Complete beginner seeking a mentor

[ncbrewer]

Thanks for the input Homercidal.

 

[jasebrooker]

Hi everyone.

So it's nearly time for me to bottle my first ever batch! I managed to get some bottles for free from a local pub (saved a bit of cash there!) and I have my bottling bucket all set up, I've also ordered some starsan so I can make sure everything is sanitised properly. So now I'm good to go I have one last question before i bottle, that is;
According to the destructions I need to put half a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle. Now, I'm going to just mix all the sugar up in some water, put it in the bottling bucket then rack my beer into it. My question is how do I know exactly how much sugar to mix up? My bucket has measurements on but they're not great. (So far on about 3.75 gallons) but there are no increments between the gallon marks. I don't want beer bombs but I don't want to mix to little. What would you all suggest?

 

[aiptasia]

There are some great online priming sugar calculators out there. Here's one: http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

Here's my take on priming: I like to use just slightly more priming sugar than suggested. As in, when you measure out your amount, don't worry if you use a little extra. Above all else, most ales will require a full three weeks of conditioning in a warm (room temperature), dark location. Inside of a cardboard box on a top shelf of a disused closet is a perfect spot. Bigger beers will require longer conditioning time. So, if you open a bottle in a week and it's flat, remember, told you so. Be patient and let them go the full three weeks. Then, put one or two in the fridge for a full 48 hours and let them chill cold. Cold temperature beer can absorb more CO2 than warm beer, so a good cold crash will help carbonate CO2 trapped in the necks of the bottles. Remember, you can let them warm back up to whichever serving temperature you like, but you might as well get all that CO2 into the beer FIRST before you do that.

 

[jasebrooker]

Ah ok, not heard of chilling them like that so I'll look into that. I'm going to do a bit of math (volume of a cylinder) to get a rough idea and then go from there. If I'm better off waiting 3 weeks I shall need to look into more bottles as there's no way I'll be able to wait until they're all gone to start another brew

 

[jasebrooker]

Looking at the calculator in the link aptasia posted, how would I know what volume of CO2 I want? I'm brewing the straight forward Youngs Harvest Bitter; http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk...int_Harvest_Bitter_Beer_Kit.html#.URkH-iggGc0 and I've done it to be a bit stronger so I've made approx 3.75 gallons

 

[Ostomo517]

Looking at the calculator in the link aptasia posted, how would I know what volume of CO2 I want? I'm brewing the straight forward Youngs Harvest Bitter; http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Youngs_40_pint_Harvest_Bitter_Beer_Kit.html#.URkH-iggGc0 and I've done it to be a bit stronger so I've made approx 3.75 gallons

British Bitter is about 1.4 volumes

 

[ajf]

British Bitter is about 1.4 volumes

Draught British Bitters are about 1.0 - 1.5 volumes.

Bottled versions are about 2.25 - 2.5 volumes.

-a.

 

[jasebrooker]

Hi everyone.

I thought I'd let you all know how I'm getting on! My first batch is now done and bottled, now for the hard part, waiting!
There have been a couple of things I have noticed that I will try to change when I do my next batch that I was hoping to get some advice on. I planned for 34 bottles but in reality I only got 27 due to the amount of sediment at the bottom. As I planned for 34 bottles I added enough priming sugar for 34 bottles so I'm hoping I don't get bombs! How do you guys figure this in to your priming sugar calculations? Also, can you go straight from fermenting bucket to bottle? I have a bottling bucket which I transferred to but I figure it would make sense to just ferment straight into that, wouldn't cause a problem would it or is it better to rack it anyway?
Any who, thanks for all the advice and help, I think I will have to go and get some more bottles as there is no way I will be able to wait upto a month before getting another brew on !

All the best,

J

 

[Euphist]

The priming sugar should still be close enough. I would, however, suggest that you get those bottles in the dark ASAP! Clear bottles left in the light produce skunked beer.

 

[jasebrooker]

Yeah I have them in a cupboard with at tea towel over the top

 

[jasebrooker]

Two weeks after bottling and I've tried my first beer....... It's not bad!! I know I should wait another week so I will try again then. I have noticed that it seems VERY fizzy!! I didn't have any problems like a foam volcano and it poured fine but it does seem very fizzy. I must confess that when I was priming, the amount of sugar in the instructions and the amount on the calculators were VERY different and I followed the instructions instead, I wonder if this might explain the extra fizz.

 

[Homercidal]

How much beer did you bottle, and how much priming sugar did you use? Most people use 5 ounces or 3/4 cup (I think...) of corn sugar for bottling with decent results. It's a good number for the average beer. I don't usually bother with other amounts unless I'm brewing a barleywine or RIS or some other beer that calls for a much different carbonation level.

Next step? Get some clear glasses for drinking your beer from!

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Two weeks after bottling and I've tried my first beer....... It's not bad!! I know I should wait another week so I will try again then. I have noticed that it seems VERY fizzy!! I didn't have any problems like a foam volcano and it poured fine but it does seem very fizzy. I must confess that when I was priming, the amount of sugar in the instructions and the amount on the calculators were VERY different and I followed the instructions instead, I wonder if this might explain the extra fizz.

I've experienced that in beers before. Usually letting it sit helps settle the carbonation a bit. I'm not explaining it right I'm sure. But for example my Winter Ale I tasted it after exactly a week and there was no green apple taste, but there was what I'd describe as almost a fountain soda effervescence, but even just 3 days later it was better and by the end of the following week it was even better. I had one just the other day (been about 3 months since bottling) and it was still perfect. I drank many of them at Christmas when the 3 week period would have occurred.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Hi everyone.

I thought I'd let you all know how I'm getting on! My first batch is now done and bottled, now for the hard part, waiting!
There have been a couple of things I have noticed that I will try to change when I do my next batch that I was hoping to get some advice on. I planned for 34 bottles but in reality I only got 27 due to the amount of sediment at the bottom. As I planned for 34 bottles I added enough priming sugar for 34 bottles so I'm hoping I don't get bombs! How do you guys figure this in to your priming sugar calculations? Also, can you go straight from fermenting bucket to bottle? I have a bottling bucket which I transferred to but I figure it would make sense to just ferment straight into that, wouldn't cause a problem would it or is it better to rack it anyway?
Any who, thanks for all the advice and help, I think I will have to go and get some more bottles as there is no way I will be able to wait upto a month before getting another brew on !

All the best,

J

Your yield will vary. My last batch I got 48 out of because of lots of straining to get nearly all the hops and proteins out of the fermenter. Batch before that I got about 40 or 42 (I forget) because I didn't do those things. Letting your beer sit longer compresses the trub and being careful with handling also helps.

As far as fermenting or rackign it really depends. If you're priming in bottle or priming in a keg then it doesn't make too much of a difference as long as you know your trub level will be well below the spigot line (flowing beer will disturb the trub)

Personally I will always rack to secondary or keg because I think it's the best way to get clear beer. I've been good at getting clear beers without fining agents or anything. Racking only takes about 10 minutes and it's the best way to evenly distribute priming sugar.

 

[jasebrooker]

Ive just had a thought, I will need to check my notes at home but there is 4g per teaspoon of table sugar, half of that per bottle (34 bottles) would make for 68g which is about right on the calculator, I'm sure I used WAY more than that. I'm wondering if I forgot to half the amount, I'm sure I used over 100g. Plus I only bottled 27 as I hadn't accounted for the trub at the bottom of the fermenter (I will bear this in mind for next time)

 

[jasebrooker]

Your yield will vary. My last batch I got 48 out of because of lots of straining to get nearly all the hops and proteins out of the fermenter. Batch before that I got about 40 or 42 (I forget) because I didn't do those things. Letting your beer sit longer compresses the trub and being careful with handling also helps.

As far as fermenting or rackign it really depends. If you're priming in bottle or priming in a keg then it doesn't make too much of a difference as long as you know your trub level will be well below the spigot line (flowing beer will disturb the trub)

Personally I will always rack to secondary or keg because I think it's the best way to get clear beer. I've been good at getting clear beers without fining agents or anything. Racking only takes about 10 minutes and it's the best way to evenly distribute priming sugar.

Do you strain it just through racking? At what stage do you do that? I thought I should let it settle and disturb it as little as possible?