We are in the bottle!!!

[kiwicalifornia]

Just bottled our 1st brew last night, it was a 5 gallon amber using mutton mash (uk I think). Between my girlfriend and I the process went quite well, apart from it leaking at the seal of the spigot in the bottling bucket. Due to inexperience in bottling, the small leak and such, we ended up with 42 bottles, about 10 less than expected but hey!, this is our first crack at this. The brew sat in carboy for 3 1/2 weeks. The recipe called for 3/4 - 1 1/4 cups of sugar so we split the difference and did 1 cup. We are going to put a couple of bottles in the fridge for New Years. We realize it will probably be a bit green but hoping it will be drinkable. We are just doing this so we can compare the difference as the the rest will stay carbonating for about another month. One question.. Is there anyway to tell that the carbonation is taking place in the bottle, or is it just a given due to science that it is?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

You really should start weighing your priming sugar as volume measures can vary depending on how much it packs in or is leveled off etc. etc. etc. generally I use 1oz. Sugar per gallon of beer as a default. This will give you around 2.5 volumes of CO2.

 

[DocScott]

No way to know unless you pop a cap, however there has to be carbonation if you add a new fermentation source to the huge volume of yeast in your beer. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I usually bottle one bottle in a PET plastic soda bottle to check for carbonation. When the bottle is firm to the squeeze then I'll stick a few in the fridge for a day or two then sample to see how the beers coming along.