Bottling ?

[Brewnation]

If I cold crash will there be enough yeast left in suspension to bottle carb?

 

[Sailingeric]

No... just kidding.. you will be fine. There is plenty of yeast to do the carbing. When I bottled I cold crashed all the time for a few days and never had a dud bottle.

 

[Moose_MI]

Yes...use the search function and you will find a lot on this topic

Cheers!

 

[Mainer]

I bottled my first brew on Monday, and I'm worried that I didn't mix my priming sugar and re-pitched yeast well enough. I guess I'll know if half of them don't carbonate and the other half explode.

 

[Sailingeric]

you should not have to repitch yeast in most of the time and if you had the sugar first and put the beer on top before bottling it will swirl and mix ok.

 

[MaxStout]

There's quite a lot of yeast floating around that beer, even if it's been cold-crashed and looks clear. Certainly enough to chew through 4 or 5 oz. of priming sugar. After you bottle, store the beer at upper 60s to low 70s for 2 or 3 weeks. Once the beer is sufficiently carbonated you can cellar or refrigerate it.

The only time I repitch is if the yeast has pooped out because the beer has bulk-aged a long time and/or if it's a big beer.

 

[sky4meplease]

I think it depends on the length of fermentation, whether the beer was cold crashed and for how long, and what yeast you used.
The last three beers I bottled had no yeast left is suspension at bottling time and was verified by sampling under a microscope.
In all fairness all three were high or very high flocculating yeast, fermented for two weeks with a ramp up on temperature toward the end and cold crashed for a week at 45 degrees.
There are threads all over these forums with people asking where is their carbonation and yet everyone keeps telling them there is plenty of yeast left in suspension for carbonating.
Next time your beer takes forever to carb up or won't all together ask yourself why and come back here so we can tell you it is fine that you must have screwed something else up.
Otherwise get some bottle conditioning yeast to keep on hand and add 3 or 4 grams to your priming solution per 5 gallons of beer, allow it to hydrate for 10-15 minutes prior to packaging.

 

[BigFloyd]

The only time I repitch is if the yeast has pooped out because the beer has bulk-aged a long time and/or if it's a big beer.

This ^^^^^.

I step up fermentation temp towards the end followed by a 7-10 day cold crash at 35*F. I now have a 3-tap keezer, so most batches go into kegs, but I bottled everything prior to that and occasionally still will.

I prime/bottle the beer cold and do not add any additional yeast. I've never had a batch fail to bottle carb.

 

[Mainer]

There's quite a lot of yeast floating around that beer, even if it's been cold-crashed and looks clear. Certainly enough to chew through 4 or 5 oz. of priming sugar. After you bottle, store the beer at upper 60s to low 70s for 2 or 3 weeks. Once the beer is sufficiently carbonated you can cellar or refrigerate it.

The only time I repitch is if the yeast has pooped out because the beer has bulk-aged a long time and/or if it's a big beer.

Mine is a Vienna Lager with a bottom-fermenting yeast and a long secondary/lagering stage. Since I siphoned the beer off the yeast cake twice (once to secondary and once to the bottling bucket) my buddy-slash-brewing-mentor suggested that I re-pitch a half cup of yeast slurry (harvested from primary) along with my bottling solution, just to make sure there was adequate yeast in suspension.

 

[Mainer]

you should not have to repitch yeast in most of the time and if you had the sugar first and put the beer on top before bottling it will swirl and mix ok.

I did add the priming sugar first (5/8 cup of maple syrup) and my re-pitched yeast, then siphon the beer in on top. There was a decent whirlpool action, so I'm going to assume the mixing was relatively even.
Fortunately, I had anticipated my own impatience, and bottled one bottle into a swing-top bottle. I cracked it last night, and there was enough of a hiss to convince me that carbonation has started. Now, the waiting. (Which, as Tom Petty points out, is the hardest part.)

 

[Mainer]

There's quite a lot of yeast floating around that beer, even if it's been cold-crashed and looks clear. Certainly enough to chew through 4 or 5 oz. of priming sugar. After you bottle, store the beer at upper 60s to low 70s for 2 or 3 weeks. Once the beer is sufficiently carbonated you can cellar or refrigerate it.

The only time I repitch is if the yeast has pooped out because the beer has bulk-aged a long time and/or if it's a big beer.

The carbonation temp was a significant question for me, though. With a lager, I should be carbonating it at cellar temp, not room temp, right?

 

[sky4meplease]

The carbonation temp was a significant question for me, though. With a lager, I should be carbonating it at cellar temp, not room temp, right?

If you're carbonating with lager yeast you could do it either way because lager yeast still work efficiently at cellar temps. If your carbonating with ale yeast you may wish to carbonate at warmer temps to keep the yeast active while they work through your priming solution.

 

[sky4meplease]

Mine is a Vienna Lager with a bottom-fermenting yeast and a long secondary/lagering stage. Since I siphoned the beer off the yeast cake twice (once to secondary and once to the bottling bucket) my buddy-slash-brewing-mentor suggested that I re-pitch a half cup of yeast slurry (harvested from primary) along with my bottling solution, just to make sure there was adequate yeast in suspension.

My research says you need 1 million cells per milliliter to carbonate beer.
That would be 20 billion cells for 5 gallons.
If you used 1/2 cup of slurry (118ml) at 2 billion cells per milliliter that would be 236 billion cells. I personally would not use that much as that much yeast settled in your bottles could cause autolysis if left to age for a long time.
If your drinking this beer relatively quickly (2-3 months) that may not be a big deal but if your looking to age for a year or two you may get a surprise when you open it.

 

[Mainer]

My research says you need 1 million cells per milliliter to carbonate beer.
That would be 20 billion cells for 5 gallons.
If you used 1/2 cup of slurry (118ml) at 2 billion cells per milliliter that would be 236 billion cells. I personally would not use that much as that much yeast settled in your bottles could cause autolysis if left to age for a long time.
If your drinking this beer relatively quickly (2-3 months) that may not be a big deal but if your looking to age for a year or two you may get a surprise when you open it.

Hmm. Perhaps I need a new brewing mentor.
In addition to the yeast advice, he also advised me to leave my lager in primary for at least 3-4 weeks, which seemed like way to long to leave it on the trub.
Well, the worst thing that can happen is that my first beer sucks, which would probably not be a unique problem.

 

[sky4meplease]

I don't think you need a new mentor and the fact that they knew enough to have you pitch some yeast at bottling time says a lot. Prior to my research into this topic I would always drag my racking cane through the thin layer of trub in my secondary to pick up yeast for carbonating with fairly good results. For the beers that didn't secondary I avoided the trub like the plague.
Additionally, I brewed for a couple years before I had the technology to see how little if any yeast I had for carbonating and never had a batch not carbonate (though some took a long time).
You will probably notice a thicker than normal layer of sediment in your bottles with a half cup of slurry but again this probably won't be a big deal unless you plan to age excessively in the bottle. Just refrigerate well before use and pour gently if you don't want the yeast in your glass.
A quick search through the sub forums resulted in eight or so threads since the first of the month where Brewers were asking why they had no carbonation in there beer.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Ask your LHBS for a bottle/cask conditioning yeast strain and rehydrate 3-4 grams in your priming solution per 5 gallons prior to adding it to your beer especially in long fermented, cold crashed or high floc yeast strains and you will have nothing but a powdery film in the bottom of your bottles when it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Oh yeah and 3-4 weeks in primary is not a problem or bad advice either.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

After cold crashing I try to pick up some yeast off the bottom while racking to the bottling bucket. Without doing this my cold crashed beers took much longer to carbonate...6 weeks instead of 2-3. For beers I wanted to ensure a quicker carbonation (party in less than two weeks) I add half a teaspoon of a highly flocculant dry yeast like Munton's extra gold to the bottling bucket. These beers always carbonate quickly.

 

[Mainer]

I don't think you need a new mentor and the fact that they knew enough to have you pitch some yeast at bottling time says a lot. Prior to my research into this topic I would always drag my racking cane through the thin layer of trub in my secondary to pick up yeast for carbonating with fairly good results. For the beers that didn't secondary I avoided the trub like the plague.
Additionally, I brewed for a couple years before I had the technology to see how little if any yeast I had for carbonating and never had a batch not carbonate (though some took a long time).
You will probably notice a thicker than normal layer of sediment in your bottles with a half cup of slurry but again this probably won't be a big deal unless you plan to age excessively in the bottle. Just refrigerate well before use and pour gently if you don't want the yeast in your glass.
A quick search through the sub forums resulted in eight or so threads since the first of the month where Brewers were asking why they had no carbonation in there beer.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Ask your LHBS for a bottle/cask conditioning yeast strain and rehydrate 3-4 grams in your priming solution per 5 gallons prior to adding it to your beer especially in long fermented, cold crashed or high floc yeast strains and you will have nothing but a powdery film in the bottom of your bottles when it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Oh yeah and 3-4 weeks in primary is not a problem or bad advice either.

I also allowed some of the yeast sediment to settle in the bottle bucket a little before I poured off into bottles, so hopefully the less-active yeast settled out, leaving me with just the suspended stuff. I think it'll be okay, for a first brew.

 

[sky4meplease]

I haven't tried this or even seen it available on store shelves but I will be looking to get my hands on some. From Fermentis.

SAFBREW F-2, THE NEW YEAST FOR BOTTLE AND CASK CONDITIONING



We are very proud to announce the extension of the Fermentis dry brewing yeast range with the launch of Safbrew F-2.

Specifically developed for bottle and cask conditioning Safbrew F-2 was selected for:

- Respect of the base beer sugar and aroma profiles

- Excellent stickiness at the bottom of the bottle / cask

- High alcohol tolerance

- And its ability to achieve a reliable carbonation in less than 2 weeks

A research in partnership with the Department of Brewing Sciences and Fermentation Technology of the Meurice Institute in Brussels, Belgium concluded that among a selection of brewing yeasts Safbrew F-2 showed the best results to referment a beer with an initial content of 11.5% v/v in less than two weeks.

Safbrew F-2 will be available to craft brewers in 20g sachets and can be bought through Fermentis craft brewing distribution network.

 

[MaxStout]

I haven't tried this or even seen it available on store shelves but I will be looking to get my hands on some. From Fermentis.

SAFBREW F-2, THE NEW YEAST FOR BOTTLE AND CASK CONDITIONING



We are very proud to announce the extension of the Fermentis dry brewing yeast range with the launch of Safbrew F-2.

Specifically developed for bottle and cask conditioning Safbrew F-2 was selected for:

- Respect of the base beer sugar and aroma profiles

- Excellent stickiness at the bottom of the bottle / cask

- High alcohol tolerance

- And its ability to achieve a reliable carbonation in less than 2 weeks

A research in partnership with the Department of Brewing Sciences and Fermentation Technology of the Meurice Institute in Brussels, Belgium concluded that among a selection of brewing yeasts Safbrew F-2 showed the best results to referment a beer with an initial content of 11.5% v/v in less than two weeks.

Safbrew F-2 will be available to craft brewers in 20g sachets and can be bought through Fermentis craft brewing distribution network.

Danstar makes a similar yeast for bottling and cask-conditioning, CBC-1. I have used it with a RIS and a lager. A few grams in 5 gallons before bottling worked like a charm.

 

[sky4meplease]

Danstar makes a similar yeast for bottling and cask-conditioning, CBC-1. I have used it with a RIS and a lager. A few grams in 5 gallons before bottling worked like a charm.

I noticed the F-2 yields 9.5 billion cells per gram while other Fermentis products (11.5 gram packs) yield 5.2 billion cells per gram. I don't know why the difference in densities but obviously you would use less of the F-2 than the other products.
I have discussed the CBC-1 with other home brewers but don't know the specifications of that product only that it comes highly recommended.

 

[MaxStout]

I noticed the F-2 yields 9.5 billion cells per gram while other Fermentis products (11.5 gram packs) yield 5.2 billion cells per gram. I don't know why the difference in densities but obviously you would use less of the F-2 than the other products.
I have discussed the CBC-1 with other home brewers but don't know the specifications of that product only that it comes highly recommended.

I don't know the bottle ferm pitch rate of F-2, but for CBC-1 it's 10g per 100l, or about 2g for a typical 5 gal batch. I think I used about 1/3 of the packet for each of mine, which was plenty adequate.