Confused on Priming/Conditioning

[Dawgchad]

I just realized my beer was primed with sugar, bottled, and then immediately placed in the "Conditioning Temperature" that my book recommend for the brew.

That temperature is 54, and the book recommends 3 weeks.

YET, as I read here, I think I may have messed up. Was I to let it sit at room temp for awhile first? THEN go to conditioning temp?

The very same book that recommends conditioning at 54 for this brew also only states quickly that beer should be primed at 68...and does not elaborate after that, nor explain the difference.

Need I go grab those bottles and get them to 68 now?

 

[mhurst111]

The answer is: It depends on how soon you want to drink them and how much carbonation you want.

Assuming you bottled with the correct amount of sugar, the bottles will carbonate at almost any temperature. The warmer you have them, the faster they will carbonate.

3 weeks at 54 seems reasonable. I don't bottle much anymore, but my process was: Bottle, leave upstairs at room temp (70-ish) for 1-3 days, take to my basement which sits at 60 degrees or cooler almost year round.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I bottle my beers, calculating priming sugar with this tool;

http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Then I leave them to sit at about 70* for a week or two, then down to the basement to sit at 55-60* for another week. Mhurst is correct that the bottles will prime at 54*, but will take longer due to the low temp.

 

[ncbrewer]

I would condition for 3 weeks at 70F, or as close as possible. During the winter mine condition at about 65, and it takes about 6 weeks to fully carb. Cooler storage after conditioning is supposed to be good - I can't say from experience because I don't have that capability. Then put in the fridge for at least two days if possible. A week is supposed to be better, but again, no personal experience. Two days seems fine to me.

 

[Dawgchad]

If I have the time, does carbonating at a lower temp give a better flavor?

 

[mhurst111]

If I have the time, does carbonating at a lower temp give a better flavor?

no idea on that one, but sounds like a good experiment.
Keep some at 54 the whole time, put the others at 68-70 for a week or more, then lower the temp. taste test at 4-6 weeks.

 

[homebrewdad]

A lot depends on your yeast. At 54, the yeast will act very, very slow - some will go all but dormant.

You'll be a lot happier if you move that been somewhere warm (around 70 degrees F, if possible) for 2-3 weeks. Once you're fully carbed, you can move it back to more of a cellar temp for long term storage.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have been brewering a lot and I generally leave mine at room temp for a couple weeks and then to the cooler garage and now that I have a good pipeline going, the older beers are just getting better and better. I have not gone straight to the garage but I my do a test bottle or two next time I bottle to see.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

If I have the time, does carbonating at a lower temp give a better flavor?

Carbing at 54° tastes like it takes too long to carb versus 68°. Other than that, absolutely no difference.

 

[Dawgchad]

Thanks for all the help. I went with the two weeks in the house approach, and will transfer to the 54 basement at that time.