What do people use to warm bottles for secondary fermentation?

[eoinduff]

Hi All,

I started some homebrew 2 years ago in Dublin and have done about 6 batches now without any issues for the main part but brewed my first batch during the winter in December, the primary fermentation went well as I wrapped the fermenter in towels and foil to insulate and I got about 4% alcohol for the kit ginger beer that I brewed that was pretty good and the final gravity was close to 1.000. For bottling I added a heading agent as I wanted to help it along, I previously used the same agent for a cerveza kit and it worked great.

I bottled and left the bottles for about 5 weeks but the 2 I have tried so far aren't that fizzy at all, even in the grolsch style bottle. I'm thinking it might be the temperature not being warm enough for secondary fermentation, anyone seen this before or got any ideas?

Thanks,

Eoin

 

[ol-hazza]

What temperature were the bottles sitting at? Preferably you want them to be a similar temp to what your primary fermentation was, as you know the yeast likes that temperature.
Secondly what is the heading agent you used (i havnt heard that term before but im assuming its a carbonation sugar)
Thirdly by grolsch type to you mean flip tops? How many times have these been reused if they are? They may need new seals

And good work waiting 5 weeks for carbonation, i struggle with self control issues

 

[joshesmusica]

+1 on the temps being same as fermentation. Which should have been around 18-21C in the bucket.

I'm curious what you mean by heading agent as well. Carbonation tabs (which are just simple sugars) or just table sugar should've been used for carbonation. I would think your temps must be ridiculously low if it's taking 5 weeks and still no carbonation. Unless you've got them near refrigeration temperature, something else must be the problem. Mine sit in a closet that sits at around 17-18 and are usually fully carbed at the two week mark. And then I usually wait another week before I enjoy them.

 

[eoinduff]

Thanks for the replies lads, normally I would only have to wait 2-3 weeks for the carbonation with any other brews I have done. It is winter here so temps in the room where I'm storing could be 2-8 Deg C as I have no heater in that room.

I used coopers carbonation drops similar to other brews that I have done and the flip top (grolsch style) bottles have only been used once before.

What I was referring to as the heading agent is "beer heading agent" its made by brewtech and is composed of water propylene glycol alginate and polysaccharides. It worked really well on my cerveza, I got a great head on each bottle and it stayed until you finish the glass which I had difficulty achieving with other brews I done without adding it. you just add 5ml immediately prior to bottling.

Sounds like its just the temperature which I had assumed myself, how do you guys keep you bottles warm? I'm assuming I ran into this problem as there would not be as much heat in the individual bottles as there was in the fermenter which was insulated during the primary and probably generating its own heat?

 

[ol-hazza]

I keep mine hidden under the dining table which is off the lounge, so that keeps them warm enough as it is at the temperature of the living space. Its also summer here so mine are carbing up quick smart.

You might want to try keeping them near a heating source such as the hot water cupboard if you have one, or even put a heater with them.

If you don't have a warm place in the house already, you could invest in a heat source such as a heat pad ($45) or even a temp controlled fridge (see stc 1000 builds, cost of fridge or freezer + $15)

Maybe (ive never heard of or done this) you could re-pitch lager yeast at bottling and this would allow it to carb at lower temps.

3rd option would be to start kegging and force carbonate but this is expensive and takes a lot of room.

 

[joshesmusica]

yeah i just keep mine in my closet in my bedroom. so they prolly sit at about 18. any dark closet in your house should work just fine.

 

[eoinduff]

thanks again lads, I might look into a heat mat to put under the box where I keep them under the stairs. Iv put a few out beside the radiator in the kitchen so will give it 2 weeks and see if that makes a difference, if not i must have killed the yeast somehow when bottling or after the primary was finished

 

[naturebrew]

I keep my carboys warm either with a brew belt on an stc controller or by putting them in a small insulated box I have under the brew bench with an oil filled electric heater, also controlled by an stc controller. In both cases the temp probe is taped to the outside of one of the carboys and covered with a cloth so it is less affected by ambient temps. If the room is cold, like mine now at 52f, I will wrap a cardboard box around the carboys when using the brew belt and cover the top with a towel or blanket. I also use a modified pipe heater tape that I removed the thermal switch from and control with an stc, much longer and heavier duty than a standard brew belt.

Currently I am brewing a lager on the floor with a 2nd batch of lager on the bench tied to a brew belt. The floor temp is 52f and the bench lager is at 68f which I ramped up over a period of days to perform a D rest.

 

[eoinduff]

sounds like a fancy set up for your primary, do you have anything set up to keep you bottles at the right temp for the secondary fermentation to make it fizzy?

Eoin

 

[naturebrew]

I don't secondary my beer per sé, I let it go through full fermentation in the primary on the yeast cake, most are finished in a few weeks, bigger beers I have left for 2 months, no issues, at least that I can taste.

When I keg or bottle, I naturally carb. When bottling, I place the cases of beer in a warm area (65-70f)for 7 days, if the house is cooler than this, I place them in the warming chamber under my brew bench. With kegs, if I have a brew belt and controller free, will wrap them the same as a carboy and warm for 7 days as well if the house isn't already warm enough. When I do this with kegs, I hit them with 20PSI of CO2 to pressurize them and keep them sealed as they carb.

None of my setup would be considered fancy, stc controller from ebay and brew belts/heater tapes that's it.

I am moving to fermenting in sanke kegs, trying to source a few now as I broke two glass carboys last weekend. One while cleaning it and the other my GF knocked over while moving a basket of laundry:smack:

Once I do this, I will carb the beer in the sanke keg naturally while fermenting using a spunding valve setup and then pressure transfer to my corny kegs for serving. I have been brewing for a year now so time to start upgrading my system!