Carbonation Question.

[PainInUrHead]

Hello everyone,
Just bottled my first batch of beer (a kit from Midwest), and I was curious about how I will know if it is indeed carbonated or if it will come out flat. I followed all the directions but is there a test to see if it is good and carbonated? Or, is it just a wait and see.
I have fermented several meads but I did not have to worry about the trapped CO2 with them. I just don't want 40ish bottles of flat beer that would have been a waste of money. Do you have any advice? I am getting a hair worried.

 

[jonmohno]

As long as you added the recommended priming sugar and it reached a good Final Gravity,it should be good in 3 weeks @70 degrees,Just dont stick them someware under 60 for 3 weeks.If you dont mind "wasting" a bottle and checking it in about 5 days, its not recommended but you may/may not have them carbed untill a few weeks, just kidding about wasting one,i havent yet mine were very drinkable with decent carbonation that early.It varies.

 

[o4_srt]

Give them 3 weeks at 70 degrees, then throw a few in the fridge for 3-5 days, and enjoy.

Relax, the yeast have been doing the same job for thousands of years. They know what they are doing.

 

[Zen_Brew]

Nope, no real test I am aware of. You just have to follow the directions, then set the bottles aside and wait.

As o4_srt states. Relax, The yeast know what they are doing.

 

[o4_srt]

Nope, no real test I am aware of. You just have to follow the directions, then set the bottles aside and wait.

As o4_srt states. Relax, The yeast know what they are doing.

They also operate on their own schedule. It's not uncommon for some styles to take 1-2 months to carb

 

[jar1087]

I usually pop one open after about a week, just to see how they are doing. Sometimes they are already carbonated after a week, although often the flavor will continue to develop and improve after that.

 

[troub]

All good advice so far. I can never resist opening one a little early (usually at about a week and half).

For future batches, though, if you're the worrying type, you can always bottle one in a 20 oz plastic soda bottle, that way you'll feel the bottle harden as the carbonation happens. Just make double-sure you store it out of the light.

 

[Yooper]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I want a darn tester! What I found that works great is to use some soda bottles. Sanitize them when you sanitize the bottles, along with the twist caps, and fill them when you fill the beer bottles. Keep it with the rest of the bottles, and when it's nice and hard, it's carbonated! You may still get a bit more carbonation after that, but it's a sure way to know. If you give it a squeeze every day or two, you can feel it getting harder. That's an easy way for inpatient people like me to gauge carbonation.

 

[PT Ray]

I bit of a gauge is when the yeast all of a sudden drops to the bottom and the beer starts to clear. If you have heavy, dark bottles it's easy to miss. I'll throw in some green or clear glass when I bottle just so I can see the progress.

 

[Zen_Brew]

If you give it a squeeze every day or two, you can feel it getting harder.

Coming soon to a signature near you.