Refrigerate after bottling?
- Thread starter MrBJones
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Not until they are carbonated.... If you put them straight into the refrigerator you will make the yeast go dormant and the bottles will not carbonate (or will take a very long time). 2 weeks minimum at about 70 degrees, chill one bottle to test. If it is carbonated you can begin drinking them. If not you need to wait longer.
At 2 weeks they might be carbonated, at 3 weeks or longer the same beers might taste better. Almost all of mine I thought were better at three weeks or longer.
At 2 weeks they might be carbonated, at 3 weeks or longer the same beers might taste better. Almost all of mine I thought were better at three weeks or longer.
You want to leave it sit at a warm (room) temperature for 2 to 4 weeks to carbonate. After that you can refrigerate it if you want, or you can just leave it at room temperature and refrigerate individual bottles 24 hours before you drink them.
Note that some higher alcohol beers can take longer to carb.
Note that some higher alcohol beers can take longer to carb.
You want to let the bottles condition at room or fermentation chamber temperatures for a few weeks, if you immediately chill the bottles after priming and capping, the yeast will be fighting the cold and may take months to convert enough sugar to CO2 to make the beer carbonated.
Im not sure of any noticeable "benefit" to delaying the point in which you can drink the beer you've made!
[EDIT] 4 answers in 3 minutes, talk about an underhanded pitch of a question!
Im not sure of any noticeable "benefit" to delaying the point in which you can drink the beer you've made!
[EDIT] 4 answers in 3 minutes, talk about an underhanded pitch of a question!
After the bottles carbonate, I fridge them for at least 5-7 days. Unless it's a hybrid lager or the like, then they get two weeks to simulate lagering in the bottles.
Brulian
Amateur Brewman
What is the reason for putting them in the fridge for 1 week? Why not maybe 24hrs just to have cold beer?
Im new to brewing, my 1st batch ever is about to be done.
Chill haze. When your beer is first chilled you may get a haze from proteins in the beer. Given time to settle will get you a clearer beer. If that isn't important to you then you just chill the beer and drink it. I wouldn't worry about chill haze in a darker beer since you could not see it.
If you are worried about chill haze. I put some in the fridge one day for the next evening. Unless I forget, then I put them in when I think of it and drink them when cooled enough.
I say yes once they're carbonated, after 2-4 weeks. You'll get the benefits of cold conditioning, especially clearing any haze like the others have said, and it will slow any staling, potential contamination, etc. This is assuming you have room in the fridge.
