Hi all,
I'm going to be cooking my first batch next weekend and there's 2questions j can't seem to find answers for.
First when I'm bottling it would it be better to cap each bottle as I gill it or could I get away with filling the lot if them and then capping?
Also when u bottle everything I've read says to let the beer age 3-4 weeks to improve the flavor, but when people talk about kegging no one mentions this. Should you still wait with kegs or is it unnecessary?
Thanks!
First timer questions
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BrewMasterBrad
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Re: First timer questions
Hey Sean,
First off, welcome to the forum.
When I was bottling, I used to fill several bottles and just set the cap on top of the bottles as I continued to fill other bottles. I would then go back and finish capping with the capper.
Kegged beers can be force carbonated and can be ready to drink the next day. This may not be desirable for some styles since they need time to develop, but it is possible. Bottle conditioned beers need a few weeks to develop carbonation, that is the reason to wait to drink them.
Brad
First off, welcome to the forum.
When I was bottling, I used to fill several bottles and just set the cap on top of the bottles as I continued to fill other bottles. I would then go back and finish capping with the capper.
Kegged beers can be force carbonated and can be ready to drink the next day. This may not be desirable for some styles since they need time to develop, but it is possible. Bottle conditioned beers need a few weeks to develop carbonation, that is the reason to wait to drink them.
Brad
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada down at Trader Vic's
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maltbarley
- Posts: 2408
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 am
- Location: Orange, CA
Re: First timer questions
Everything he said, but I like to fill a few and then cap. Better yet enlist a friend to work the capper while you fill.
Welcome to the board!
Welcome to the board!
Re: First timer questions
Welcome to the board Sean.
Same as what Brad said. I fill all my bottles first just setting the caps on the bottles after each one is filled. This protects them from anything in the air that would fall into them and also in theory allows some time for the CO2 coming out of the beer to push out any oxygen in the neck area of the bottle before you crimp the crown closed. I then go back and start crimping starting with the first bottle I filled and ending with the last bottle.
One other thing I do is I mark and lable the first and last bottle and make sure I can tell them apart from the rest of the group. The reason being is that again in theory the first bottle is the highest likely to be contaminated if you had any sanitation issues in your bottling hose or wand, and the last bottle is most likely to not be 100% full (if your determined to get every last drop of beery goodness from your bucket) and/or possibly the highest in sediment/trub content. For these two bottles I make sure I am the one to consume them and usually open them first before the others when I'm testing to see if the brew is carbonated enough or not.
Anyways, if you're in the OC area stay in touch, and stop by our next club meeting for some excellent sampling and a plethora of knowledgeable homebrewers who are more than happy to share advice.
Cheers!
Same as what Brad said. I fill all my bottles first just setting the caps on the bottles after each one is filled. This protects them from anything in the air that would fall into them and also in theory allows some time for the CO2 coming out of the beer to push out any oxygen in the neck area of the bottle before you crimp the crown closed. I then go back and start crimping starting with the first bottle I filled and ending with the last bottle.
One other thing I do is I mark and lable the first and last bottle and make sure I can tell them apart from the rest of the group. The reason being is that again in theory the first bottle is the highest likely to be contaminated if you had any sanitation issues in your bottling hose or wand, and the last bottle is most likely to not be 100% full (if your determined to get every last drop of beery goodness from your bucket) and/or possibly the highest in sediment/trub content. For these two bottles I make sure I am the one to consume them and usually open them first before the others when I'm testing to see if the brew is carbonated enough or not.
Anyways, if you're in the OC area stay in touch, and stop by our next club meeting for some excellent sampling and a plethora of knowledgeable homebrewers who are more than happy to share advice.
Cheers!
Jon 