Time in Fermenter Affects Carbonation?

[knickspree]

I've been doing some simple coopers brew kits the past couple years and just started doing extract recipes.

What I've noticed about the coopers kits (using the dry yeast and carbonation drops) is that the shorter amount of time spent in the fermenter, the higher carbonated the beer is.

This is a relationship that has been quite obvious to me over time. For example, when I first started brewing (based on the advice I read online) I'd keep my brew in the fermenter for 2 weeks or more before bottling.

My first brew (a lager) I kept in the fermenter for almost 3 weeks before bottling, and it struggled with carbonation the entire time. Even after a year, I opened a bottle of it and it was still fairly flat. And I tried all the different techniques of rotating the bottles, putting it in a warmer area...etc...

So my next brew I decreased the time in the fermenter, and it was a little more carbonated. Finally I just started bottling after a week in the fermenter, and all my brews have been very carbonated since then.

Is this true that the longer it is in the fermenter the more difficult it is to carbonate?

Based on my experiences, it has been 100% true, as recent as a couple months ago I had one bottled after one week and one bottled after 2 weeks, and the 2-week one is less carbonated.

 

[agrazela]

If you bottle before the yeast is done attenuating the wort, then you will get more carbonation in the bottles. It's as if you are adding extra bottling sugar.

 

[knickspree]

So bottling before the yeast is fully done attenuating the wort is like using gasoline to start a fire?

And bottling after the yeast is done attenuating is like using matches and making sure the sticks are stacked right?

I haven't had massive problems getting carbonation, it's just a lot tougher to get it to carbonate if I leave it in the fermenter for over two weeks.

 

[FatDragon]

Bottling too early means there's still fermentation going on in the bottles. Fermentation in the bottles means a risk of overpressurizing the bottle and BOOM!

I don't know what caused that lager to struggle with fermentation, but if you bottle before reaching final gravity (i.e. before the beer's done fermenting), you're courting disaster.

 

[Bensiff]

So bottling before the yeast is fully done attenuating the wort is like using gasoline to start a fire?

Pretty much. The two main products of fermentation are CO2 and alcohol so if fermentation is still going then CO2 is still being produced. Never bottle a beer that is still fermenting.

I haven't had massive problems getting carbonation, it's just a lot tougher to get it to carbonate if I leave it in the fermenter for over two weeks.

But, that is exactly what you want to do. Let the beer finish and clear. While active fermentation is complete, the beer is still saturated with CO2 and that will slowly off gas until it hits equilibrium with atmospheric pressure. Priming sugar calculators are based off the assumption that some off gassing has occurred so if you bottle at the tail end of active fermentation not only are you getting CO2 created from that, the solution hasn't off gassed so you are starting with more CO2 than the calculator assumes so you have a nice setup for a bottle bomb.

The other thing, is that it takes about 4-5 weeks for a beer to properly bottle carb.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Is this true that the longer it is in the fermenter the more difficult it is to carbonate?

+1 to what others have said about waiting until fermentation is completely finished before bottling. Time in the fermenter will affect level of attenuation and, to some extent, flavors. It should have no effect on carbonation unless you are bottling before fermentation is completed. Then it may have a drastic impact, usually not a good one.

You didn't mention what you are using to carbonate or how you have calculated your priming sugar addition. I've found that the following webpage has been very helpful in that regard:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

 

[knickspree]

I was using carbonation drops before, but with my latest batch I just started using priming sugar.

I let my strong ale ferment for two weeks, after about 10 days all fermentation signs died way down, so I decided to bottle 4 days later.

I used priming sugar, by boiling 5 oz with 2 cups of water. Let it cool, then poured it into the fermenter that was about 5 1/2 gallons full, stirred it around for a few minutes, then let it settle for 30 minutes, then bottled.

This weekend will be the 2-week in the bottle mark so I'm going to open one and see how the carbonation is.

 

[unionrdr]

You should really get/make a bottling bucket. No time wasted waiting for gunk stirred off the bottom to re-settle. Also,make sure the beer hasn't had wild temp fluctuations that shock th eyeast into settling prematurely. your stirring in the priming solution into primary stirs it up & it gets going again. Use a hydrometer to make sure it's at a stable FG. I use this priming calculator with te beers current internal temp; http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
The reason I use the current internal temp is,since after initial fermentation is done,it slows down & cools off a bit while it finishes fermenting. so the dissolved co2 off gasses till it equalizes with air pressire again. So the lower current temp will give more priming solution gravity that gives me better carbonation. Iknow that sounds backward,but it works.