Does bottle clarity mean carbonation?

[ayoungrad]

I poked around a little and saw a few things here and there and never found a good consensus on this. But, forgive me if this is obvious...

I bottle carbonate and I use a calculated, weighed amount of sugar to match a desired volume of CO2.

I have noticed that my batches that are intended to have high clarity in the final product are not carbonated or are under-carbonated if they are not yet visually clear in the bottle. Once I can read writing on the far side of the bottle I have noticed that there is a good amount of carbonation and that the amount of carbonation is either at the desired level or close to it.

Have other people had this experience? Do you feel its a direct correlation? Or do you feel that, while you will not have full carbonation without clarity, having clarity does not ensure full carbonation?

 

[shauntraxler]

I'm not positive but I'm willing to bet the time spent in the bottle is the driving factor behind clarity and not necessarily the CO2 itself.

Indirectly, yes, carbonation may equal clarity because once your beer is fully carbed the yeast will drop out of suspension therefore clearing your brew. However, I don't think it's actually the CO2 doing the clearing, rather the lack of suspended yeast and protein.

You see, adding sugar to the bottles just gives the yeasties something more to munch on. Since the bottles are capped so tight the yeast byproducts (one being CO2) have no where to go but the dead space between the beer and the cap. Eventually, the CO2 gives in and dives back into the beer thus creating what we call carbonation. After the yeasties have devoured all of your priming sugar, they get bored and basically go to sleep on the bottom of your bottles. When they do this, they "fall of out suspension" and therefore leave you with a clearer beer.

Hope this helps.

 

[ayoungrad]

I'm definitely with you on all of that.

I guess my question is that since the beer clarifies with yeast sedimentation (which occurs in conjunction with flocculation) does clarity mean that the yeast is done metabolizing the priming sugar and therefore that carbonation is complete?

In other words, is there a way to know that my beer is done carbonating without opening a bottle?

I routinely open one small bottle each week to test progress. Just wondering if there is a way to avoid opening too many bottles prematurely...

 

[Yooper]

I'm definitely with you on all of that.

I guess my question is that since the beer clarifies with yeast sedimentation (which occurs in conjunction with flocculation) does clarity mean that the yeast is done metabolizing the priming sugar and therefore that carbonation is complete?

In other words, is there a way to know that my beer is done carbonating without opening a bottle?

I routinely open one small bottle each week to test progress. Just wondering if there is a way to avoid opening too many bottles prematurely...

No, clarity doesn't mean conditioning is complete. You can have clear beer if the yeast simply flocculates out and doesn't do anything, also.

One good way to test carbonation is simply bottling a couple of "tester bottles". Use a couple of small plastic soda bottles when you bottle with the regular glass bottles. Put the original cap on nice and tight. When the plastic bottle is hard, the other beers would be carbed up also.

 

[ayoungrad]

No, clarity doesn't mean conditioning is complete. You can have clear beer if the yeast simply flocculates out and doesn't do anything, also.

That makes sense.

But, if I'm following you correctly, doesn't this mean that if the beer is clear, the yeast has largely settled? And with that, wouldn't clear bottled beer therefore mean that the beer has completed carbonation? It may be at the desired CO2 level or well below the desired level, but wouldn't clear beer mean that either way, the yeast is done?

 

[ayoungrad]

I guess my question begs an answer to the question of what degree of metabolism does flocculated yeast experience?

 

[ChillWill]

I think you're probably right, but leaving bottles at 70f for 3 weeks should do the trick without needing to bottle watch or test regularly. The plastic soda bottle trick sounds good though if you're a little impatient.

 

[ayoungrad]

3 weeks definitely works for most beers. I've noticed on occasion that 10-14 days will work for smaller beers but yeah, just about all are done by 3 weeks for sure.

The issue is that it often takes longer with bigger beers.

I just made a 10.5% IIPA. This thing is like nothing I've made before. It has a viscosity similar to TenFidy or Chimay. I taste-tested a tiny 1/2 full bottle from the last bit of beer in the bottling bucket at around day 10. I knew it would be too early... it had carbonation but clearly carbonation had not completed. So I am anticipating a longer-than-usual carbonation time and I'm wondering if the clarity could be a sign?

 

[ayoungrad]

Every other beer I make is 1.060 or bigger, so I guess this is why I'm interested...

 

[Pezman1]

Hmmm... All of my beers are clear as I bottle them. Haven't seen them clearing up much more after two or three weeks in the bottle. At least not enough to judge they were carbed up by the clarity difference alone.

I did have a Cream Ale that I noticed was filter quality crystal clear after it sat in the fridge for a couple of weeks after the normal three week bottle condition at 70.

I'm thinking clarity alone is not a good indicator of carbonation. The beer would clear anyway even if you didn't add priming sugar as gravity did it's thing.
Plus, anytime you brew something darker than a light amber you would be hard pressed to view clarity changes through the amber bottle.

As suggested, I have a smaller 12 oz "try bottle" I open at the 2 week mark just to see how things are going.

Pez.

 

[ayoungrad]

I guess maybe its my process? I look things over quite a bit after bottling. It seems like the bottles are clear at bottling, lose clarity shortly after being in the bottle with priming sugar and then revert to clear over time in the bottles. This makes sense to me - the concept that bottle priming is a mini-fermentation and would therefore result in lower clarity - but maybe I'm just imagining it?

Has anyone else noticed that their beers go from clear to not so clear to clear again?