When to bottle a Cal Common to be ready for Christmas

[fat_astronaut]

I brewed a Cal Common with a friend on November 2. He wants to be able to give some away for Christmas gifts.

I have never worked with a hybrid/lager yeast before. Will it take longer to carb to 2.3 volumes than if I had used an ale yeast?

Would you suggest bottling on the 23rd, so 3 weeks in primary, followed by 32 days to carb in the bottle? Or, bottle on the 30th of November, having 4 weeks in primary, and 25 days to bottle condition.

Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

 

[agrazela]

I would expect it to require not more than 3 weeks in primary (though of course only stable final gravity readings can tell you for sure)--with one of those weeks being a cold crash (if you have that option), then not more than about 2-3 weeks to carb (at room-ish temp), then maybe another 2-3 weeks of bottle conditioning until really prime. Of your choices, I'd aim for bottling around the 23rd (again, assuming stable FG readings). Though I don't think you could go wrong either way.

What has been your fermentation schedule so far? (Times / temps)

 

[fat_astronaut]

I haven't been following temp, I don't do much for temp control. The basement where the carboys sit is around 60-62, so temps would probably be 5-10 degrees higher, I guess.

I don't know what you are looking for when you ask for times though.

 

[agrazela]

I just mean how long you keep it at what temperature through your stages of fermentation. Your "fermentation schedule."

For example, I do a Cal Common at 58°F for about a week (or until 80-90% of my expected attenuation is achieved), then up it to 68°F until stable FG reached (about another week), then cold crash for a week, then bottle.

At your fermentation temperature, and assuming a healthy pitch and that you're not doing some abnormally high gravity version, it might be done fermenting already. It surely shouldn't need more than the rest of this week to finish fermenting / cleaning up after itself. Then if you can cold crash for a week (or just sit another week at room T if you can't crash) and you should be ready to bottle about the 23rd.

 

[Yooper]

I normally go 10-14 days in the fermenter, and then bottle if I'm not lagering. I generally do lager a california common, but it can be lagered in the bottle after it carbs up.

I'm concerned about the seemingly very high fermentation temperatures, though. This beer may have some off flavors if it did ferment at 68 degrees, depending on the yeast strain yeast. I think Wyeast 2112 may be more forgiving of a higher temperature than the White Labs 810.

 

[duboman]

My experience with 2112 is it tends to get a bit fruity above 64 degrees and it definitely benefits from a bit of lagering in terms of appearance and clarity. Without temp control be prepared for some fruitiness but otherwise it really shouldn't take any longer to properly carbonate than any other yeast in the right environment.