Faster Carb in bottle?

[BaldManBrew]

Hey guys, I was wondering if there were any ideas on how to help give mother nature a lil help speeding up carbonation. I will be trying one of my beers on Christmas as a little gift to myself. I'm expecting it to be flat. I brewed on the 6th, bottled on the 20th. I've read turning the bottles upside down might help. Would this work?

 

[Pappers_]

Temperature is another variable - yeasties like it when its above 70, but I wouldn't bottle condition much above 75.

 

[rycov]

not really what your asking. but you could just tell the people you give them too to wait. two weeks or a month or whatever to open them

 

[rycov]

i wouldn't be pissed if some one gave me beer and said wait for a while before you put it in the fridge. just sayin

 

[BaldManBrew]

sorry, I'm just going to have one myself on Christmas as a gift to myself. I'm expecting it to be pretty flat as it's only been carbonating for 5 days. If it was good enough I would pour some for family members, but I'm thinking it will be far from ready. I was wondering if anyone knew any tricks on speeding up carbonation in the bottle.

 

[BaldManBrew]

Thanks Pappers - right now temp is fairly constant 70, might move it closer to furnace to get warmer

 

[floyd242]

I almost always try one after 5 days, there's usually always carbonation except for the batch I made after the temperature break when my basement temperature went from 72 down to 62. They aren't fully carbonated, but I still always do it.

 

[RM-MN]

I bottled my blueberry ale on December 20 with a FG of 1.014, about what I expected. I used the packet of corn sugar that was included in the kit when I racked to the bottling bucket, just like I always do but this time I put some in a plastic water bottle, the thin ones that crackle when you pick them up empty so I could have an indicator of when the beer might be carbed. The next day, about 24 hours after bottling it, that thin plastic bottle was rigid and the bottom was pressed out signaling that there was pressure already. I won't open it yet as I know that it needs more time to mature but I'm pretty sure if I chilled it for 24 hours, I would have carbonated beer. The temperature of the carbonation area has been a constant 74 degrees F.

 

[Revvy]

I bottled my blueberry ale on December 20 with a FG of 1.014, about what I expected. I used the packet of corn sugar that was included in the kit when I racked to the bottling bucket, just like I always do but this time I put some in a plastic water bottle, the thin ones that crackle when you pick them up empty so I could have an indicator of when the beer might be carbed. The next day, about 24 hours after bottling it, that thin plastic bottle was rigid and the bottom was pressed out signaling that there was pressure already. I won't open it yet as I know that it needs more time to mature but I'm pretty sure if I chilled it for 24 hours, I would have carbonated beer. The temperature of the carbonation area has been a constant 74 degrees F.

Just because your bottle is hard doesn't mean that the beer is carbed, that the co2 has actually gone into the solution.

Bottle carbing is a NATURAL process, you can't really rush something.

The 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer. Lower temperatures take longer.

And just because a beer is carbed @ three weeks, doesn't mean that it doesn't still taste like crap and won't need more time to condition.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.

Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

 

[Captain Damage]

Don't Try This At Home Dept.: I "speed carbed" a dozen bottles for Thanksgiving by putting them in a box with a heating pad on low power underneath it. I had a thermometer in the box and checked it twice daily for 5 days. I let the temperature get up to about 85F. The beer came out fine, though I don't plan on doing it again.

 

[damnyankee]

Hey guys, I was wondering if there were any ideas on how to help give mother nature a lil help speeding up carbonation. I will be trying one of my beers on Christmas as a little gift to myself. I'm expecting it to be flat. I brewed on the 6th, bottled on the 20th. I've read turning the bottles upside down might help. Would this work?

The thing is, you want your beer to "age" in the bottle so all the grain flavors, yeast, and hops come together - like aged steaks. Rule of thumb is, the longer it sits (WEEKS), the better it tastes. Carbonation occurs long before the flavors are married together.

DY

 

[user 19629]

You know it's going to be little undercarbed.
Try one and enjoy Merry Xmas.

 

[mkirkland]

I usually have a pretty good amount of carbonation after 5 days in the bottle at 70 degrees. Just wait till christmas morning...pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then in the fridge till you cant stand it anymore..then pop the top and enjoy.

 

[BaldManBrew]

Ok so I tried my first home brew on Christmas, it was amazing. Plenty of carb, was shocked. I only poured one beer, and the whole family tried it, everyone loved it. I know it's only going to get better if i let it continue to condition in the bottles. I was ready to not enjoy this beer, but it was fantastic. Thank you HBF

beer - Autumn Amber Ale from Midwest