carbonation ceases.

 

[mikes_brew]

"Once you put the bottles in the fridge the yeast goes dormant and carbonation ceases."
thanks for the responses, that was what I thought but wanted to make sure. My basement stays 68-70. I already made storage shelves for the equipment and brews.
thanks

 

[homebrewer_99]

"Once you put the bottles in the fridge the yeast goes dormant and carbonation ceases." thanks for the responses, that was what I thought but wanted to make sure. My basement stays 68-70. I already made storage shelves for the equipment and brews. thanks

If your gravity dropped 75% then you're good to go at 68-70F.

Chances are you won't even have to put them into the fridge until you're ready to drink them.

What this means is you won't get bottle grenades if the brew is done fermenting.

I still have brews that have NEVER been in a fridge that are over 2 years old...and no grenades.

 

[TerapinChef]

Most things that I have seen on conditioning do recommend keeping your bottles at around 50 degrees once your carbonation period has come to an end (this would be considered "cellaring temperature" I believe) While I do have a wonderful basement in Michigan which holds 50 degrees in the wintertime no problem, in the summer it can get up into the 70's. I believe what he was asking, and what I was wondering as well, is if there is any advantage to aging your beer at a lower temperature. If I had a beer that I was going to age for, say, a year or better (RIS comes to mind) that 20 degree temperature fluxuation over the course of 12 months may have a negative affect on my beer. But I have no experience to speak of. Anybody have any thoughts on this one?

 

[cherry300zx]

yes i would also like to know that to alond with how long is to long?